Whale shark FAQ's
How big is a newborn whale shark and where have they been found?
Newborn whale sharks measuring 21 to 25 inches in length [55 to 63 cm] have been caught in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central America, and in January 1996 there was an unconfirmed report that newborn whale sharks were found in the Marshall Islands. Newborn whale sharks have also been caught in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean, and in the Persian Gulf.
What is the size of the largest whale shark ever found?
In 1925 a whale shark estimated to be 60 feet in length [18 m] was caught in the Gulf of Thailand, but the largest accurately measured whale shark was a 40-foot, 7-inch [12.2 m] male caught in Bombay, India, in 1983. Its mouth was 4-feet, 6-inches wide [1.14 m], and its pectoral fins were more than 6-feet, 6-inches long [1.98 m].
How long do whale sharks live?
Scientists don't know for certain how long whale sharks live. We do know that some species of sharks that live for 100 years are not able to breed until they are 20 years old. This means they must spend 1/5th of their lives evading capture until they can reproduce at all. It appears that male whale sharks are not able to breed until they are about 30 years old. If 30 years is 1/5th of a whale shark's expected life span it may normally live for well over a century, possibly even 150 years or longer.
Why does a whale shark have such a peculiar color pattern?
Like many species of sharks that hunt near the sea's surface, whale sharks are counter-shaded; they have white bellies (which makes them hard to see if you are underwater and looking up at them) and dark backs (which makes them difficult to see if you are looking down on them). It has been suggested that the pale spots and lines on their backs are camouflage; to some, the pattern resembles a school of fish, to others it suggests reflections of sunlight on a shallow reef.
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