Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)

W hale sharks—which can grow bigger than

some whales—were first discovered in 1829
off the coast of South Africa. Massive but harmless
to humans, they are, like many other sharks,
in decline. Listed as vulnerable by the IUCN
(International Union for the Conservation of
Nature and Natural Resources), their placid
nature makes them an easy target for fisheries for
both their meat and fins, which are highly valued
in the international shark-fin trade.
Gathering information on whale sharks is critical
to their international protection. However, due to
the difficulty and cost of studying them, very little
is known about whale shark biology.
Description
The whale shark is the biggest fish in the world. The largest one on scientific record
was 12 m long, but there are reports of sharks up to 20 m long and weighing
34 tonnes! The whale shark’s blue-grey back is covered with pale spots and
stripes. It has a whitish underbelly. This two-tone coloration helps camouflage the
animal whether seen from the top or the bottom.
The whale shark has a broad, flattened head. Its large mouth is up to 1.5 m
wide and sits at the front of the short snout (rather than below, as in most other
sharks). The first dorsal fin is larger than the second, and three prominent ridges run
the length of either side of the body.
Reproduction and life span
Whale sharks are ovoviviparous: eggs are fertilized and hatched internally but
gain no additional nutrition from the female before she gives birth to fully-
developed, live pups.
It is estimated that whale sharks live from 60–100 years, reaching sexual maturity
after 30 years—at around 6 m in length in males and 8 m in females. Whale sharks
seem to segregate by size and sex, probably mixing only when mating. Whale
shark mating, however, has never been observed.
The only pregnant whale shark on record was
caught by fishermen in Taiwan. It carried over
300 embryos measuring 42–63 cm long. Pups
are thought to be 55–64 cm long at birth.
It is unknown how often whale sharks
reproduce, where they mate or give birth,
or how many pups survive to maturity.
Diet and feeding
Whale sharks are filter-feeders, sucking water in
through the mouth and sieving it through the
gill-rakers to trap the tiny zooplankton—mainly
krill and larvae, as small as 1 mm—that they
feed on.
Whale sharks find food through their sense of smell. They have tiny eyes and
relatively poor vision, but their well-developed nostrils, located at either side of the
upper jaw, are thought to sense plankton density. They often sweep their heads
from side to side as they swim to maximize plankton intake.
Distribution
Whale sharks are found in all
tropical and warm seas (except
the Mediterranean) and have
been sighted as far north as
New York and as far south as
Tasmania. Usually seen offshore,
they occasionally come inshore
or enter lagoons and coral atolls.
Whale sharks inhabit surface
waters with temperatures of
18–30°C, but spend most of their
time diving to depths greater
than 1000 m, where the water
can be as cool as 10°C.
Global whale shark range (red) and the 14 main regions where you are likely to spot a
Whale sharks are migratory and whale shark while snorkeling or diving.
travel vast distances. The longest
recorded journey spanned 13 000 km and took longer than 36 months. It is thought
that males migrate more than females. Migrations are probably related to feeding
and mating, and linked to plankton blooms and spawning events.
Despite their vast habitats, whale sharks are regularly sighted in a few favoured
“hotspots” scattered around the tropics. They are spotted year round in some
locations and seasonally at others. This is thought to be determined by the
plankton density in each region.

Want to know more?

To learn more about whale sharks, visit the following online resources:
The Whale Shark Project (www.whalesharkproject.org): Read up on whale shark
biology and ongoing research and conservation efforts; learn how to take photos
that can be used to identify individual whale sharks; and download research
papers, fact sheets and the whale shark Code of Conduct.
ECOCEAN (www.whaleshark.org): The ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification
Library is a visual database of individual whale sharks from around the world.
Whale shark encounter data submitted to the database is analysed by marine
biologists to learn more about these mysterious fish.
If you submit photos of a whale shark encounter, you will be informed whenever
“your” whale shark is resighted. Information you provide will contribute to global
whale shark conservation efforts.
Project Aware (www.projectaware.org): Use Project Aware’s search engine to
find a registered Whale Shark Project Operator for your next holiday. You can also
download a Whale Shark Data Reference Sheet to help you capture important
information about your whale shark encounters.
 Whale Shark Photo Identification

W hale sharks are born with a unique pattern

of spots on their bodies that, like fingerprints,
do not change over time. This “bodyprint” can be
used, along with information on scars, sex and size,
to identify individual whale sharks.

