Are whale sharks whales - or sharks?
Did you know that the biggest fish in the ocean is the whale shark? Whale sharks are enormous - the largest one on record was over 12 meters (40 feet) long! And yes, they are sharks - and fortunately for us, they are filter feeders. These behemoths live on plankton and krill.
I was always puzzled as to how enormous creatures - like baleen whales - can live on such tiny organisms. Well, it turns out that although plankton and such are individually tiny, there are just SO DARN MANY of them, that they add up to tons of food - and conveniently, they gather in great numbers in certain areas of the ocean.
So whale sharks can be found where their food is found - in the warmer areas of ocean throughout the world. Earthwatch has a whale shark expedition in Australia: view link - but our dive teams off the coast of Belize have also photographed whale sharks.
Brad Norman, the researcher in AU who is studying whale sharks, identifies them by their spots - an interesting story in itself: view link
If you've taken any whale shark photos, or may have an opportunity to photograph them on a dive or snorkel trip, you should read Brad's photo request page: view link - you can contribute to the study of these amazing creatures!
Kathy, the Earthwatch webmaster
I was always puzzled as to how enormous creatures - like baleen whales - can live on such tiny organisms. Well, it turns out that although plankton and such are individually tiny, there are just SO DARN MANY of them, that they add up to tons of food - and conveniently, they gather in great numbers in certain areas of the ocean.
So whale sharks can be found where their food is found - in the warmer areas of ocean throughout the world. Earthwatch has a whale shark expedition in Australia: view link - but our dive teams off the coast of Belize have also photographed whale sharks.
Brad Norman, the researcher in AU who is studying whale sharks, identifies them by their spots - an interesting story in itself: view link
If you've taken any whale shark photos, or may have an opportunity to photograph them on a dive or snorkel trip, you should read Brad's photo request page: view link - you can contribute to the study of these amazing creatures!
Kathy, the Earthwatch webmaster
