Whale Sharks, what's up with them?
With the scientific name Rhincodon Typus, whale sharks are the largest shark, and fish, alive. Despite their obvious large size they don't actually feed on other fish, surprise! Whale sharks are something called, filter feeders, which take in their food while pushing the water out through their gills. They open up their mouths while swimming around to suck in and swallow lots of yummy plankton like krill and fish eggs. Scientists have yet to find out just how big these wonderful creatures can get. Some say they've seen ones 20 meters, however the largest ever recorded is 18.8 meters long!
Where are their hang outs?
You can often see Whale Sharks near the top of the water as they are searching for food, which leads to a lot of tourist spots. The majority live in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, enjoying tropical and costal waters as opposed to the chilly arctic. When I visited Hawaii we went on a boat tour, and you best believe I was scouring the waters for any signs of a whale shark! I, sadly, was unable to spot one during my time there.
The sad truth.
Unfortunately, whale sharks aren't free to roam the oceans in peace like you'd hope they could. They are placed on the endangered species list, facing dangers that could lead to extinction. Almost all of the reasons stem from humans, they risk being bycatch in big nets, and having their parts sold at fish markets. The Georgia Aquarium has actually rescued 4 whale sharks from markets over the years, although only one currently remains.
Send off
Here is your fun fact for the post; whale sharks are covered in spots and, like snowflakes, none of the patterns are ever the exact same! It's been so fun being able to write all about my favorite sea animal. I hope that this post has sparked your interest in these majestic creatures. If it has, you can look forward to more posts all about whale sharks!
Sources:
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/whale-shark
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/whale-sharks-worlds-biggest-shark.html
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