That is One Big Shark

That is One Big Shark

We are meeting the biggest shark and the biggest fish in the ocean on the 3rd day of shark week! These spotty gentle giants are amazing and we’re excited to share more about them with our campers!

WHALE SHARK FUN FACTS: 

• These plankton eaters filter their food from the oceans, unlike most of their other shark relatives.
• Whale sharks call tropical waters around the world home.
• They are known to migrate to find good food sources.
• The largest fish in the world can grow up to 40 ft long.
• Like the mako shark, the whale shark is ovoviviparous. They incubate eggs inside and give birth to live young. They can give birth to several hundreds of pups.
• Whale sharks are covered in spots and each shark’s spots have a unique pattern.
• Scientist use those spot patterns to ID individuals and study their populations.
• These giants are listed as ENDANGERED by the IUCN.

Whale sharks are thought to have been swimming the world’s oceans for around 60 million years. They weren’t discovered by humans til the 1800s! Because they are popular to swim with in the wild, they are more valuable alive than dead (or for meat). In most places they are protected, which is great, because we couldn’t imagine the oceans without them.