Ocean First Institute

For more than 30 years, the Disney Conservation Fund has supported conservation efforts globally, combining philanthropic grants and Disney expertise to take meaningful action for a healthier planet. 🌍💚

📷: Proyecto T**i, Bruce D. Taubert/Bat Conservation International, Monarch Joint Venture, Save the Elephants, Ocean First Institute, Wildlife Conservation Network

Panama has proposed including three thresher shark species (Pelagic thresher, the Bigeye thresher, and the Common thresher) on CMS Appendix I. 🦈

The pelagic thresher shark (𝘈𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴) is globally classified as Endangered, with a decreasing population trend. It moves between Central America and the Gulf of California. It is the smallest of the thresher sharks and females produce only two very large pups.

Unsustainable target and bycatch fisheries, especially longlines and gillnets, are its principal threat, alongside pressure from the shark fin trade.

Read the proposal in 3 languages: https://www.cms.int/document/30212-proposal-inclusion-pelagic-thresher-alopias-pelagicus-bigeye-thresher-alopias

If you needed proof that the ocean is basically Mean Girls, here it is. New research has officially confirmed that bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) form BFF bonds, and they are VERY selective about their circle.

For years, many thought sharks were solitary loners, but a 6-year study in Fiji by shark researcher Dr. Natasha Marosi and her team discovered they have rich, complex social lives. And guess what? Both male and female bull sharks actively prefer hanging out with females. Adult sharks are especially social, often sticking with others their size, while younger sharks sometimes rely on older ones to learn the ropes. It’s giving “you can’t swim with us.” 💅🦈

Bull sharks show their social interactions and preferences by parallel swimming or displaying lead-follow behaviors. They are actively choosing their companions and avoiding rivals. I’m obsessed. 💕

Tag the shark BFF you would parallel swim with. 👯‍♀️Are you a social queen or trying to get into the VIP section? The ocean is full of connections we’re only just beginning to understand—and protect.

📍Observed at the Shark Reef Marine Reserve in Fiji

Read the Scientific Paper:
Natasha D. Marosi, Samuel Ellis, David M.P. Jacoby, Juerg M. Brunnschweiler, Darren P. Croft. Rolling in the deep: drivers of social preferences and social interactions within a bull shark aggregation in Fiji. Animal Behaviour, 2026; 123511 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2026.123511