Mar 19, 2025 · Whale sharks are found in marine environments worldwide but mainly in tropical oceans. They make up the only species of the genus Rhincodon and are classified within the order Orectolobiformes, a group containing the carpet sharks. Whale sharks inhabit warm waters around the world.

Whale sharks spend nearly eight hours a day gulping around 10,000 gallons of ocean water. At nearly 40 feet long, they seem like they could eat whatever they want. But they’re really after...

Whale sharks live in tropical climates and warm waters. They spend most of their time away from the shore in deeper waters around 150 feet below the surface (that’s equivalent to the width of an American football field).

Whale sharks are found in open tropical waters above 21ºc and have two distinct subpopulations found in the Atlantic ocean, and the Indo-Pacific. These benign behemoths spend their lives on the move, migrating thousands of miles in an endless search for food.

The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and the largest fish known to have lived on this planet. Because of its size and cartilaginous skeleton, it does not fossilize well and in life it is very difficult to weigh accurately.

Feb 14, 2025 · How Much Water Do They Actually Swallow? A single whale shark can filter up to 1,500 gallons (5,600 liters) of water per hour! Given their enormous size—often exceeding 40 feet (12 meters) in length—this massive water intake is necessary to sustain their diet.

Whale sharks inhabit the open waters of all tropical oceans. They are rarely found in water below 21 °C (70 °F). Whale sharks' lifespans are estimated to be between 80 and 130 years, based on studies of their vertebral growth bands and the growth rates of free-swimming sharks.

Whale sharks feed by opening their giant maws, taking in water, and then spitting the water out through their teeth, while keeping the small fish and plankton. The only other sharks that feed in this fashion are basking sharks and the seldom seen megamouth sharks.

Jul 19, 2024 · Whale sharks are highly migratory, inhabiting all tropical and warm temperate waters of the world, except for the Mediterranean. They live along coastlines and in open waters, wherever dense planktonic concentrations can be found.

Mar 9, 2025 · The short answer is that whale sharks are most commonly found in warm, tropical, and temperate waters around the globe, specifically within a latitudinal band between 30°N and 35°S. They inhabit the pelagic zone , which includes …