Whale Shark Facts

The Latin name of whale sharks is Rhincodon typus. The average size of a whale shark is 9 meters in length. These species of fish are slow-moving. They are well-known as 'filter feeding sharks'. Tropical climate and warm oceans are homes to whale sharks. They are known to have a very long life span. On an average, they are known to live for about 70 to 100 years. These sharks have been observed to migrate a lot. The route of migration is normally through the island of Utila. When they are moving in water, they have a speed of not more than 2 to 3 knots per hour. They filter many tons of water and catch the small particles of food floating in water every hour. These were some of the basic facts about whale sharks. The following segment brings you a lot more interesting insights into the life and behavior of these gigantic marine fish!

Interesting Whale Shark Facts

Let's begin with the anatomical peculiarities of whale sharks. They are known to have big wide mouths. Their mouths can be as big as 4 feet wide. Identifying them from the other sharks is very easy as one has to just look at the placement of their mouth. The mouth of a whale shark is located in the front portion of its head while in the other species of sharks it is located on the underside of the head. They have flat heads and the snout is rounded. The eyes of whale sharks are tiny and can be compared to the eyes of an elephant.

Unlike other species of fish, the whale sharks, worlds biggest fish, have 5 big gill slits. The total number of fins is 4. They have 2 dorsal and 2 pectoral fins. The gill slits are used by the shark for breathing while it is resting on the floors of the sea and are located behind the eyes. There is a peculiarity in the fins of these sharks. The upper fin of the tail is bigger than the lower fin.

Whale sharks have as many as 3000 tiny teeth in their mouths. However, these teeth are of almost no use. They are filter feeders and food is sieved through the gills, rendering the teeth useless. They mainly feed on plankton, which are microscopic organisms that float freely in water. Plankton can either be tiny plants or tiny animals. They are normally seen feeding at dusk or after dark. They are able to sense plankton with the nostrils which are located on both sides of the upper jaw.

Whale sharks are probably the only species in the world that take a really long time to attain sexual maturity. They are do not mature till they reach the age of 30 years. How whale sharks reproduce is still a matter of research. They are known to give birth via the method of ovoviviparity. It is very strange that the whale sharks are never seen mating and till date only one pregnant whale shark was identified. This makes the research about the reproduction of whale sharks a subject of deep study.

Whale sharks are known to lead a solitary life. They are very rarely seen in large groups. They live in tropical and warm, temperate zones. They prefer living closer to the surface of the sea as compared to the ocean beds. They are seen inhabiting deep as well as shallow coastal belts. They can also be seen in coral lagoons and reefs. One area in the world, where these sharks can be spotted is western Australia. If you want to spot them then mid March to mid May is the best time to explore. Whale sharks are often spotted in large numbers at locations where they feel food pulsations in close vicinity.

One of the most surprising facts about these gigantic sharks is that they are very timid. They have never posed problems to divers. Rather, they display playful behavior with swimmers and divers. Very often divers and snorkelers can swim along with whale shark without any problem. The only threat can be when the divers and snorkelers are hit unintentionally with the fins of the sharks. Their biggest predators are human beings. Along with humans, the other sharks and the bigger whales are also their predators. The remains of smaller whale sharks were found in the stomach of these fish.

The whale sharks are facing extinction. Therefore, there is a ban on fishing them. However, they are still fished around Taiwan where they are known as 'tofu fish'. Among others, the most important fact about whale sharks is that their conservation is of critical importance if they are to be saved from extinction in the near future.