SEX IDENTIFICATION . As part of our research on whale sharks across the Maldives it is imperative that we also record gender distribution! We do this by taking a photo of the claspers (present with male whale sharks and pictured in image 2) or the cloaca (present with females and pictures in image 3). . We understand this can be quite tricky while maintaining distance. To obtain sex shots MWSRP staff will normally freedive down swimming behind and slightly offset to the sharks side. When scuba diving it’s great that you have more time and we would recommend the same positioning to avoid surprising a cruising shark with bubbles under the belly. . 📸 1 @maldiveswhalesharkresearch 2 & 3 @authentic.ocean (Photos cropped in edit) . #whaleshark #shark #sharks #sharkscience #wildlife #animals #ocean #charity #nonprofit #uwphotography #marineconservation #freediver #scuba #diving #conservation #sea #maldives #maldivesislands #liveaboard #explore #sustainable #photography #southariatoll #travelphotography #sharkphotography #marinebiology