Whale Shark facts | Underwater Asia

whale sharks weigh as much as three elephants!

Family variety

Whale Sharks (Rhincodon) are the only species in the family Rhincodontidae. They are the only family of Sharks to have only one member in their family, although they are closely related to leopard Sharks (also known as Zebra Sharks).

Behaviour

Whale Sharks are slow moving swimmers, but can travel vast distances in search of food. Increasingly, it is believed they time their arrival to certain locations around natural events, such as spawning cycles.

In general, they are solitary animals but are known to aggregate in certain areas. Despite their large size, they are curious and gentle in nature and pose no threat to humans. Swimming with Whale Sharks is possible in a number of locations around Asia, including the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

Diet

Whale Sharks are huge, but what do they eat? They are filter feeders, opening their mouths wide to take in plankton. However it is not only plankton that whale sharks eat. Their diet also consists of shrimp, small fish such as anchovies or sardines, shrimp, krill, squid, jellyfish and even fish eggs. They can use suction to draw huge amounts of water through their gills to trap their food, one of a number of techniques they used to feed.

Reproduction

Whale Sharks have a fascinating reproductive cycle. While they give birth to live young, females first lay eggs. These eggs are then held inside the mother’s abdomen until they hatch, at which point she ‘gives birth’ to the live young.

Whale Sharks are thought to give birth to as many as 300 young, which is unusual for an animal of this size. Pups measure only about 45 centimeters at birth. Only around 10% are thought to make it to adulthood. Their childhood years last until they are around 25 years of age, while adults are thought to live for up to 150 years. As a result of their longevity, they have a long reproductive cycle.

Defences

A Whale Shark’s principal defence is sheer size, although their unique skin patterns of spots and strips also act as a type of camouflage. They have little if any defences against human activities however, which has sadly led to a significant decline in numbers

Did You Know?

Whale Sharks mouths are very wide. When fully open, they can stretch over a meter.

While filter feeders, they actually have 300 rows of tiny teeth that are used for feeding.

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whale shark

Intro

Whale Sharks are one of the most fascinating marine species to learn about, and certainly one of the most extraordinary to see.

Thought to have outlasted the dinosaurs, relatively little is still known about Whale Sharks despite their vast size.

Whale Sharks can weigh as much as three elephants, approximately 20 tons! They are known to grow to 12 meters in length, with unconfirmed reports of individuals up to 18 meters in length.

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FACTFILE

SPECIES: 1

SIZE RANGE: 5-12 m

DISTRIBUTION:

Whale Sharks are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the globe..

HABITAT:

Whale Sharks are found in both coastal and oceanic waters. They are often seen near the surface, but known to dive to depths well below 1000 meters

THREATS:

Whale Sharks are classified as endangered. Numbers have reduced by as much as 63% in the last century. They are threatened by human activity and fishing.

Identification tips

IDENTIFICATION TIPS

Whale Sharks are easy to identify due to their sheer size and unique skin pattern. While they can and do dive to great depths, they are often found at or near the water’s surface.

If you spot a Whale Shark and get a photo, submit it to the Wildbook - a global database of whale shark sightings that scientists use to learn more about these incredible animals.

main image credit

Ben Phillips

Whale Sharks - Rhincodontidae

Whale Sharks are one of the most fascinating marine species to learn about, and certainly one of the most extraordinary to see.

Thought to have outlasted the dinosaurs, relatively little is still known about Whale Sharks despite their vast size.

Whale Sharks can weigh as much as three elephants, approximately 20 tons! They are known to grow to 12 meters in length, with unconfirmed reports of individuals up to 18 meters in length.

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