A Shark Called a Whale!

Can you name a sea creature that can live up to 130 years, skin is up to 4 inches thick, can get to 60 feet long, and has a mouth that can reach up to four feet wide? It’s the whale shark (Rhincondon typus). This huge, endangered sea creature is actually a member of the shark family, not the whale family. It is a carpet shark.

It has over 300 tiny backwards-facing teeth, but scientists don’t believe the teeth serve any purpose in feeding. A fascinating fact, even though the whale shark is one of the largest creatures in the world, it eats one of the smallest creatures in the world, plankton! That’s not the plankton from SpongeBob, it’s zooplankton such as krill, jellies, sergestid shrimp, coral spawns, etc. It also eats small fish such as sardines and anchovies.

As big as its mouth is, its throat is very small, about the size of a quarter, which is why it can only swallow small prey. The whale shark is a filter feeder just like the basking shark and the megamouth shark. It filters the food from the water by directing the water through the gills while particles go on towards the back of the mouth becoming a spinning ball of food triggering a swallowing reflex.

Scientists don’t know much about the mating behavior in whale sharks because it has never been observed in an aquarium setting and has only been seen a couple of times in the wild. The Georgia Aquarium stated that the only documented litter size born from a whale shark was 300 pups! Wow! The whale shark is ovoviviparous, meaning the embryo is formed within an egg and then hatches in the uterus of the mother and when it’s time, the young are released into the sea fully formed.

Whale sharks are often referred to as the Gentle Giants of the Sea. They swim pretty slow at about 2 knots but have been seen accelerating faster, but it cannot sustain that pace for long. They are vulnerable around fishing nets, boats, and especially marine debris such as garbage. They are hunted in China and Oman, at startling numbers such as 600 per year. This is mostly done illegally, and they use the meat for Chinese medicine, leather, shark fin soup, oils, and cosmetics. Always check your product labels to make sure they are animal-friendly!

If you want to see these incredible creatures, you must be around water warmer than 70 degrees. I snorkeled with them in Eastern Mexico while they were feeding in a lagoon. There is no way to describe just how massive they are unless you are swimming next to them. They are typically found offshore but just like the ones I was swimming with, they will come into shallow water areas, especially if there is a plankton bloom.

In the Māori culture, whale sharks are believed to be the guardians of the sea and protect those that venture into the sea. A writer Danis Taufiq (2023) stated that “overall, the whale shark is a symbol of protection, guidance, and balance, reminding us to respect and appreciate the power and majesty of nature. It’s magnificent presence in the ocean is a testament to the need to live in harmony with our environment and to preserve the delicate balance of the natural world for generations to come.”