UNDER THE SEA

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about 

 Interesting Whale Shark Facts

To most, just the name ‘whale shark’ conjures feelings of excitement, mystery and curiosity. But how much do you really know about the world’s largest fish? Here are 11 interesting facts you might not have known about this majestic marine animal.

1. They’re Not Whales

Whale sharks are not actually whales, but they are the largest fish in the ocean! Whale sharks can reach up to an incredible 12 meters/40 feet in length and 21.5 tons in weight.

2. Whale Sharks are Filter Feeders 

Being a filter feeder, whale sharks cannot bit nor chew – they are truly the gentle giants of the ocean. Instead of biting and chewing, they mostly sieve plankton through their gills for nourishment. During feeding their mouth can even stretch over 1 meter/4 feet wide!

3. They Can Process More Than 6,000 Liters of Water

Using their gills, whale sharks can process over 6,000 liters of water every hour. Once the whale shark draws in a big gulp of plankton-rich ocean water, it closes its mouth and expels the water through a set of large gills. The gills act like strainers, filtering out the water while keeping solid organisms smaller than about 2 centimeters in diameter.

4. Whale Sharks are Slow Swimmers 

Whale sharks might be slow but they migrate very long distances. Moving at speeds of no more than 4 kph/3 mph, a single whale shark can travel 12,874km/8,000 miles or more, in just three years.

5. They Have Thousands of Teeth

Although they don’t bite or chew, they do have thousands of teeth. Whale sharks have about 3,000 tiny teeth, less than 1-inch long, that help them eat small shrimp, fish and plankton.

6. Whale Sharks Have an Incredibly Long Lifespan

These beautiful creatures are estimated to have a lifespan of 70 to 100 years!

7. They Give Birth to Live Young

Once whale sharks have reached sexual maturity (around 30 years old) and fallen pregnant, they give birth to live young that are already 16 to 24 inches long. Unlike true whales, whale sharks do not stay together with their young after birth.

8. Not All Whale Sharks Survive to Adulthood

After birth, the mother will leave her young to fend for themselves and as a result, only 10% of whale sharks actually survive to adulthood.

9. Whale Sharks Are Endangered

Unfortunately, the global whale shark population has been declared endangered by the IUCN, with their main threat being fisheries, bycatch losses and demand for shark fins, liver oil, skin and meat. Learn more about how you can help protect whale sharks and ensure their species lives forever.

10. Whale Sharks Are Deep Divers

While adult whale sharks are often found feeding at the surface, they have been known to dive to depths of up to 1000metres/3280feet.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking