Just keep swimming! The longest migration recorded for a whale shark was a 12,000 mile trip. Some people are against keeping whale sharks in captivity because they can’t mimic their natural habitat, while others believe it is an important piece in educating humans about the sharks in order to protect them from extinction. Alice, who was one of the whale sharks brought to the Georgia Aquarium, recently died (June 2021) after living there for more than 15 years. Marine Biologists are trying to study how long whale sharks can survive in captivity. Whale sharks are believed to have a life span similar to humans, ranging from 70-100 years, but some believe they could live even longer. It is amazing how an animal that weighs 41,000 lbs can support itself on this simple diet. Their gills act as a suction to draw the food in. Whale sharks swim slowly with their large mouth open, sifting through the water for plankton, small shrimp and small fish. So no need to worry about getting swallowed up by that gaping mouth. Talk about a funnel, the whale shark’s mouth can be 4 or more feet wide, but their throat is only the size of a quarter. Say “Ahh!”, a whale shark’s mouth can be 4+ feet wide.

Scientists are not sure of their purpose. The teeth are about the size of the tip of a pencil (would not make a very impressive shark-tooth necklace.) But because whale sharks are filter-feeders, sifting the nutrients from the water, they don’t use their teeth at all for eating. Whale sharks have row after row after row of tiny little teeth, 300 rows on average. Big shark but tiny teeth, lots of them, over 3000! The 10 Best Books About Sharks – Reviewed and Ranked 6. One found in the Gulf of Mexico was 12 inches long and 5 ½ inches wide.

The eggs remain inside the female during growth and hatch inside the female, but there has been evidence of whale shark eggs being found. Whale shark eggs are about twice that big. Ostriches produce the largest eggs for land animals, their eggs can reach 6 inches long by 5 inches wide. Whale sharks have the largest eggs, twice as big as an ostrich egg. Scientists speculate that the live babies are released over a long period of time vs. Whale sharks are similar to other sharks in that they are ovoviviparous, their eggs are fertilized internally, then they hatch inside the female and then are delivered by live birth. Upon examination, scientists found 300 pups. The reproductive habits of whale sharks are still being studied, but there is a confirmed case of a pregnant whale shark that was caught near Taiwan in 1995. In 2007 two more whale sharks, this time two males (Yushon and Taroko), were flown over in a similar fashion with no issues.ġ4,659 People Couldn't Ace This Quiz Think You Can? Take Our Brand New A-Z-Animals Shark Quiz 4. A team of vets from the Aquarium watched over the sharks on the flight to take care of them and make sure the transition went smoothly. The two female whale sharks (Alice and Trixie) were around 13 feet long each and had to be transported in special containers to mimic the conditions of the ocean. In 2006, two whale sharks were shipped by UPS from Taiwan to Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium. Whale sharks are still slow swimmers compared to most sharks and at 3mph they would just beat a tortoise whose top speed is. You may be familiar with the Tortoise and the Hare, but what if a Tortoise raced a whale shark? Well, the whale shark would most likely win unless he got very distracted. Big but slow! Whale sharks swim about 3mph. Next time you pass a school bus you can compare that to the length of a whale shark. Can you imagine a giant shark in the lane next to yours? While most whale sharks are not that long, the average ones are still around 40 feet. The largest recorded whale shark came in at 61.7 feet. The largest recorded whale shark was the length of a bowling alley!Ī regulation bowling alley is 60 feet long. They call it a whale shark due to its enormous size and because sharks are fish, the whale shark is the largest fish in the world! Let’s look at some incredible facts about the whale shark: 1. Whale sharks, are they whales? Are they sharks? This amazing creature is actually a shark.

They are slow swimmers and get about at a rate of 3mph.

They can grow up to 40 feet or even longer.

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world.

Real Life Jaws Spotted - 30ft Great… Key Points