While filming along Gujarat’s coast, filmmaker Mike Pandey witnessed a silent crisis few even knew existed; around the late 1900s, whale sharks were being slaughtered for liver oil and their carcasses were dumped at sea.
Deeply shaken, Mike resolved to tell their story through film. He believed powerful visuals could shift mindsets that laws and lectures had failed to.
When Mike began working on Shores of Silence (2000), many doubted him. Few believed India even had whale sharks, let alone that they needed protection.
The film went on to win the Wildscreen Panda Award. Within three months of its release, whale sharks were added to Schedule 1 of species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
Seven months later, the documentary was screened at the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) summit.
An appeal was made for the protection of whale sharks, thus bringing about global protection of the creatures.
The movement grew with support from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and partners. Awareness drives, fisher engagement, and policy advocacy expanded conservation efforts statewide.
WTI shares that by 2025 “100 percent of the fisherfolk could recognise the species and were aware of its presence in Gujarat and its legal protection".
Mike learnt that confrontation doesn’t inspire change — conversation does. Understanding the fisherfolk’s realities became key to protecting the species.
What was once a lucrative hunt became a community-led conservation effort. The whale shark shifted from being seen as a source of oil to being valued as a living treasure.
Mike’s journey proves that storytelling can influence policy and protect biodiversity. His work continues to inspire filmmakers and conservationists to turn compassion into action.