SAVE Whale Sharks Initiative

SAVE Whale Sharks Initiative A Conservation project

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Why are Whale Sharks so intriguing?

Whale Sharks are the world's largest fish!

Male whale sharks, on average, grow to be about 8.5m (28ft) whereas female whale sharks grow to an astonishing 14.5m (48ft). With the largest ever whale shark recorded reaching 18.8m (62ft)! The "whale" in whale shark actually comes from how they're as big as some whales.

Whale Sharks are completely harmless to humans!

Since whale sharks filter feed, they mostly rely on krill and plankton for their diet. On top of whale sharks lack of large teeth, due to their slow-moving calm nature, they pose no danger to humans. In fact, they've even been seen to occasionally 'play' with divers.

Whale Sharks live to be over 100 years old!

Whale sharks have a very slow aging cycle, with estimates believing they reach maturity at ~25 years old. Recent studies suggest they live ~80 to ~130 years old, with others believing they may even live up ~150 years old!

Whale Sharks have no bones!

Whale sharks are cartilaginous fish. That means they have no bones in their body! Cartilage, although still tough, is much more flexible than bone. However, this weakness also means that it doesn't preserve well, and makes it very hard to have fossils of past sharks.

Whale Sharks also have HUGE mouths!

To sustain their large size, whale sharks need to eat a vast amount of food. This means they need wide mouths that can stretch up to 1.2m (4ft) wide! This also means they filter about 6000L (1585Gal) every day.

They're also hunted for their meat.

Despite being classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), people still continue hunting whale sharks for their prized meat and fins.

It is unknown how many whale sharks are left in the wild today.

What are the whale shark's Threats?

1. Meat is considered Mystical

In some asian countries, whale shark meat and fins are considered to have healing properties. As a result they are hunted down for this prized (yet very illegal) trade and subsequently sold for extremely high rates.

2. Vessel Collisions

Due to whale sharks' large size along with their nature to prefer shallow water when feeding and mating causes them to be more prone to vessel collisions. Often leading to severe damage or even death.

3. Overfishing

Whale sharks mate very infrequently, meaning that repopulation takes a long time to occur. On top of this, only about 10% of whale sharks make it to maturity. This makes them very prone to overfishing to the point where it is no longer sustainable.

4. Destruction of Habitat

Through pollution and climate change, the whale shark's habitat and food security has been declining. For instance, much of the food they eat stems from Coral reefs, and as such, as they die out, the whale shark is negatively affected due to food insecurity, and is thus displaced in search for better conditions.

5. Human Disruption

Disruptions such as sound and tourism cause whale sharks to become disoriented and drown out senses which are important to the whale shark. An example of this includes boat noise causing the whale shark to become unaware of its surroundings and unable to locate food sources. This frequent interaction with humans also throws off their natural balance and may delay/divert them from mating/feeding.

This is serious. We may lose whale sharks forever.

If we don't act now. Due to continued overfishing and tampering with the whale shark's natural environment, we may lose one of the most unique fish the ocean has to offer. → i.e. Extinction

Its time to act.

What can you do?

Get personally involved
Report whale shark meat/fin merchants
Abstain from tourist activities relating to marine life encounters
Donate to whale shark/marine-life causes
Spread awareness

The whale shark thanks you.

Created By

Nicolas Dos Anjos

Appreciate