This ability to identify individual whale sharks led to

the development, in 1995, of a whale shark photo-
ID library at Western Australia’s Ningaloo Marine
Park, one of the world’s whale shark hotspots. At Different photos of the same whale shark showing
the time, researchers identified individual sharks by matching spot patterns.
examining dot patterns and other identifying
characteristics by eye—a time-consuming task.
Marine biology meets the space age
By adapting a computer algorithm originally developed by astronomers to map
star patterns in images of the night sky, accurate computer matching is now
possible. The software maps individual spot patterns and compares them with
other whale shark patterns already in the photo library.
The result is the Interactive Individual Identification System (I3S), which has helped
researchers identify over 100 individual whale sharks in the Maldives and more
than 1500 whale sharks around the world.
“Virtual” tagging: better than the real thing
The I3S pattern-matching software means a shark can be “virtually tagged” sim-
ply by taking a photo. Unlike physical tagging, there is no physical contact with
the animal, leaving it unharmed. And, considering the high cost and short lifespan
of plastic shark tags (typically less than one year), and the great distances whale
sharks are known to travel, virtual tagging is far more useful for long-term, global
population monitoring.
Click, you’re a whale shark research assistant
Submitting photos and information about your whale shark encounters helps
researchers understand the movements and overall numbers of whale sharks
around the world. The results can be used by conservation authorities to under-
stand the pressures on whale sharks
and to take action to protect them.
You can help by simply taking a photo
of a whale shark’s unique skin pattern,
or “bodyprint,” in the area directly
behind the gills and above the pec-
toral fins. If possible, try to get three or
four shots of the patterning.
Both photos and frame grabs from
video can be used for identification.

Left-side spot patterning is the most

Target area (behind the gills, above the pectoral fin).
Position yourself perpendicular to this area for the
perfect whale shark mug shot.
important type of identifying photo.
You will get the best photos by being
perpendicular to the spot patterning
area above the left pectoral fin.
Right-side spot patterning can identify a shark previously
identified by a left-side spot patterning photo if it also has
a right-side pattern in the database. (To avoid double-
counting sharks with left-side and right-side photos
submitted separately, new shark IDs are only allocated to
left-side patterns. Unmatched right-side photos remain in
the database until the shark is sighted again and identified
with a left-side pattern.)
Submit your whale shark photos to the dive centre, along
with as much information about the encounter as you
remember (use the Whale Shark Data Reference Sheet to
help capture as many details as possible), and we will run
them through the I3S software program and identify the
sharks for you.
Alternately, you can submit your whale shark photos
to the global ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification
Library at: www.whaleshark.org
Remember, it is vital that you do not harm the sharks during
your interaction with them! Please respect the whale shark
interaction guidelines.

Whale shark interaction guidelines

W hen swimming or diving with whale sharks, following these guidelines ensures
that the shark is disturbed as little as possible, prolonging your encounter and
maximizing the chances of seeing the same shark in the future:

• Keep a minimum of 3 m from the

shark’s body and 4 m from the tail.
• Keep splashing and noise to a
minimum.
• Do not use flash photography.
• Don’t touch the shark or block its
path, as this may cause it to dive.
• Never swim across the path of the
shark. Only dive under a whale
shark from the middle of the body,
behind the pectoral fins. 
Make sure you understand these guidelines before you enter the water. If you
have any questions, please ask one of the dive guides on board the boat.