A researcher from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) has been awarded a prestigious grant to support her research into the mysterious deep-diving behaviour of whale sharks.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist Dr Freya Womersley has been named a recipient of the 2026 Rolex Explorers Club Grant.

Her project, Into the Deep: Unlocking the Hidden Depths of Whale Sharks, is pushing the boundaries of marine exploration and conservation.

Dr Freya Womersley is collaborating with engineers and researchers to deploy shark tags capable of recording dives to 3,000 metres – opening an entirely unexplored frontier in our understanding of the world’s largest fish and informing policy to protect them in Mexican waters and beyond.

Established through a longstanding partnership between The Explorers Club and Rolex, the Rolex Explorers Club Grant sends outstanding scientists into the world to address cutting-edge scientific questions, deepen our understanding of the environment, and uncover the history that shapes our future.

Dr Womersley said: “It’s a real honour to be included among the Explorers Club grantees for 2026. There is still so much to discover about our ocean, even its largest inhabitants, and this grant will help us venture into new and deeper frontiers, revealing parts of the whale shark’s world that have remained almost entirely unexplored!”