Fun facts
- They are biggest fish and shark in the world, yet they are extremely gentle
- Whale sharks are filter-feeders
- Its enormous mouth (nearly five feet wide) engulfs large quantities of tiny plankton that it filters through its gills as it swims
- Females can have up to 300 shark pups at one time
- Whale sharks can live up 100 years of age
Whale sharks have become a huge tourist attraction especially when it 'comes to snorkeling. Brent Stewart, a scientist at San Diego’s Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, who has studied whale sharks in half a dozen countries. “People are willing to pay money for this kind of Eco-tourism, and now you see these unintended consequences. We have seen a frenzy in all these areas.”
