Whale sharks live in tropical climates and warm waters. They spend most of their time away from the shore in deeper waters around 150 feet below the surface (that’s equivalent to the width of an American football field). On the rare occasion that whale sharks do come near the surface, they are really hard to miss! Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world and can grow up to 40 feet long and weigh up to 20,000 pounds. That is the height of two giraffes stacked on top of each other and the weight of two elephants combined. Their mouths are three feet wide and hold more than 350 rows of teeth. Don’t be alarmed if you ever come into contact with a whale shark—they won’t hurt you! Whale sharks are gentle giants. Sometimes, they even get help from remoras and pilot fish that help them stay clean by removing parasites and bacteria from their large bodies. Parasites use whale sharks as a food source and usually aren’t harmful but can sometimes become a nuisance. Be careful to steer clear of the whale shark’s tail—it is extremely powerful and can really harm a person.

Most commonly observed off the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Thailand, South America and Western Australia.

How long can a whale shark live? In the past, scientists have used growth rings from the vertebrae of the 20-meter-long, spotted animals to estimate a life span of about 70 to 100 years.

How big is a full grown whale

Do whale sharks eat humans?

According to Metro, whale sharks are filter feeders and won’t eat any humans they encounter. They feed only on plankton and very small fish

1. They’re not whales, but the world’s largest fish. These huge creatures can grow up to 39 feet long.

Resources

• http://www.seethewild.org/whale-shark-facts/
• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/whale-shark/
• http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/bigfish.html
• https://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-species/sharks/whale-shark
• http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/whale_shark