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Whale Shark Whale Sharks are the biggest fish in the world. Yes a fish!!! They have often been mistaken for whales because of their enormous size. Whale sharks cruise slowly through the water. They never seem to hurry. Whale sharks have often been seen resting on the surface of the ocean. Although nicknamed "White Death" by some, whale sharks are not likely to attack a human. In fact, swimmers have been known to safely hitch rides on the back of these 50-foot, 15-ton giants. Their babies Scientists are still studying all kinds of shark to learn mare on how the babies are born. I know that the mother whale shark produces oblong-shaped eggs. After the eggs are laid the baby whale shark hatches. Some people have seen whale sharks eggs to be 20 inches long, which would make the baby 21-24 inches long. I’m 4’11"- the baby whale shark would be over my knee cap. That is scary, but that is only how tall the eggs are. Think about the whale shark itself. Where they live Whale Sharks like to live in warm waters. They are found in tropical oceans, both far out to sea and near to shore. Whale sharks have been seen along the East Coast of United States and off the coast of California. Many Whale sharks are found in the Gulf of Mexico at certain times of the year. They are most common in the Indian Ocean. What they eat Whale Sharks spend their days feeding on tiny plants called plankton and small shrimp- like creatures know as krill. They also eat some kinds of fish and squid. The whale shark open their mouths and swallows what ever goes in. Sometimes they eat garbage by mistake. Buckets, boots, oars, and other such objects have all been found in the stomachs of Whale Sharks. Predators The whale shark does not have a lot of predators. The only major predator are boats. When the whale shark is laying on the top of the water the boats can hit the whale shark or while it is feeding the whale shark can bump into the boat itself. You may think that because it bumps in to boats that whale sharks are dumb, but that is not true they are highly intelligent. Structure The largest whale shark ever known measured over 41 feet long and yet the average male is about 27 feet long. Their huge bodies are rounded, with ridges running from the head to the back. Their undersides are white. Whale sharks have broad, flat heads and a very wide mouth. Whale sharks have dark green-gray backs with pale yellow spots. Whale sharks have 300 bands of tiny teeth. Their teeth are too small for the shark to eat very big fish, and the whale sharks' mouths do not open that wide. |