Field Trip Earth: Just the Facts

Just the Facts - Whale Sharks

by Beth Carter

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the oceans.
The average adult whale shark is 9 meters long, or 27 feet long!
The largest whale shark ever caught was 12.6 meters long, or 41.5 feet long!
Whale sharks are NOT whales, which are mammals. The largest whale is the blue whale.
Whale sharks are pelagic. This means they live in the open sea. Most sharks are bethnic, or bottom dwellers.
Most whale sharks are found in warm, tropical waters.
Whale sharks are filter feeders. They eat tiny plants and animals.
They eat more than 2.6 tons of food per day!
Whale sharks have 300 rows of tiny teeth.
They eat tiny plankton, krill, small squid, and algae.
Whale sharks are not dangerous to humans. They can be playful near divers.
Whale sharks are ovoviviparous. This means that the female has eggs inside her body, and then the eggs hatch inside her body.
When the baby sharks are 40-60 cm long, they swim out of her body and so are born alive.
Whale sharks are considered a “threatened” or “vulnerable” species.
There is still much to learn about whale sharks.
Whale sharks may become endangered if limits are not placed on fishing and collecting them.

Think About…

How could scientists find out more about whale sharks?
Why is it important to keep whale sharks from becoming endangered or extinct?
What role do whale sharks play in the food chain of the ocean?
What animal is the whale shark’s primary predator?
Would you be likely to find whale sharks off the southern coast of Africa? Why or why not?
Why is it difficult to keep whale sharks in captivity?
If an average whale shark is 27 feet long, how long is that in terms of your classroom? Can you measure 27 feet in your school’s hallway or parking lot to show a whale shark’s length? How about the longest whale shark’s length?

(After you think a while, ask an adult or older friend to read the Whale Shark FAQ with you. Look at the pictures and other materials.)

About the author:

Beth Carter is a K-1 teacher at the Cape Fear Center for Inquiry in Wilmington, NC.

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