SPOTLIGHT ON THE SPOT ON PROJECT : LEOPARD SHARKS IN THE MALDIVES
In this article we share the voice of our friend Hampty from local NGO Miyaru, who is leading important conservation work here in the Maldives. Her project shines a light on a truth many of us feel, but don’t always articulate: although the Maldives is 99% ocean, our relationship with it is more fragile than it should be.
In the following piece, Hampty shares how this realisation led to the creation of the Spot On Project, an initiative focused on one remarkable and endangered species, the Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark. Her story is both personal and urgent, and it highlights why baseline research, community awareness and responsible decision-making are essential for the future of Maldives marine life.
The Maldives is 99% water. One would assume that our lives are naturally intertwined with the ocean, that our education, culture, and decision-making would reflect this deep connection.
But the reality is far from that. Despite our economy depending almost entirely on the ocean, tourism, fisheries, coastal infrastructure, many of us are disconnected from it. We are not taught to understand it. We are not raised to question what happens beneath the surface. And with every new government, we continue to witness environmental destruction in the name of “development.”
Land reclamation. Dredging. Lagoon infilling. Reef burial.
Because people are so far removed from the ocean, they often do not realize the scale of the damage being done, or the long-term consequences for the ecosystems that sustain us.
When I first began working in conservation, this disconnect shocked me. I realized how little the general public knew about the very waters that surround them, and how invisible conservation efforts often are. That realization planted a seed.
How the Spot On Project Came to Be
The Spot On Project was born in an unexpected way, through social media. Scrolling through Instagram and local posts, I began noticing something unusual. More and more people were sharing encounters with a particular shark species, the Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark (Stegostoma tigrinum). Sightings seemed especially frequent in the central Maldives. This caught my attention.
The Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List (2023). Globally, the species is believed to have declined by 50–79% over the past three generation lengths (57–72 years), largely due to:
- Overfishing (both targeted and bycatch)
- Coastal habitat degradation
- Loss of mangroves and shallow lagoon habitats
- Dredging and land reclamation
Yet in the Maldives, a country globally known for marine biodiversity, there is no published research on their population size, distribution, or demographics. At the same time that sightings were increasing, so were large-scale coastal development projects, many of them directly impacting shallow lagoons and reef systems, the exact habitats these sharks depend on.
What this means is deeply concerning:
We may never fully understand the scale of impact these developments are having on leopard sharks, because we never established a baseline.
And that is exactly why this project was created.
What is the Spot On Project?
The Spot On Project is the first initiative in the Maldives dedicated to building a baseline dataset for Indo-Pacific Leopard Sharks. This project is funded by the ZSL EDGE Fellowship, supporting its research, conservation, and community engagement efforts. Our core objectives are to:
- Identify individual sharks through photo-identification
- Map their distribution across key atolls
- Identify important habitats (feeding, breeding, nursery grounds)
- Engage communities and stakeholders in conservation
At its heart, Spot On is about one simple idea:
You cannot protect what you do not understand.
Where We Work
The project currently focuses on:
Malé Atoll (4.2094° N, 73.5407° E)
Ari Atoll (3.8735° N72.8167° E)
Vaavu Atoll (3.4795° N, 73.3060° E)
As partnerships expand and new aggregation sites are identified, we aim to extend our work across the country.
How We Do It
1. Photo Identification
Each leopard shark individual has a unique spot pattern, like a fingerprint. Through non-invasive underwater photography, we identify individuals and build a national Photo ID Catalogue.
This allows us to:
Track movement patterns
Understand site fidelity
Detect reproductive behavior
Estimate population structure
2. Distribution & Habitat Use
Using dive surveys and citizen science data (via the Miyaru Shark Hub app), we map sightings to identify critical habitats.
3. Community Engagement
We conduct:
School sessions
Council meetings
Stakeholder consultations
Conservation cannot succeed without community ownership.
Building Partnerships: Training with Secret Paradise Maldives
One of our first formal partnerships was with Secret Paradise Maldives. Secret Paradise has long highlighted and supported marine conservation efforts in the Maldives, making them a natural partner for the Spot On Project. As part of this collaboration, we conducted our first training session together.
The training included:
- An introduction to the Spot On project and its conservation importance
- Ecological background on Indo-Pacific Leopard Sharks
- Threats facing the species locally and globally
- Hands-on training on how to identify individual sharks using spot patterns
- Guidance on responsible encounter practices
This training marked a critical milestone. Because conservation does not begin with research, it begins with awareness. By equipping tourism operators and guides with knowledge and identification skills, we expand our network of eyes in the water. Every sighting becomes valuable data. Every informed guide becomes an advocate.
Why This Matters Now
In 2010, the Maldives declared itself a shark sanctuary, a bold and celebrated commitment to protecting sharks from targeted fishing. For 15 years, this positioned the country as a global leader in shark conservation. But in 2025, that legacy shifted. The Maldives officially lifted its blanket ban on shark fishing, reopening its waters to allow the targeted harvest of deep-water gulper sharks beginning in November 2025. The fishery focused on extracting liver oil (squalene) permits up to 40 licensed vessels to operate between December and June. Although framed as limited and species-specific, this marks a significant and symbolic reversal of the sanctuary status that once defined Maldivian waters. Even if the fishery targets deep-water species, the implications go far beyond gulper sharks. Reopening shark fisheries in any form weakens the integrity of what was once a full national sanctuary. It shifts the narrative from protection to extraction.
At the same time, coastal development continues at an accelerating pace.
Indo-Pacific Leopard Sharks depend on:
- Shallow lagoons
- Reef flats
- Mangrove systems
These are often the first ecosystems sacrificed for reclamation and infrastructure expansion. Without baseline data, we cannot quantify loss. Without quantified loss, we cannot argue for protection. And without protection both from fishing pressure and habitat destruction we risk losing critical habitats before we even fully understand their ecological value. The sanctuary once sent a clear message: sharks are worth more alive than exploited. Now, more than ever, science, data, and public awareness are essential to ensure that conservation decisions are informed and that the Maldives does not slowly erode the very reputation it built as a refuge for sharks.
The Spot On Project is not just about sharks. It is about reconnecting Maldivians to their ocean. It is about ensuring development does not erase ecosystems silently. It is about making sure that when future generations swim in these waters, they still encounter the quiet, patterned presence of a leopard shark gliding over a reef. And most importantly, it is about making sure we are not too late.
