Kerala, 30th June, 2026: June arrives in Kerala with two events colliding at once — the reopening of schools and the first monsoon showers.  This year, that overlap became an opportunity for the Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) Pan India Whale Shark Conservation Project to step into classrooms along the coast with a different kind of lesson: introducing children to the whale shark, a gentle giant swimming just off their own shores.

A sensitisation programme and colouring competition organised at CMS Convent Lower Primary School, Thrissur | Photo © TeamWTI

Across six Lower Primary schools in Alappuzha and Thrissur, students aged 5–12 years encountered the whale shark for the first time through a life-sized inflatable model, making the species both easy to understand and memorable. By engaging children at an early age, the programme aims to build lasting awareness of marine conservation and inspire future generations to protect the endangered whale shark. As part of the Whale Shark Conservation Project’s continued outreach in Kerala, the programme expands conservation education to more schools, reaching a new batch of students each academic year. These sensitisation sessions ensure that every generation of children has the opportunity to learn about the ecological importance of the whale shark and the importance of protecting Kerala’s marine ecosystem.

Along the shore, fishing communities remained central to the month’s work. Building on earlier conversations around safe release practices, sessions this month went further by covering whale shark rescue techniques and introducing the Meenu Watcher app as a tool for reporting marine mammal strandings. Together, these efforts strengthened the partnership between WTI and the stakeholders and volunteers who form the first line of response on Kerala’s coast.

‘Meenu Watcher’ App training workshop for fishers conducted in Vellanikode, Thrissur | Photo © Jithin Jose/WTI

The month’s reach reflects this dual effort: 585 community members engaged through direct outreach, and 2,485 youths reached through 11 school and sensitisation sessions. Each classroom visit, each conversation at the harbours, and each fisher trained to respond to a stranding contributes to the same goal—a coast where people and gentle giants can safely share the sea.