The Whale Shark: A Gentle Giant

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     Are you planning a trip to a Caribbean island? Spots like Aruba have a lot to offer; white sand beaches, friendly locals, warm weather, and gorgeous oceans to swim in. Some people hesitate because they fear what lurks under the waves, but they shouldn't fear the whale shark, even though it is the biggest fish ever found.

The whale shark's size is impressive: the largest confirmed specimen measured nearly 42 feet long, and weighed 47,000 pounds; it actually outweighs many of the largest dinosaurs. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, and the largest non-mammal vertebrate. The evolution of the creature has been very slight over the course of the 60 million years, that it is thought to have lived in the warmer ocean regions. The shark has a gigantic mouth, which can open up five feet wide and reveal 300 rows of tiny teeth. Its body is gray colored with a white belly. Each whale shark is covered with pale yellow stripes and small spots, and no two sharks have the same pattern. These fish inhabit both coastal areas and the open ocean; they gather in the shallow reef areas, like the Yucatan peninsula, to feed each spring.

And what do they feed on? With a name like 'whale shark', you would be forgiven for thinking that this fearsome creature chows down on helpless orcas, humpbacks, and baleens. But the whale shark's name comes from its massive size, rather than its regular diet. This fish is a filter feeder; its prey consists of microscopic plankton, krill, larvae, and squid -although it has also been observed hunting schools of very small fish once in a while. Filter pads are contained within their huge mouths; plankton is what the whale shark feeds on, and it does this by filtering enormous intakes of water, which it then filters through special pads in its mouth. Those tiny vestigial teeth are never used in feeding.

Don't fret, if you should happen to see a whale shark while out diving or snorkeling - they aren't too dangerous! Swimmers have been known to ride along with them for a while, because the sharks are extremely docile, as fish go. The young whale sharks are inquisitive and like to play. However, at least one diver has reported that he was nearly sucked into a whale shark's mouth accidentally; as with all wild animal encounters, it's best to keep your distance. It's a good idea to not swim with these creatures; while it seems like a lot of fun, it could potentially harm them and you can't be too careful when it comes to sharing the water with such a giant fish! Scientists have tentatively listed the whale shark as 'vulnerable', as they are targeted by commercial fisheries and the true population is unknown. No one has ever seen whale sharks mating, though they know that females give live births and individuals can live for 70 years or more.