whale shark statistics

July 2, 2022

Tens of millions more sharks and rays are killed each year, primarily through illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU). The whale shark is the largest species of shark found in the world's oceans. Whale sharks reach an average length of about 60 feet and weigh about 12-15 tons. Slow moving and filter feeding, Whale Sharks have shown little apprehension or fear towards humans, and while their huge size is intimidating, they happily swim alongside divers and fellow fish alike. The largest shark is the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), which can grow to 60 feet (20 meters) long. It positions itself vertically with its head facing the surface and opens its huge mouth, which measures up to five feet (1.5 meters) wide. 3. Average Weight of a Whale Shark. Here are 11 interesting facts you might not have known about this majestic marine animal. Whale sharks aren't the fastest swimmers, reaching speeds no higher than 5 kmph. To visit Western Australia to swim and snorkel with whale sharks, Humpback Whales, Turtles, Mantarays and . You can find these sharks offshore but usually, they come close to inshore, sometimes entering coral atolls or lagoons. With a mouth so big, they can suck in around 600 cubic meters of water every single hour! Whale sharks are closely related to wobbegone, nurse, carpet, blind, bamboo, and zebra sharks. The Whale Shark is the largest known species of fish, widely recognised as a true gentle giant. They can grow to 12m (40ft) in length! These enormous fish are found in tropical oceans around the world. Their heads are wide and flat and they have two . Its fusiform body is wide in the middle area and narrows in the tail and head that is wide and flat, and it . They can reach lengths of up to 20m (66ft) which is on par with the length of a school bus. The 2021 worldwide total of 73 confirmed unprovoked cases was in line with the most recent five-year (2016-2020) average of 72 incidents annually. Despite its massive appearance, the whale shark is quite harmless to humans and feeds only on fish and small ocean-dwelling organisms called plankton. These large fish have five sets of gills and a set of dorsal fins that form a dual-lobbed caudal fin. It is the only member of the Rhinocodontidae family. Yep, that's right. Their bellies are white, and their back and sides are covered with white or creamy stripes and dots. Also since tourism boomed, more hotels are opening and creating work for . Whale sharks are rare throughout Galapagos and mainly found in open water. The average weight or mass of an adult whale shark is 19,000 kg or 42,000 lbs They are considered endangered on the IUCN Red List due to a decreasing population The average length of a whale shark is 11-12 meters or 40 feet The average lifespan of a whale shark is up to 70 years They are the largest fish on the planet. 4. Unverified claims include a whale shark caught off Taiwan in 1994 that weighed in at 79,000 pounds. 20. 10. Learn all about shark history, evolution, and anatomy with Shark Guardian's top 100 shark facts. At a maximum length of about 65 feet and weight of 75,000 pounds, a whale shark's size rivals that of large whales . A sad whale shark fact is that hundreds of whale sharks are hunted each year. It can reach up to 150 years of age. DESCRIPTION. Long-living Creatures. 18. Whale shark teeth, most sharks have 20 to 30 rows of pearly white teeth, but these have more than 300 rows! These are small creatures known as plankton. Although the whale shark is a shark, it's not dangerous. These characteristics . CLASS: Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishsharks, skates, and rays) Size: 30-46 ft (12-20 m); females are larger than males. Whale sharks are found in other parts of world and Australia but Ningaloo is the only place in Australia where whale sharks are found in very large numbers at consistent and predictable times and are easily accessible to snorkelers by boat. Description. Whale sharks are filter feeders, opportunistically feeding on plankton, krill, fish eggs, and small fish. Whale sharks are sharks, which are a type of fish. Whale sharks can reach up to an incredible 12 meters/40 feet in length and 21.5 tons in weight. The largest living shark in the world is the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus). Whale Sharks are thought to give birth to as many as 300 young, which is unusual for an animal of this size. Whale sharks are found in marine environments worldwide but mainly in tropical oceans. The whale shark is the largest and also the biggest fish species in the world. This is a slow and leisurely swimmer with an average speed of just 5 kilometers per hour (3mph). This allows them to play the role of regulating the levels of other predators within the ocean. The whale shark's teeth are replaced throughout its lifetime. Their mouths, located at the front of their heads, are lined with some 300 rows of very small teeth and 20 so-called filter pads, which they use to filter their food from the water. They believe the female retains sperm from one mating and produces a steady stream of pups over a long period of time. Learn more about these and other little-known whale shark facts. Photography from iStockPhoto. Males and females have a small external difference. Scientifically known as Rhincodon typus, the whale shark is the only surviving member of the Rhincodontidae. It is the only member of the Rhinocodontidae family. The male has two appendages known as claspers on the belly which will function to . The teeth are used to crush up their food before swallowing it, and their flat tops make them perfect for grinding against mollusk shells like clams and oysters. These gentle giants feed mostly on plankton and grow to lengths of around 12-14 meters and weigh over 21 tons. Tiger sharks will eat pretty much anything and the stomach contents from