The Biggest Fish On The Planet

A lot of people are afraid of sharks. It's no wonder; they're huge! Movies like Jaws certainly didn't help the case for these carnivorous man-eaters. Plus, the Great White isn't even the largest shark around: that honor belongs to the whale shark. However, don't cancel your trip to Aruba just yet, as there is a lot to learn about this gentle giant of the sea.

The whale shark's size is impressive: the largest confirmed specimen measured nearly 42 feet long, and weighed 47,000 pounds; it actually outweighs many of the largest dinosaurs. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, and the largest non-mammal vertebrate. It has roamed the tropical oceans for 60 million years, remaining largely unchanged during that time. The shark has a gigantic mouth, which can open up five feet wide and reveal 300 rows of tiny teeth. Its body is gray colored with a white belly. Each whale shark is covered with pale yellow stripes and small spots, and no two sharks have the same pattern. These fish inhabit both coastal areas and the open ocean; they gather in the shallow reef areas, like the Yucatan peninsula, to feed each spring.

And what do they feed on? With a name like 'whale shark', you would be forgiven for thinking that this fearsome creature chows down on helpless orcas, humpbacks, and baleens. But the whale shark's name comes from its massive size, rather than its regular diet. This fish is a filter feeder; as prey goes, it feeds on squid, larvae, krill, and microscopic plankton, and it sometimes hunts schools of small fish occasionally. Filter pads are contained within their huge mouths; plankton is what the whale shark feeds on, and it does this by filtering enormous intakes of water, which it then filters through special pads in its mouth. Those tiny vestigial teeth are never used in feeding.

If you ever come across a whale shark while snorkeling, don't fear for your life! Swimmers have been known to ride along with them for a while, because the sharks are extremely docile, as fish go. Juvenile whale sharks are actually quite playful. However, at least one diver has reported that he was nearly sucked into a whale shark's mouth accidentally; as with all wild animal encounters, it's best to keep your distance. It's a good idea to not swim with these creatures; while it seems like a lot of fun, it could potentially harm them and you can't be too careful when it comes to sharing the water with such a giant fish! The actual number of whale sharks in the ocean is unknown, hence researchers have listed the whale shark as 'vulnerable' (at least temporarily), and they are the target of commercial fishing operations as well. No one has ever seen whale sharks mating, though they know that females give live births and individuals can live for 70 years or more.

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