Examine individual changes

'{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}} {{speciesbox | name = Whale shark | fossil_range = {{Fossil range|28|0}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Fossilworks Rhincodon typus|url=http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=170186}}</ref> | status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite journal | author =Pierce, S. J. | author2 =Norman, B. | last-author-amp =yes | title = ''Rhincodon typus'' | journal = [[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]] | volume=2016 | page = e.T19488A2365291 | publisher = [[IUCN]] | year =2016 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T19488A2365291.en |doi-access=free |url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/19488/0 |access-date=12 November 2017 }}</ref> | image = Similan Dive Center - great whale shark.jpg | image_caption = Whale shark in the Andaman Sea around Similan Islands | image2 = Whaleshark scale.jpg | image2_caption = Size compared to an average human | grandparent_authority = [[Johannes Peter Müller|J. P. Müller]] and [[Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle|Henle]], 1839<ref name="Müller & Henle, 1841" /><ref name="Melville, 1984" /> | genus = Rhincodon | parent_authority = [[Andrew Smith (zoologist)|A. Smith]], 1829<ref name="Smith, 1829" /><ref name="Melville, 1984" /> | species = typus | authority = [[Andrew Smith (zoologist)|A. Smith]], 1828<ref name="Smith, 1828" /><ref name="Penrith, 1972" /><ref name="Melville, 1984" /> | synonyms = *''Micristodus punctatus'' <small>Gill, 1865</small> *''Rhineodon'' <small>Denison, 1937</small> *''Rhiniodon typus'' <small>A. Smith, 1828</small> *''Rhinodon pentalineatus'' <small>Kishinouye, 1901</small> *''Rhinodon typicus'' <small>Müller & Henle, 1839</small> | range_map = Cypron-Range Rhincodon typus.svg | range_map_caption = Range of whale shark }} The '''whale shark''' (''Rhincodon typus'') is a slow-moving, [[filter feeder|filter-feeding]] [[carpet shark]] and the largest known [[Extant taxon|extant]] fish [[species]]. The largest confirmed individual had a length of {{convert|12.65|m|ft|abbr=on}} and a weight of about {{convert|21.5|t|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Wood"/> The whale shark holds many records for sheer size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the largest living nonmammalian [[vertebrate]]. It is the sole member of the genus '''''Rhincodon''''' and the only extant member of the family '''Rhincodontidae''' which belongs to the subclass [[Elasmobranchii]] in the class [[Chondrichthyes]]. Before 1984 it was classified as ''Rhiniodon'' into Rhinodontidae. The species originated about 60 million years ago.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.qatarwhalesharkproject.com/the-project/whale-shark-facts|title=Whale shark facts|accessdate=5 August 2016}}</ref> The whale shark is found in open waters of the tropical oceans and is rarely found in water below {{convert|21|C|F}}.<ref name="iucn" /> Modeling suggests a lifespan of about 70 years, but measurements have proven difficult.<ref name=fishbase>{{cite web |last=Colman |first=J. G. <!--as per fishbase's request to cite main ref author as author--> |editor1-last=Froese |editor1-first=Ranier |editor2-last=Pauly |editor2-first=Daniel |title=''Rhincodon typus'' |publisher=FishBase |url=http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=2081 |accessdate=17 September 2006}}</ref> Whale sharks have very large mouths and are filter feeders, which is a feeding mode that occurs in only two other sharks, the [[megamouth shark]] and the [[basking shark]]. They feed almost exclusively on [[plankton]] and are not known to pose a threat to humans. The species was distinguished in April 1828 after the harpooning of a {{convert|4.6|m|ft|abbr=on}} specimen in [[Table Bay]], South Africa. [[Andrew Smith (zoologist)|Andrew Smith]], a military doctor associated with British troops stationed in [[Cape Town]], described it the following year.