various tiger sharks have included license plates, a bag of money and even other sharks, 79. Why are whale sharks important to the food chain? Males and females have a small external difference. Whale sharks can reach large sizes of more than 60 feet long and can weigh as much as 42,000 pounds. The whale shark is the largest known shark at the moment and it holds the record for the largest non-mammalian vertebrate. Fun Facts. Whale sharks are the world's largest fish, reaching lengths of more than 40 feet and weights of nearly 50,000 pounds, which is about the size of a yellow school bus. In comparison, body surfers and scuba divers make up 5% and 4% of incidents, respectively. Remember that this weight is approximate because of its size and cartilaginous skeleton. The indication of the shark's ovoviviparity got capture in July 1996 while a female was pregnant with 300 pups. The average weight and length of whale sharks are estimated at 20,000 pounds and 32 feet. These characteristics . Its back and sides are gray to brown with white spots among pale vertical and. Other sharks are not safe either, as 30% of all sharks are endangered. The mouth is transverse, extremely wide and toward the front of its blunt snout. Research reveals that these sharks can reach a depth of 6300 ft (1900 meters) and have a preference for warm waters, with a temperature of around 70-86F (21-30C), marked by significant productivity (plankton). These eggs are then held inside the mother's abdomen until they hatch, at which point she 'gives birth' to the live young. It has two dorsal fins, two cloacal fins and two pectoral fins. Shark Finning and Shark Fin Facts. Photography from iStockPhoto. 13. There were 11 shark-related fatalities this year, 9 of which were . Behavior Is the Whale Shark Dangerous? Their mouth alone stretches four feet wide. Fun Facts. Whale shark teeth, one of the most common types of shark teeth, come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes depending on the species of whale shark. The whale shark is the largest fish alive today. A size comparison of a whale . These numbers do not do the massive size justice. They can also grow up to 40 feet long and weigh up to 20,000 pounds, which is bigger than any other fish out there. Scientists estimate bowhead whales (a baleen whale found in the . Whale sharks are . The whale shark (Rhincodon typus), is a slow filter feeding (animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water) shark that is the largest living fish species, reaching up to 18 metres in length. The whale shark is the largest species of shark found in the world's oceans. They are not whales, but the world's largest fish species, reaching up to 46 feet and nearly 24,000 pounds. Whale Shark Territory: Whale Shark Basic Facts: Diet: Carnivore Size: 18-33ft (5.5-10 m) Weight: 20 tons (40,000lbs or 20,0000Kgs) Life Span: 60 to 100 Years Group Name: School or shoal. FACT 1. Whales are a type of mammal living in . It is the only member of the Rhinocodontidae family. They make up the only species of the genus Rhincodon and are classified within the order Orectolobiformes, a group containing the carpet sharks. Its wide mouth is open, like an enormous net scooping up whatever happens to be aroundmostly small fish, fish eggs, and plants. Its streamlined body and depressed, broad and flattened head distinguish it from other sharks. 1 - They are the largest fish in the world! Several unverified reports of giants over 18 m (60 ft.) long exist, but the biggest individual of a confirmed size was 12.65 m (41.5 ft.) long and weighed roughly 21.5 tons. As the world's largest fish, this won't be a short tripa . The whale shark is the largest living shark. Description of the Whale Shark The whale shark is an enormous fish, measuring 5.5 to 10 meters long and weighing an average of 18.7 tons. Whale sharks have white undersides, but their back can be gray, blue, or brown and covered in white spots and stripes. Because of their gentleness, they are visited often by divers. But don't worry if you see one in the wild, they're gentle giants and won't hurt you. Whale shark facts: Firstly, a few fun facts about the Whale Shark: They are often found off the shores of countries honing tropical waters, including Australia, South Africa, The Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, to name a few. The whale shark is the largest living shark. However, both the length and weight vary among individual whale sharks. Like many other sharks, whale sharks have biological characteristics such as large size, slow growth, late maturation and longevity that, despite an ability to carry large numbers of embryos, can impact upon their numbers. Their mouth is up to 1.5m (5ft) wide. The whale sharks are ovoviviparous. The whale shark is the biggest fish in the world. A whale shark the size of a school bus swims slowly near the surface of the ocean. Body coloration provides camouflage in the ocean. Lower depth limit: More than 6,200 feet (1,900 meters)! Their mouth is up to 1.5m (5ft) wide. Pups measure only about 45 centimeters at birth. Whale sharks don't move very quickly, averaging just three miles per hour. There are others claiming lengths of 75 feet and a weight of 220,000 pounds. Habitat: In . It weighs over 12,500 kilograms. Their tail and fin shapes strongly resemble those of fellow sharks. Main Characteristics The whale shark is a peaceful shark with a gray-blue spotted back, a light belly and a wide, stumpy snout. It is notable for its size, with larger female individuals growing to 6.1 m (20 ft) in length and 1,905-2,268 kg (4,200-5,000 lb) in weight at maturity. Massive Marine Mammals. whale shark, (Rhincodon typus), gigantic but harmless shark (family Rhincodontidae) that is the largest living fish. It then swallows huge amounts of water where its prey is swimming. The whale shark is the biggest fish in the world. About WWF. This gentle giant swims