Blancpain shares the behind-the-scenes of the first Tamataroa mission, a collaborative project conducted by the Gombessa team and the Mokarran Protection Society
Supported by Blancpain, the Tamataroa project (the local name of the Great Hammerhead Shark in French Polynesia), is a three-year initiative with the objective of studying the ecology of this endangered species – in order to initiate protection protocols in French Polynesia and along the shark’s migratory routes. Blancpain unveils a series of video blogs created by Laurent Ballesta and the Gombessa team, who joined forces with the Mokarran Protection Society headed by Jean-Marie Jeandel. Two major additional expeditions will follow, which will take place in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
The intention of the new project, Tamataroa, is to generate knowledge, understanding and awareness. Furthermore, it hopes to deliver a concrete management tool for the regional and international authorities enabling them to provide effective protection of the Sphyrna mokarran in French Polynesia and other regions, as this is a highly migratory species. It will also provide a major contribution to the world acoustic detection network, as well as innovative research protocols for the study of this and other shark species.
