Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme

What Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme does

Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSR) is a UK-registered charity (no. 1130369) and Maldivian NGO (T/2013/07/03) founded in 2006, operating as the only long-term organisation dedicated to studying whale sharks in the Maldives and the greater Indian Ocean region. Headquartered in York, UK with research operations based in the South Ari Marine Protected Area (SAMPA), MWSR runs structured 10-night research expeditions aboard the chartered Turkish gulet MV Akoya Pearl, where paying volunteers participate directly in photo-identification, laser photogrammetry, drone transect surveys, SONAR transects, environmental DNA sampling, plankton collection, and microplastic analysis. The organisation's research directly informed the 2009 establishment of SAMPA, the largest marine protected area in the Maldives.

The company's core technology is a proprietary photo-identification database tracking 726 individually catalogued whale sharks across 8,000+ encounters, augmented by the Big Fish Network — a citizen-science platform launched in 2014 that trains 185+ wildlife tour guides across the Maldives to submit photographic encounter data to a centralised portal and provides members with an interactive Google Earth-based interface for shark life histories and trip planning. MWSR does not own its research vessel or accommodation facilities, partnering instead with MV Akoya Pearl for shipboard operations and Secret Paradise Maldives for booking logistics.

Revenue is generated through two streams: expedition fees paid by individual volunteers (which cover vessel rental, accommodation, food, fuel, and research expenses on the 10-berth gulet) and donations from supporters engaged via MailChimp newsletters. Customer segments include paying citizen-science volunteers drawn from 20+ countries, Big Fish Network member tour operators across the Maldives, and government/conservation bodies that use MWSR research outputs for policy and marine protected area management decisions. The organisation employs 1–10 staff and operates with no disclosed external investors or funding rounds.

Name

Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme

Legal name

Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme

Website

https://maldiveswhalesharkresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme is a UK-registered Maldivian NGO founded in 2006 that conducts long-term whale shark research in the South Ari Marine Protected Area through paying volunteer expeditions and a citizen-science network of 185+ wildlife tour guides.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Research

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours (THAAAIAC), Underwater Photography & Videography Tours/Workshops (THAAAIAK)

Keywords

• Whale shark research
• Marine conservation
• Citizen science
• Wildlife expeditions
• Marine biology

Headquarters

HQ city

York

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Expedition Fees: Volunteers pay expedition fees that cover the rental of research dhoni and mother boat, accommodation, food, fuel, and project-related expenses. This is the primary revenue stream sustaining MWSR operations.
2. Donations and Charitable Support: As a UK-registered charity (no. 1130369), MWSR receives donations from supporters and partners. The cookie policy also mentions MailChimp for newsletters indicating ongoing donor engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MWSR is a non-profit marine research organisation that conducts long-term whale shark research in South Ari Atoll, Maldives, and packages this fieldwork as paid volunteer research expeditions for individual participants. It also operates the Big Fish Network, a citizen science platform that catalogues global whale shark sightings, and runs structured research activities covering population monitoring, bycatch assessment, capacity building, and policy advocacy in partnership with the Maldivian government and IUCN.

Product overview

Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSR) is a Maldivian NGO offering a structured volunteer-based research expedition programme and the Big Fish Network citizen-science platform. The Expeditions programme enables participants to join the research vessel MV Akoya Pearl for hands-on data collection on whale sharks in the South Ari Marine Protected Area. The Big Fish Network extends data collection reach by training and empowering wildlife tour guides across the Maldives to submit photographic identifications and encounter records via an online portal to a central database. Research activities encompass drone surveys, SONAR transects, eDNA sampling, photogrammetry, and isotopic analysis. Together, these offerings form a community-focused conservation initiative combining volunteer fieldwork, citizen science, and long-term scientific research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big Fish Network: An online citizen-science platform developed to establish a regional monitoring network of wildlife tour guides to increase awareness and stewardship of marine mega-fauna in the Maldives.