<ref>{{cite web |last=Martin |first=R. Aidan |title=Rhincodon or Rhiniodon? A Whale Shark by any Other Name |website=ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research |url=http://elasmo-research.org/education/topics/ng_rhincodon_or_rhiniodon.htm}}</ref> The name "whale shark" refers to the fish's size, being as large as some species of whales,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brunnschweiler |first1=J. M. |last2=Baensch |first2=H. |last3=Pierce |first3=S. J. |last4=Sims |first4=D. W. |date=3 February 2009 |title=Deep-diving behaviour of a whale shark ''Rhincodon typus'' during long-distance movement in the western Indian Ocean |journal=Journal of Fish Biology |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.02155.x |pmid=20735591 |volume=74 |issue=3|pages=706 }}</ref> and also to its being a filter feeder like [[baleen whale]]s. ==Description== [[File:Rhincodon typus jaws.jpg|thumb|left|Jaws]] [[File:Rhincodon typus teeth.jpg|thumb|left|Teeth]] [[File:21 ton whale shark (2).jpg|thumb|21 ton whale shark caught in China in 2008]] Whale sharks have a mouth that can be {{convert|1.5|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} wide, containing 300 to 350 rows of tiny teeth and 10 filter pads which it uses to [[filter feeder|filter feed]].<ref name="FAO">{{cite web |last=Compagno |first=L. J. V. |title=Species Fact Sheet, ''Rhincodon typus'' |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |url=http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/2801/en |accessdate=19 September 2006}}</ref> Unlike many other sharks, whale sharks' mouths are located at the front of the head rather than on the underside of the head.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=47|title=Whale Sharks, Rhincodon typus|website=MarineBio.org|access-date=2018-05-17}}</ref> Whale sharks have five large pairs of [[gill]]s. The head is wide and flat with two small eyes at the front. Whale sharks are grey with a white belly. Their skin is marked with pale yellow spots and stripes which are unique to each individual. The whale shark has three prominent ridges along its sides. Its skin can be up to {{convert|10|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} thick. The shark has a pair of [[dorsal fin]]s and [[pectoral fin]]s. Juveniles' tails have a larger upper fin than lower fin, while the adult tail becomes semi[[lunate]]. The whale shark's [[spiracle]]s are just behind its eyes. The whale shark is the largest non-[[cetacean]] animal in the world. The average size of adult whale sharks is estimated at {{convert|9.7|m|ft|2|abbr=on}} and {{convert|9|t|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name = "Wood">{{cite book|first=Gerald L. |last=Wood|title=The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=AWhFAQAAIAAJ}}|year=1976|publisher=Guinness Superlatives|isbn=978-0-900424-60-1}}</ref> Several specimens over 18&nbsp;m (59.05&nbsp;ft) in length have been reported.<ref name="dx.doi.org">{{cite journal|vauthors=McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, ((Dove ADM)), Gaskins LC, Helm RR, Hochberg FG, Lee FB, Marshall A, McMurray SE, Schanche C, Stone SN, Thaler AD|year=2015|title= Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna|journal= PeerJ |volume=3|pages=e715 |doi=10.7717/peerj.715|pmid=25649000|pmc=4304853}}</ref> The largest verified specimen was caught on 11 November 1947, near [[Baba Island]], in [[Karachi]], Pakistan. It was {{convert|12.65|m|ft|2|abbr=on}} long, weighed about {{convert|21.5|t|lb|abbr=on}}, and had a girth of {{convert|7|m|ft|1|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Wood"/> Stories exist of vastly larger specimens&nbsp;– quoted lengths of {{convert|18|m|ft|abbr=on}} and {{convert|45.5|t|lb|abbr=on}} are common in the popular literature, but no scientific records support their existence. In 1868, the Irish natural scientist [[Edward Perceval Wright]] obtained several small whale shark specimens in the Seychelles, but claimed to have observed specimens in excess of {{convert|15|m|ft|1|abbr=on}}, and tells of shark specimens surpassing {{convert|21|m|ft|1|abbr=on}}. In a 1925 publication, [[Hugh McCormick Smith|Hugh M. Smith]] described a huge animal caught in a bamboo fish trap in Thailand in 1919. The shark was too heavy to pull ashore, but Smith estimated the shark was at least {{convert|17|m|ft|abbr=on}} long, and weighed around 37 t. These measurements have been exaggerated to {{convert|43|t|lb|abbr=on}} and a more precise {{convert|17.98|m|ft|abbr=on}} in recent years. A shark caught in 1994 off [[Tainan County]], southern Taiwan, reportedly weighed {{convert|35.8|t|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Mollet>{{cite web |last=Mollet |first=H. F. |date=2008 |title=Summary of Large Whale Shark ''Rhincodon typus'' Smith, 1828 |url=http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Rt/Rt_large.