Social Media Monitors the Largest Fish in the Sea

摘要

When I began my academic career, I didn't seek out the whale shark. Indeed, for a long time I didn't expect I would ever see one, let alone study them. Then in the spring of 20081 took a job as a resident marine biologist at the Four Seasons Resorts in the Maldives. This job opened up a world of marine delights to me, and a few weeks later, I swam with my first whale shark. It was a strange encounter, and not how I imagined it would be. Squinting through my scuba mask into the inky depths, it took me several long seconds to recognize what I was seeing. Far below me, a carpet of white spots was moving slowly forward; no giant fins, no colossal tail, just the hint of a great shape fading into the blue.