Did you know that a whale shark's spot are as unique as your finger print? Researchers use these spots to identify and track these animals across the global. By taking a photo of the shark's left side from the fifth gill slit to the front of the dorsal fin, much like this photo taken by me in La Paz, and comparing the spot pattern to others in a database of encountered sharks, researchers can track the migrations of these incredible animals. . . . Have you had a whale shark encounter? Share it to the WildBook Whale Shark Database at WhaleShark.org . . . #sharks #sharkresearch #SharkConservation #conservation #conservationbiology #wildbook #whaleshark #fingerprint #identificationproject #shark #sharksneedlove #swimmingagainstmisconceptions #lapaz #lapazmexico #lapazbcs #baja #bajacalifornia (at La Paz, Baja California Sur)