Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world. Their name is a little confusing, but they are actually sharks, not whales. However, these sharks act more like whales when it comes to their feeding patterns and size. Read on for more!

Unbelievably long

On average, whale sharks grow up to around 18 to 33 feet long. Some of the largest have grown to 40 feet long. They weigh around 20.6 tons – that’s about the size of a school bus to give you a visual.

Unique shape

Whale sharks have flattened heads with a blunt snout. They have whisker-like sensory organs around their nostrils known as short nasal barbells. Their mouths are about five feet wide and similar to what you would expect in your average shark, they have over 300 teeth. Since they are filter feeders, they don’t use their teeth to eat.

All different spots

Whale sharks have gray to brown backs and sides and white undersides. Whale sharks also have white spots and pale stripes all down their bodies. Similar to human fingerprints and giraffe spots, each whale shark has its own unique pattern of spots and stripes.

Filter feeders

Unlike great whites and other sharks, whale sharks are very gentle when it comes to their eating patterns—just one of the reasons some sharks are so misunderstood.

They are known as filter feeders, which means they open their enormous mouths, let all the water and food come in, and then their bodies filter out the food and release the water and debris back into the ocean.

They enjoy plankton the most but will also feed on other tiny animals, plants, and fish that are around.

Warm waters

Whale sharks like warm waters so they habituate in tropical seas. Every spring they migrate to the central west coast of Australia because of the large supply of plankton.

They are docile fish so brave people will swim alongside them. The majority of whale sharks live in the Pacific and Indian oceans but some do live in the Atlantic.

Gathering to feed

They are solitary creatures but will share feeding grounds with other whale sharks. They will gather on the surface of the water in coastal feeding areas to feed on seasonal fish or algae blooms.

Long migrations

Whale sharks have very long migrations to locations where food is abundant. Some swim across entire oceans. They are able to do this because of their large size.

Swimming with whale sharks

If you want to interact with these gentle giants in their natural habitat some of the best places to travel to are western Australia, the Philippines, the Maldives, Thailand, Mozambique, Belize, Honduras, and parts of Mexico.

Peak whale shark season happens at different times of the year in these various locations so make sure to do some research before booking your trip.

Getting close

If you do ever get the once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with a whale shark, remember that although they are gentle, you’re invading their home. Don’t get to close and refrain from using flash photography.