Whale shark fact sheet

Rhincodon typus | Whale shark

The whale shark is the largest non-mammalian vertebrate in the world, and it’s often called the gentle giant of the ocean. They move slowly, covering areas as large as 3,700 km and they can dive as deep as 1280 m. While many other sharks hunt larger prey, the whale sharks are really peaceful and feed mostly on plankton. They have a large mouth that contains 10 filter pads which are used to filter plankton, small squid and tiny fish that are rammed or engulfed into the mouth. An adult whale shark can actually eat more than 2.6 tons of food per day!
Speaking about reproduction, whale sharks are ovoviviparous. This means that the eggs remain inside the body and the mother gives birth to live young. A single female may carry up to 300 embryos which develop at different times.
Whale sharks are pelagic animals and inhabit tropical and warm temperate seas (generally below 30 degree latitude). In some of these areas, they appear regularly during specific seasons, and it likely correlates with natural events such as plankton blooms. In the Azores however, they are sighted only occasionally when the water is particularly warm.

Length: 
• Average: 9.7 m 
• Maximum: 12.65 m
• Newborn: 40 – 63 cm

Weight: 21,500 kg

Global population: Unknown

Status: endangered (population decreasing)

Diet: Plankton, squid and tiny fish

Longevity: 60 – 130 years

Breeding age: 30 years

Gestation: Unknown

In other languages
Portuguese: Tubarão baleia
Spanish: Tiburón ballena
French: Requin-baleine
Italian: Squalo balena
German: Walhai
Dutch: Walvishaai
Swedish: Valhaj
Norwegian: Hvalhai
Danish: Hvalhaj
Finnish: Valashai
Polish: Rekin wielorybi