Galapagos Shark Diving Donates USD 31,500 to Shark Research & Launches 'Name a Whale Shark 2025' Initiative

Galapagos Shark Diving, a conservation-focused dive travel operator, has donated USD 31,523.40 in 2025 to marine conservation initiatives in the Galápagos Islands, directly supporting whale shark research and ocean education for young girls. As part of this commitment, the company has launched the “Name a Whale Shark 2025 Contest”, allowing participating citizen science divers to name newly tagged whale sharks in recognition of their contribution to research.

The donations were allocated to two key initiatives.

• USD 29,311.06 was donated to the Galapagos Whale Shark Project (GWSP), supporting whale shark monitoring, photo-identification, satellite tagging, and data analysis.

• USD 2,212.34 was donated to Chicas con Agallas (Gill's Club), an educational science program empowering girls aged 8–12 in the Galápagos Islands.

With this contribution, Galapagos Shark Diving's total donations since 2019 now exceed USD 112,000, all generated through conservation-driven dive tourism.

Citizen Science Divers Help Tag and Name Whale Sharks

The Name a Whale Shark 2025 Contest is open exclusively to divers who joined Galapagos Shark Diving's Citizen Science Dive Expeditions in 2025. While all guests traveling with the company contribute to shark research funding, only Citizen Science participants are eligible to submit a name.

Each eligible diver submits one name, and winners are drawn at the end of the year. The number of whale sharks that can be named depends directly on the funding raised, as each satellite tag, including satellite time, repres ents a significant research investment.

Thanks to the 2025 donation total, six satellite tags have been funded, allowing six whale sharks to be officially named during upcoming research expeditions.

The selected whale shark names for 2025 are Chri, Isabella, Paula, Tayla, Sakura, and Olivia.

Once tagging is completed, each shark will be officially registered by the Galapagos Whale Shark Project in Sharkbook.ai, the international whale shark database used by researchers worldwide.

Supporting Long-Term Whale Shark Research

Galapagos Shark Diving has been a donation-based supporter of the Galapagos Whale Shark Project since 2019. All shark scientists joining the company's Citizen Science Expeditions are active researchers from the project, ensuring guests are directly involved in current scientific work.

Funds support whale shark sate llite tagging, long-term movement and migration monitoring, photo-identification databases, field research logistics, and data analysis.

By combining tourism with research participation, divers contribute directly to expanding scientific knowledge about one of the ocean's most iconic species.

Investing in the Next Generation: Chicas con Agallas (Gill's Club)

In 2025, Galapagos Shark Diving began supporting Chicas con Agallas (Gill's Club), an educational initiative operating on San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela Islands, with expansion planned to Floreana.

The program empowers girls aged 8–12 through hands-on scientific training, field research exposure, and mentorship by scientists and educators. Participants learn about marine ecosystems, research methods, and conservation challenges through fieldwork, snorkeling, laboratory activities, and outdoor exploration.

The initiative aims to increase representation of women in science and conservation while fostering a strong connection between local communities and the Galápagos marine environment.