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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.
What are the whale shark's Threats?
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
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
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