How fast are whale sharks?

How fast are whale sharks?

They’re slow swimmers and migrate a long way With the exception of the Mediterranean Sea, whale sharks can be found in all temperate and tropical oceans around the world and migrate thousands of miles to different feeding grounds. But moving is slow going, as they move at speeds of little more than 3 miles per hour.

Is it OK to swim with whale sharks?

While whale sharks have a huge mouth, they almost exclusively feed on plankton. That is why they are absolutely harmless to humans. They are mainly interested in fish eggs, algae and krill, and they are definitely not interested in the person swimming next to them.

What are the characteristics of whale sharks?

1. They’re not whales, but the world’s largest fish These huge creatures can grow up to 12 metres long. But despite their size, whale sharks are often referred to as “gentle giants”. 2. Eating is laborious work Whale sharks are filter feeders and can neither bite nor chew.

What do whale sharks eat in the ocean?

Fortunately for most sea-dwellers—and us!—their favorite meal is plankton. They scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the water’s surface. The whale shark, like the world’s second largest fish, the basking shark, is a filter feeder.

What is the largest type of shark in the world?

Whale shark. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 12.65 m (41.5 ft) and a weight of about 21.5 t (47,000 lb).

How much water does a whale shark filter?

They can process more than 6,000 litres of water an hour through their gills. Although its mouth can stretch to four feet wide, a whale shark’s teeth are so tiny that they can only eat small shrimp, fish and plankton by using their gill rakers as a suction filter. 3. They can be very old