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312181810/http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Rt/Rt_large.html |archivedate=12 March 2012}}. Home Page of Henry F. Mollet, Research Affiliate, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.</ref> There have even been unverified claims of whale sharks of up to {{convert|23|m|ft|0}} and {{convert|100|t|lb}}. In 1934, a ship named the ''Maurguani'' came across a whale shark in the southern Pacific Ocean, rammed it, and the shark became stuck on the prow of the ship, supposedly with {{convert|4.6|m|ft|abbr=on}} on one side and {{convert|12.2|m|ft|abbr=on}} on the other.<ref>{{cite book |last=Maniguet |first=Xavier |date=1992 |title=The Jaws of Death: Shark as Predator, Man as Prey |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers Limited |isbn=978-0-00-219960-5 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=FgFFAAAAYAAJ}}}}</ref> No reliable documentation exists for these claims and they remain "fish stories". ==Distribution and habitat== The whale shark inhabits all tropical and warm-temperate seas. The fish is primarily [[pelagic]], living in the open sea but not in the greater depths of the ocean, although it is known to occasionally dive to depths of as much as {{convert|1800|m|ft}}.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Brian C.|last=Howard |date=28 June 2016 |title=Whale Sharks Move in Mysterious Ways: Watch Them Online |publisher=National Geographic Society |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/whale-shark-tracker/ |accessdate=12 August 2016}}</ref> Seasonal feeding aggregations occur at several coastal sites such as the southern and eastern parts of South Africa; [[Saint Helena]] Island in the South Atlantic Ocean; [[Gulf of Tadjoura]] in Djibouti, Gladden Spit in Belize; [[Ningaloo Reef]] in Western Australia; [[Lakshadweep]], [[Gulf of Kutch]] and [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]] coast of [[Gujarat]] in India;<ref>{{cite news |last=Kaushik |first=Himanshu |date=30 August 2014 |title=Whale sharks found off Gujarat coast no expats, they are Indian |work=The Times of India |url=http://m.timesofindia.com/Home/Environment/Flora-Fauna/Whale-sharks-found-off-Gujarat-coast-no-expats-they-are-Indian/articleshow/41240407.cms |accessdate=12 May 2016}}</ref> [[Útila]] in Honduras; [[Southern Leyte]]; [[Donsol]], [[Pasacao]] and [[Batangas]] in the Philippines; off [[Isla Mujeres]] and [[Holbox|Isla Holbox]] in [[Yucatan]] and [[Bahía de los Ángeles]] in [[Baja California]], [[Mexico|México]]; [[Maamigili (Raa Atoll)|Maamigili]] island, [[Maldives]]; [[Ujung Kulon National Park]] in Indonesia; [[Cenderawasih Bay|Cenderawasih Bay National Park]] in Nabire, Papua, Indonesia; [[Flores Island, Indonesia]]; [[Nosy Be]] in Madagascar; off [[Tofo]] Beach near [[Inhambane]] in Mozambique; the Tanzanian islands of [[Mafia Island|Mafia]], [[Pemba, Tanzania|Pemba]], [[Zanzibar]]; [[Gulf of Tadjoura]] in [[Djibouti]], the [[Ad Dimaniyat Islands]] in the [[Gulf of Oman]] and Al Hallaniyat islands in the [[Arabian Sea]]; and, very rarely, [[Eilat]], Israel and [[Aqaba]], Jordan. Although typically seen offshore, it has been found closer to land, entering lagoons or coral atolls, and near the mouths of estuaries and rivers. Its range is generally restricted to about 30° latitude. It is capable of diving to depths of at least {{convert|1,286|m|abbr=on}},<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brunnschweiler |first1=Juerg M. |last2=Baensch |first2=H. |last3=Pierce |first3=S. J. |last4=Sims |first4=D. W. |date=2009 |title=Deep-diving behaviour of a whale shark ''Rhincodon typus'' during long-distance movement in the western Indian Ocean |journal=Journal of Fish Biology |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.02155.x |pmid=20735591 |volume=74 |issue=3 |pages=706–714}}</ref> and is migratory.<ref name="fishbase"/> On 7 February 2012, a large whale shark was found floating {{convert|150|km|mi}} off the coast of [[Karachi]], Pakistan. The length of the specimen was said to be between {{convert|11|and|12|m|ft|abbr=on}}, with a weight of around {{convert|15000|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hasan |first=Saad |title=Experts to cut up 40.1-foot long whale shark today |work=The Express Tribune |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/334260/experts-to-cut-up-40-1-foot-long-whale-shark-today/ |date=10 February 2012}}</ref> In 2011, more than 400 whale sharks gathered off the Yucatan Coast. It was one of the largest gatherings of whale sharks recorded.<ref name="de la Parra et al. 2011">{{cite journal |last1=de la Parra Venegas |first1=Rafael |last2=Hueter |first2=Robert |last3=Cano |first3=Jaime González |last4=Tyminski |first4=John |last5=Remolina |first5=José Gregorio |last6=Maslanka |first6=Mike |last7=Ormos |first7=Andrea |last8=Weigt |first8=Lee |last9=Carlson |first9=Bruce |last10=Dove |first10=Alistair |date=29 April 2011 |title=An Unprecedented Aggregation of Whale Sharks, ''Rhincodon typus'', in Mexican Coastal Waters of the Caribbean Sea |journal=PLoS ONE |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0018994 |volume=6 |issue=4 |series=4 |page=e18994|pmid=21559508|pmc=3084747 }}</ref> Aggregations in that area are among the most reliable seasonal gatherings known for whale sharks, with large numbers occurring in most years between May and September. Associated ecotourism has grown rapidly to unsustainable levels.<ref>Dove, Alistair (27 January 2015) [https://www.future500.org/yucatan-whale-sharks-swimming-troubled-waters/ Yucatan Whale Sharks Swimming in Troubled Waters]. future500.org</ref> ==Reproduction== Neither mating nor pupping of whale sharks has been observed. The capture of a female in July 1996 that was pregnant with 300 pups indicated whale sharks are [[Ovoviviparity|ovoviviparous]].<ref name="fishbase"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Joung |first1=Shoou-Jeng |display-authors=etal |date=July 1996 |title=The whale shark, ''Rhincodon typus'', is a livebearer: 300 embryos found in one 'megamamma' supreme |journal=Environ. Biol. Fish. |doi=10.1007/BF00004997 |volume=46 |issue=3 |pages=219–223 |url=http://www.springerlink.com/content/m21r2608u3pv5451/}}</ref><ref name="sharklady">{{cite web |last=Clark |first1=Eugenie |authorlink=Eugenie Clark |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=http://www.sharklady.com/faq.html#A12 |accessdate=26 September 2006}}</ref> The eggs remain in the body and the females give birth to live young which are {{convert|40|to|60|cm|abbr=on}} long. Evidence indicates the pups are not all born at once, but rather the female retains sperm from one mating and produces a steady stream of pups over a prolonged period.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Schmidt |first=Jennifer V. |last2=Chen |first2=Chien-Chi |last3=Sheikh |first3=Saad I. |last4=Meekan |first4=Mark G. |last5=Norman |first5=Bradley M. |last6=Joung |first6=Shoou-Jeng |date=4 August 2010 |title=Paternity analysis in a litter of whale shark embryos |journal=Endangered Species Research |doi=10.3354/esr00300 |volume=12 |number=2 |pages=117–124}}</ref> They reach sexual maturity at around 30 years and their lifespan is an estimated 70<ref name="fishbase"/> to 100 years.<ref>{{cite journal |date=May 2005 |title=Whale Shark (''Rhincodon typus'') Issues Paper |publisher=Department of the Environment and Heritage (Australian Government) |isbn=0-6425-5082-4 |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/r-typus-issues/biology.html}}</ref> On 7 March 2009, marine scientists in the Philippines discovered what is believed to be the smallest living specimen of the whale shark. The young shark, measuring only {{convert|38|cm|in|abbr=on}}, was found with its tail tied to a stake at a beach in [[Pilar, Sorsogon]], Philippines, and was released into the wild. Based on this discovery, some scientists no longer believe this area is just a feeding ground; this site may be a birthing ground, as well. Both young whale sharks and pregnant females have been seen in the waters of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, where numerous whale sharks can be spotted during the summer.<ref name="Sharkpup">{{cite web |last=Tan |first=Jose Ma. Lorenzo |title=Tiny Whale shark pup caught and released in the Philippines |publisher=Wildlife Extra News |url=http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/whale-shark-pup.html#cr |accessdate=11 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=14 November 2013 |title=St Helena whale sharks cause stir in Atlanta |publisher=South Atlantic Media Services |url=http://www.sams.sh/L3_news_131114_sthelena-whale-sharks-cause-stir-in-altanta-georgia-usa-elizabeth-clingham.html |accessdate=12 May 2016}}</ref> ==Diet== [[File:Whale Shark 1 AdF.jpg|thumb|Whale shark [[filter feeder|filtering]] [[plankton]] in Maldives]] [[File:Whale6.jpg|thumb|left|A whale shark in the Philippines with [[remora]]s]] The whale shark is a [[filter feeder]] – one of only three known filter-feeding shark species (along with the [[basking shark]] and the [[megamouth shark]]). It feeds on [[plankton]] including [[copepods]], [[krill]], [[fish eggs]], [[Christmas Island red crab]] larvae <ref name="Shark-cam captures ocean motion">{{cite news |last=Morelle |first=Rebecca |date=17 November 2008 |title=Shark-cam captures ocean motion |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7727136.stm |accessdate=30 July 2009}}</ref> and small [[nekton]]ic life, such as small [[squid]] or [[fish]]. It also feeds on clouds of eggs during mass spawning of fish and corals.<ref name=JurassicShark/> The many rows of vestigial teeth play no role in feeding. Feeding occurs either by ram filtration, in which the animal opens its mouth and swims forward, pushing water and food into the mouth, or by active suction feeding, in which the animal opens and closes its mouth, sucking in volumes of water that are then expelled through the gills. In both cases, the filter pads serve to separate food from water. These unique, black sieve-like structures are presumed to be modified gill rakers. Food separation in whale sharks is by [[cross-flow filtration]], in which the water travels nearly parallel to the filter pad surface, not perpendicularly through it, before passing to the outside, while denser food particles continue to the back of the throat.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Motta |first1=Philip J. |display-authors=etal |date=2010 |title=Feeding anatomy, filter-feeding rate, and diet of whale sharks ''Rhincodon typus'' during surface ram filter feeding off the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico |journal=Zoology |doi=10.1016/j.zool.2009.12.001 |pmid=20817493 |volume=113 |issue=4 |pages=199–212 |url=https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-srv%2Fnation%2Fpdfs%2FSharkfeedingpaper.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref> This is an extremely efficient filtration method that minimizes fouling of the filter pad surface. Whale sharks have been observed "coughing", presumably to clear a build-up of particles from the filter pads. Whale sharks migrate to feed and possibly to breed.<ref name="fishbase"/><ref name="RQBM">{{cite web |last=Martin |first=R. Aidan |title=Elasmo Research |publisher=ReefQuest |url=http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/topics/d_filter_feeding.htm |accessdate=17 September 2006}}</ref><ref name="FLMNH">{{cite web |title=Whale shark |publisher=Ichthyology at the Florida Museum of Natural History |url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Whaleshark/whaleshark.html |accessdate=17 September 2006}}</ref> The whale shark is an active feeder, targeting concentrations of plankton or fish. It is able to ram filter feed or can gulp in a stationary position. This is in contrast to the passive feeding basking shark, which does not pump water. Instead, it swims to force water across its gills.<ref name="fishbase"/><ref name="RQBM" /> A juvenile whale shark is estimated to eat 21&nbsp;kg (46 pounds) of plankton per day.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schmidt |first=Jennifer V. |date=4 December 2010 |title=Whale Sharks are BIG eaters! |publisher=The Shark Research Institute |url=http://www.sharks.org/blogs/science-blog/whale-sharks-are-big-eaters |accessdate=24 April 2016}}</ref> The BBC program ''[[Planet Earth (2006 TV series)|Planet Earth]]'' filmed a whale shark feeding on a school of small fish. The same documentary showed footage of a whale shark timing its arrival to coincide with the mass spawning of fish shoals and feeding on the resultant clouds of eggs and sperm.<ref name=JurassicShark>''Jurassic Shark'' (2000) documentary by Jacinth O'Donnell; broadcast on [[Discovery Channel]], 5 August 2006</ref> Whale sharks are known to prey on a range of planktonic and small nektonic organisms that are spatiotemporally patchy. These include krill, crab larvae, jellyfish, sardines, anchovies, mackerels, small tunas, and squid. In ram filter feeding, the fish swims forward at constant speed with its mouth fully open, straining prey particles from the water by forward propulsion. This is also called ‘passive feeding’, which usually occurs when prey is present at low density.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rhincodon_typus/|title=Rhincodon typus (whale shark)|website=Animal Diversity Web|access-date=1 September 2016}}</ref> ==Interactions with humans== ===Behavior toward divers=== [[File:Whaleshark in Oslob Philippines.png|thumb|left|In [[Oslob, Cebu|Oslob, Philippines]], whale sharks are fed shrimp to return every morning for tourists and divers.]] Despite its size, the whale shark does not pose significant danger to humans. Whale sharks are docile fish and sometimes allow swimmers to catch a ride,<ref name=FAO2>{{cite book |last=Compagno |first=Leonard J. V. |date=26 April 2002 |title=Sharks of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date: Bullhead, Mackerel and Carpet Sharks |publisher=Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |volume=2 |isbn=978-92-5-104543-5 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=cxxSN4YA2i8C|page=207}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Favorite Wins of 2013 |website=Break.com |page=1:24 |ref=BM1 |url=http://www.break.com/video/favorite-wins-of-2013-2548459 |accessdate=24 September 2014}}</ref><ref>Robbins J.. 2017. [http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/watch-iranian-fisherman-surf-top-whale-shark-across-persian-gulf-1630845 Watch Iranian fisherman 'surf' on top of a whale shark across the Persian Gulf]. [[International Business Times]]. Retrieved on September 29, 2017</ref> although this practice is discouraged by shark scientists and conservationists because of the disturbance to the sharks.<ref>Whitehead, Darren Andrew (2014) [http://uhra.herts.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/2299/14655/14094628-%20Whitehead%20Darren%20-%20Final%20MSc%20by%20Research%20submission.pdf?sequence=1 Establishing a quantifiable model of whale shark avoidance behaviours to anthropogenic impacts in tourism encounters to inform management actions], University of Hertfordshire.</ref> Younger whale sharks are gentle and can play with divers. Underwater photographers such as [[Fiona Ayerst]] have photographed them swimming close to humans without any danger.<ref name="content.time.com">[http://content.time.com/time/today-in-pictures/0,31511,1914578,00.html Pictures of the Day: Tuesday, Aug. 04, 2009]. ''Time magazine'', "A 40-foot whale shark and a brave snorkler swim off the South African coast."</ref> The shark is seen by divers in many places, including the [[Bay Islands Department|Bay Islands]] in Honduras, Thailand, the Philippines, the Maldives close to [[Maamingili (Alif Dhaal Atoll)|Maamigili]] ([[South Ari Atoll]]), the [[Red Sea]], Western Australia ([[Ningaloo Reef]], [[Christmas Island]]), Taiwan, Panama ([[Coiba Island]]), Belize, [[Tofo Beach]] in Mozambique, Sodwana Bay ([[Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park]]) in South Africa,<ref name="content.time.com"/> the [[Galapagos]] Islands, [[Saint Helena]], [[Isla Mujeres]] ([[Caribbean Sea]]), [[La Paz, Baja California Sur]] and [[Bahía de los Ángeles]] in Mexico, the Seychelles, [[West Malaysia]], islands off eastern [[peninsular Malaysia]], [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Oman]], [[Fujairah]], [[Puerto Rico]], and other parts of the [[Caribbean]].<ref name=FAO2/> Juveniles can be found near the shore in the [[Gulf of Tadjoura]], near [[Djibouti]], in the [[Horn of Africa]].<ref>Hawes, Craig (2 April 2013) [http://gulfnews.com/leisure/travel/destinations/snorkelling-with-whale-sharks-in-djibouti-1.1165717 Snorkelling with whale sharks in Djibouti]. gulfnews.com</ref> [[File:Whale Shark and Freediver.jpg|thumb|right|Swimming alongside an adult free diver]] ===Conservation status=== There is currently no robust estimate of the global whale shark population. The species is considered [[Endangered species|endangered]] by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources|IUCN]] due to the impacts of fisheries, bycatch losses, and vessel strikes, combined with its long life span and late maturation.