Whale Shark

ID points

• Dark grey back covered in regular white spots and bars
• Mouth almost as wide as the head, right at the front of the snout
• Enormous and slow-swimming, with an upright tail fin sweeping side to side

Basics

Family

Rhincodontidae

Length

4.0–12.0 m

Depth

0-200 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic · Temperate & polar · Open ocean

Distribution

Open ocean, tropical to temperate waters worldwide

Habitat

Open ocean, surface waters

Diet

Plankton, small fish

Easily confused with

Basking SharkThe open mouth is almost as wide as the bodyFin WhaleLower jaw white on the right side and dark grey on the left, asymmetricHumpback WhaleExtremely long pectoral fins, close to a third of the body length

Fun fact

The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, reaching 18 metres in length and weighing more than 20 tonnes. Despite that bulk it feeds on plankton and small fish, and its gentle nature makes it harmless to people. Its skin is up to 15 cm thick, the thickest known of any animal.