Products and services

• Volunteer Research Expeditions Multi-day paid volunteer expeditions that take participants to South Ari Atoll, Maldives, to assist MWSR researchers with whale shark fieldwork, including in-water surveys, photo-ID capture, and data logging. Designed for individual divers, citizen scientists, and conservation-minded travellers seeking hands-on participation in marine research.
• Big Fish Network A public citizen science platform that solicits and catalogues global whale shark sightings, photo submissions, and member-submitted data to support MWSR's research. Aimed at divers, snorkellers, and marine enthusiasts worldwide who want to contribute sightings and engage with the programme's research community.
• Whale Shark Research Activities Structured scientific research activities covering whale shark population monitoring, bycatch assessment, capacity building for local stakeholders, and policy advocacy delivered in partnership with the Government of Maldives and IUCN. Delivered to conservation and government stakeholders rather than individual consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Created Maldives' largest Marine Protected Area (South Ari Marine Protected Area)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUCN is listed as a partner on MWSR's website. MWSR's research contributes to IUCN's conservation objectives for whale sharks, and professional bodies/partnerships are referenced in their research activities. IUCN membership signifies alignment with international conservation standards.
• Secret Paradise MaldivescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecret Paradise Maldives is MWSR's main point of contact for all booking-related matters including expedition logistics, travel arrangements, and participant coordination. This partnership allows MWSR to concentrate on research, data analysis, and the citizen science platform while handling all booking operations externally.
• Big Fish Network Member Tour OperatorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarine wildlife tour operators across the Maldives who have been trained by MWSR to photo-identify whale sharks and submit encounter data through the Big Fish Network online portal. Members receive access to MWSR archives and provide valuable sightings data in exchange, creating a distributed monitoring network throughout the archipelago.
• MV Akoya PearlmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe research vessel is a traditionally crafted Turkish gulet with sails, two decks, and 6 cabins accommodating 10 passengers. MWSR partners with this vessel as their 'mother boat' for expeditions in the South Ari Marine Protected Area. The vessel provides accommodation, meals, and transport for research teams.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification Library: Global whale shark photo-identification citizen-science platform operating the international wildbook-style encounter database. Directly comparable to MWSR's Big Fish Network and photo-ID methodology, but at a global rather than Maldivian scale.
• Manta Trust: UK- and Maldives-based marine research NGO dedicated to manta ray population studies, with a similar model of volunteer-led expeditions, photo-identification databases, and community-based conservation. Comparable in scale, methodology and Maldivian operational footprint.
• Olive Ridley Project: Marine turtle research and conservation NGO operating in the Maldives using volunteer engagement, citizen-science reporting and photographic identification — same operating geography and broadly analogous NGO volunteer-expedition model.
• Whale Sharks Philippines: Community-based whale shark research and conservation NGO in Donsol, Philippines, with photo-identification, citizen-science and tourism-operator engagement. Directly comparable single-species, single-country marine NGO model.
• Galapagos Whale Shark Project: Regional whale shark research initiative operating in the Galapagos archipelago using photo-identification and aggregation monitoring. Same single-species NGO structure with comparable field methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Marine Megafauna Foundation: Broader marine megafauna research organization covering whale sharks, manta rays and other large pelagic species globally. More established and better funded, with overlapping species scope and research methods.
• Reef Check Foundation: Global citizen-science reef monitoring network training volunteer divers to collect ecological data. Comparable citizen-science architecture and volunteer-driven data model, broader in scope (coral reefs) but analogous operational mechanics.
• IUCN Shark Specialist Group: International scientific body responsible for IUCN Red List assessments of sharks and rays, including whale sharks. Sets global conservation standards that MWSR's research feeds into; MWSR is an IUCN partner organization.

Emerging players

• Wildbook (Wild Me): Open-source AI-powered wildlife photo-identification platform used by multiple marine and terrestrial species projects globally. Comparable technology stack for individual animal identification, though as a software platform rather than a field-research NGO.

Others

• Save Our Seas Foundation: Marine conservation grant-making foundation funding small marine research NGOs including shark and ray projects. Relevant as a potential funder/partner and as a peer-category organization supporting similar field-based marine science.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mwsrp
• YouTubevimeo.com/mwsrp
• Facebookfacebook.com/MWSRP
• Instagraminstagram.com/m.w.s.r.p

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme