WTI was successful in curbing the rampant slaughter of whale sharks off the coast of Gujarat and adding them to the list of Schedule I species of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 by lobbying with the government in 2001, thus conferring on the whale sharks, the highest degree of protection in the country. WTI launched the widely-acclaimed Whale Shark Campaign in 2004 to spread awareness on the plight of the species and its protected status among coastal communities in Gujarat.  The once slaughterers of whale sharks, became their protectors.

The Whale Shark Conservation Project attempts to generate baseline data on the whale shark to aid its long-term conservation in India.

A joint venture of the Gujarat Forest Department, Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL) and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), the project activities involve scientific studies of whale sharks through photo-identification, genetic analysis and satellite tagging. The project also explores establishment of whale shark tourism in India, to benefit coastal communities who play a critical role in marine wildlife conservation.