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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about whale sharks. Whale sharks are the largest living fish and they survive off some of the smallest animals. There are three shark species that feed via filter feeding: basking sharks, megamouth sharks, and today’s subjects - the whale sharks. Whale sharks can suck in large amounts of water and filter out food in the form of plankton, small fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. The water is pushed back out of the sharks’ bodies through the gills where food is caught on gill rakers and swallowed. Whale sharks eat close to the surface of the water and do so in a vertical position with their giant mouths facing towards the ocean’s surface. A whale shark’s mouth may be up to five feet (1.5m) across and it’s full of tiny teeth, but these teeth aren’t used for eating - it’s really not even known what whale shark teeth are for! Whale sharks migrate long distances to follow their food. In two months time a whale shark may travel more than 746 miles (1,200km)! These sharks may be solitary or they may travel in groups numbering more than 100 individuals.

Whale sharks are found in tropical and warm temperate waters around the world. They are generally considered epipelagic meaning they swim in the open ocean towards the surface of the water, but they are also able to dive more than 2,300 feet (700m) below the ocean’s surface. It’s currently unknown why whale sharks perform these dives! Maybe they want to cool off, maybe it’s for food, maybe it has to do with mating - for now, scientists are unsure. Whale sharks may also be seen in more shallow coastal-water around reefs and atolls. Sometimes these giants can become stranded on beaches as tides recede much as is possible for the animals that share their name. Whale sharks aren’t whales, though; they aren’t even mammals! Their giant size, however, gives clear indication of what they would be named as such. These fish can reach more than 40 feet (12m) in length and 50,000lbs (22,680kg) in weight - that’s about as long as a school bus and two times as heavy!

Whale sharks have another common name, too: the checkerboard fish. This is in reference to their spotted patterns. These patterns are unique to each individual, like a giraffe's spots, a zebra’s stripes, or even our own fingerprints. This has been a way for scientists to tell individuals apart while studying them.

For as well known as whale sharks seem to be, there’s actually a lot we don’t know about them. It’s unknown how long they live. Some estimate whale sharks may live to be as old as 100, but others aren’t so sure.

It’s believed they begin breeding around 30 to 32 feet (9.2-9.7m) in length with females breeding when they’re larger; the ladies in general are larger than the males. It’s also unknown when whale sharks breed. Some reports suggest these animals may breed year round, like many tropical species, but others suggest their peak season for births may be in the summer when nearly all of the limited baby whale shark specimens have been found. These may also be the fastest growing sharks alive today with one example of a captive kept baby growing from 2 feet to 4.5 feet (60cm to 139cm) in just 120 days! While young, whale shark predators include other fish including other sharks and potentially orcas, but by the time they reach adult sizes their only threats are humans. Whale sharks are listed as endangered to extinction and while many protections exist around the world, they are still hunted for meat and may suffer injuries by collisions with boats.

These sharks are considered gentle giants and people even swim with them! How would you feel taking a dive with the largest living fish?

For more facts on whale sharks check out the links in the description. Thank you to xander for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.