![]() ![]() Whale Sharks tend to enjoy temperate to warm waters. In fact, marine scientists think the location of Whale Sharks can be used to measure the presence of plankton and the overall health of our oceans. One shark traveled 13,000 km over a three-year period!Įach spring they migrate to the continental shelves around Australia, possibly to feed on the plankton (tiny marine animals and plants) that occur there in great numbers. They stay within 125 miles of shore, and make regular deep dives (up to 240 m / 790 ft), sometimes coming to the surface to feed. Results confirm that most tagged sharks are very mobile but they swim slowly. Over the last 15 years, many studies have placed satellite tags on Whale Sharks to track their movements. They usually stay in deep waters (about 800 m / 2,600 ft), but sometimes move closer to coastal areas, especially near coral reefs. Genetic studies (of Whale Shark history and evolution) have shown that they swim all around the globe through temperate and tropical waters (other than the Mediterranean), with no real barriers to movement. Therefore, it generally tends to stay in waters along the equator. ![]() These sharks love temperate and warm waters. Some researchers think the Whale Shark’s closest relative is the relatively puny Zebra Shark. However those that make it may have a lifespan of up 100 or 150 years! Again, no one really knows for sure. The mother leaves her young after birth, and less than 1 in 10 are thought to survive to adulthood. ![]() Young Whale Sharks appear to have a tough time out there. For example, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has identified 458 different Whale Sharks in the Philippines using photos of their skin patterns. This is an incredible tool for research and conservation. Each individual has a unique pattern that allows identification, just like human fingerprints. The skin has pale yellow markings of stripes and dots on a dark gray background. Because of their gentleness, they are visited often by divers. This is a slow and leisurely swimmer with an average speed of just 5 kilometers per hour (3mph). They are usually solo, but in areas where food is concentrated, Whale Sharks gather in large numbers. Whale Sharks are filter-feeders that travel the world’s warm oceans. Because of their gentleness and harmlessness, they are often visited by shark divers. This shark is a slow and leisurely swimmer with an average speed of just 5 kilometers per hour (3mph). This species can live 100 years or longer. Just how big do they get? The biggest one ever measured had a length of about 13 meters (42 feet) and weighed more than 22 metric tons (more than 48,500 pounds)!! But even still, experts claim that there must be bigger ones out there. An adult can have up to 300 rows of teeth and include about 3,000 teeth in its entire mouth. In comparison, they have very small teeth but make up for that in quantity. In fact, the mouth of this beast can reach widths of 1 to 1.5 meters (3 to 5 feet). Since they are filter feeders, they naturally have very large mouths. Imagine what it would be like to swim beside an adult! Back in the boat, he explained we had seen “just” a baby Whale Shark. Then my eyes focused just behind the fishes, and I realized they were covering a much bigger creature! It was grey with pale spots, and stretched longer than our whole group of divers. I saw a beautiful school of silvery fish swim by. It’s hard to imagine a fish that big, but I can tell you first hand that even a young one is humongous! I went scuba diving in Zanzibar, in East Africa, and our dive master pointed through the water ahead of us excitedly. People are truly fascinated by these gentle giants, yet surprisingly little is known about their life history, compared to other large sharks. Of course no one really knows for sure, because there isn’t much known about the size of Whale Sharks at maturity. It’s actually the biggest shark and fish in the world! Would you believe an average adult is the length of a school bus?! They typically grow to about 10-12 m (33-40 ft), but may reach 18 m (60 ft) in length. The Whale Shark is also called the Rhinocdon typus and it is an enormous shark. Basically, they swim through the water and use their immense gills as a filter, capturing plankton and vegetation as it swims. They are also “filter feeders” like Whales. The Whale Shark is the largest fish in the entire Ocean! The “Whale” part in its name describes his length which is comparable to Whales. ![]()
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