with its mouth wide open, filtering the water for small prey. Among the countries that harbor whale sharks are Australia, New Zealand, Honduras, Philippines, Tanzania . The oldest-known whale shark. Interesting Whale shark Facts: Whale sharks are very large animals. Already a huge size. Whale Shark Facts. Whale sharks ( Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish alive today. The largest concentration of whale sharks was recorded off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico in 2009. There were 420 individuals feeding on fish . Besides its size, the whale shark is also named for its feeding habits. So how many teeth does a whale shark have? This length can be compared to that of a RV, or recreational vehicle . The species is likely to be 60 million years old or older, surviving from the last days of the dinosaurs. Despite being so large, the whale shark is actually a gentle giant and is a filter feeder, sieving sea water for its small prey - plankton. 77. The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. They dwell in waters with the characteristics described above near the following countries: South Africa, Djibouti, Belize, Australia, India, Honduras, Philippines, Mxico, Maldives, Indonesia . (ISAF, ABC) Whale Shark Facts for Kids - JellyQuest. Where pupping occurs and where the youngest animals situate remains a mystery, as they are very rarely found. Appearance. Sharks in this order have an anal fin, two dorsal fins, and a mouth located in front of their eyes. The average size of an adult whale shark is between 11 and 20 tons with a length of 20 to 40 feet. 181 shark species are Red listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Whale shark skin is grey along the back, and white on the underside. (National Geographic, National Geographic) While they give birth to live young, females first lay eggs. The whale shark-Rhincodon typus belongs to a subclass of cartilaginous fish, is the largest fish in the world. One of the most notable facts about whale sharks is that they are the world's largest fish. No, This Weird Shark Species is Not a Spongebob Character Meet the Female Research Team at Georgia Aquarium 10 Photos Whale Shark Tagging Adventure in the Galapagos 7 Photos Whale sharks are closely related to wobbegone, nurse, carpet, blind, bamboo, and zebra sharks. These eggs are not all born at once, but are born in a steady stream over a certain period. Inside their roughly 1.5m-wide mouths, they have over 300 rows of teeth. They predominantly feed on plankton and other small fish - not humans, even though they are a shark! 19. Able to birth around 300 young, Whale Sharks reach sexual maturity at 30 . And although it is widespread, very . WWF works to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife, collaborating with partners from local to global levels in nearly 100 countries. They are usually solo, but in areas where food is concentrated, whale sharks gather in large numbers. Whale Shark Facts: It's a Family Feast. They are grey-brown in color fading to paler undersides and have a white spotted pattern. Size Does Not Matter. We can find copies of this fish in seas and oceans of warm waters located near the tropics. They also have a large, flattened head with a wide mouth that can be nearly 5 ft. long. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species.The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 m (61.7 ft). Whale sharks can be blue, gray or brownish in color. Stars in Hollywood: In the last few years, whale . Whale Shark Facts September 12, 2019. They are easily recognized by a distinctive white or creamy spot pattern and stripes on a dark bluish-grey or brown-black background. The whale shark is the world's largest shark and fish species, with a maximum age estimated to be 100 years and it's thought they can reach up to 20 metres in length. Some species of whales are among the longest lived mammals. They have more than 3,000 tiny teeth, but they are not used for feeding. Size and Weight: Whale sharks are the world's largest fish, measuring up to 45 feet in length and adults weigh about 41,000 pounds. Whale sharks are the largest living shark species. 2. Baby whale sharks: Pregnant females can potentially contain up to 300 pups. 78. When the pups are born they are about 16 to 24 inches in length, which is amazing, since full-grown whale sharks on average are about 18 to 33 feet (6 to 10 m) long. Whale sharks are found on the IUCN Red List and on Appendix II of CITES and in the "Convention on Migratory Species" where they are designated a globally endangered species. As with most shark species, female whale sharks are larger than males. Their distinctive pattern helps them blend . ; Current population trend: Decreasing. Normally solitary animals, whale sharks come together at feeding time. That's more than 330,000 pounds (150,000 kg). It gives birth to live young inside the eggs. The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived and can grow to 90 or more feet and weigh as much as 24 elephants! Whale sharks are the largest fish on the planet; the average whale shark is between 18 and 40 feet long, though the Georgia Aquarium says the largest whale shark observed was 61.7 feet long. Read on for more surprising shark facts compiled by National Geographic News: . Whale sharks are actually sharks, which means they are fishnot mammals. 5. Females give birth to live young but this has never been observed. The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the largest living nonmammalian vertebrate.It is the sole member of the genus Rhincodon and the only extant member . Shark finning kills an estimated 100 million or more sharks globally per year. The whale shark can reach up to 15 meters long and weigh 11 tons. The little ones have a length of approximately 24 inches (60 cm) at birth, and the smallest ever measured was 18 inches (46 cm) long in the Philippines.