Whale sharks: gentle Whale sharks: gentle creaturescreatures

? ferocious ? ferocious ? huge? huge ? about to be extinct? about to be extinct ? threatening the other species? threatening the other species

What?What? • Not a whale,Not a whale,• Can grow to be 20 meters long, and 1.4 meters Can grow to be 20 meters long, and 1.4 meters

wide,wide,• Weigh 15 tons, Weigh 15 tons, • Female are larger, dark skin with spotsFemale are larger, dark skin with spots

What?What?• Tropical and sub-tropical oceans, Tropical and sub-tropical oceans, • Partial to the waters of the western and eastern Partial to the waters of the western and eastern

Atlantic Ocean, the Indo-West, Central, and the Atlantic Ocean, the Indo-West, Central, and the Eastern Pacific OceanEastern Pacific Ocean

• Often spotted along coastal regions and lagoons Often spotted along coastal regions and lagoons on tropical islandson tropical islands

How?How?Inhabitants riding with them,Inhabitants riding with them,Slow swimmers,Slow swimmers,Rarely hazardous and perilousRarely hazardous and perilousBeing filter feeders,Being filter feeders,Female shark giving birth to 300 live pups at oFemale shark giving birth to 300 live pups at o

ne time, ne time, Reproducing until the age of 30Reproducing until the age of 30

1212 The local inhabitants of these tropical The local inhabitants of these tropical religions hold onto the whale sharks’ fins and religions hold onto the whale sharks’ fins and go for a ride with them, go for a ride with them, screaming with screaming with delight as they are carried through the waves.delight as they are carried through the waves.

1414 Whale sharks are slow swimmers, Whale sharks are slow swimmers, only only moving moving at at and average speed of 5 km per and average speed of 5 km per hour, so it’s rarely a hazardous and perilous hour, so it’s rarely a hazardous and perilous journey abroad on these creatures.journey abroad on these creatures.

17 17 Being filterBeing filter, whale sharks swim near the , whale sharks swim near the surface surface looking forlooking for plankton and small fish plankton and small fish such anchovies and sardines, such anchovies and sardines, using their gills using their gills to gather food.to gather food.