<ref name="iucn"/> It is listed, along with six other species of sharks, under the [[Bonn Convention|CMS]] [[Migratory Sharks MoU|Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Memorandum of understanding on the conservation of migratory sharks |publisher=Convention on migratory species |page=10 |url=http://www.cms.int/species/sharks/MoU/Migratory_Shark_MoU_Eng.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=13 February 2012}}</ref> In 1998, the Philippines banned all fishing, selling, importing, and exporting of whale sharks for commercial purposes,<ref>[http://hayop.0catch.com/1998-ws.htm Whale Sharks Receive Protection in the Philippines]. hayop.0catch.com. 27 March 1998</ref> followed by India in May 2001,<ref>[http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/r-typus-issues/legal-status.html National Regulations on Whale Shark fishing]. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.</ref> and Taiwan in May 2007.<ref>[http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/05/27/2003362648 COA bans fishing for whale sharks]. Taipei Times, 27 May 2007, p. 4.</ref> In 2010, the [[Deepwater Horizon oil spill|Gulf of Mexico oil spill]] resulted in {{convert|4900000|oilbbl}} of oil flowing into an area south of the [[Mississippi River Delta]], where one-third of all whale shark sightings in the northern part of the gulf have occurred in recent years. Sightings confirmed that the whale sharks were unable to avoid the oil slick, which was situated on the surface of the sea where the whale sharks feed for several hours at a time. No dead whale sharks were found.<ref>Handwerk, Brian (24 September 2010) [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/100924-whale-sharks-gulf-oil-spill-science-environment/ Whale Sharks Killed, Displaced by Gulf Oil?] National Geographic News.</ref> This species was also added to [[CITES Appendix II|Appendix II]] of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ([[CITES]]) in 2003 to regulate the international trade of live specimens and its parts.<ref>[http://www.cites.org/eng/gallery/species/fish/whale_shark.html Whale shark]. cites.org</ref> Hundreds of whale sharks are illegally killed every year in China for their fins, skins, and oil.<ref>http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-05/an-hundreds-of-sharks-killed-annually-in-illegal-trade-in-china/5239568</ref> ===In captivity=== [[File:Male whale shark at Georgia Aquarium.jpg|thumb|right|A whale shark in the [[Georgia Aquarium]]|alt=Aquarium photograph of whale shark in profile with human-shaped shadows in foreground]] Because of its iconic status, the whale shark is popular in the few [[public aquarium]]s that keep it, but its large size means that a very large tank is required and it has specialized feeding requirements.<ref name=Matsumoto2017>{{cite book| authors=Matsumoto; Toda; Matsumoto; Ueda; Nakazato; Sato; and Uchida | title=Notes on Husbandry of Whale Sharks, Rhincodon typus, in Aquaria | editors=Smith; Warmolts; Thoney; Hueter; Murray and Ezcurra | year=2017 | work=Elasmobranch Husbandry Manual II | publisher=Special Publication of the Ohio Biological Survey | pages=15–22 | isbn=978-0-86727-166-9 }}</ref> Their large size and iconic status have also fuelled an opposition to keeping the species in captivity, especially after the early death of some whale sharks in captivity and certain Chinese aquariums keeping the species in relatively small tanks.<ref>{{cite news| title=Whale Shark's Death Sparks Debate | url=http://www.wsbtv.com/news/13500648/detail.html | publisher=wsbtv | date=30 November 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325075019/http://www.wsbtv.com/news/13500648/detail.html | archive-date=25 March 2010|dead-url=yes}}</ref><ref name=Moore2011>{{cite news| author=Moore, M. | title=Conservationists round on Chinese whale shark aquarium | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/8848298/Conservationists-round-on-Chinese-whale-shark-aquarium.html | publisher=The Telegraph | date=25 October 2010 | accessdate=8 November 2017 }}</ref> [[Image:Okinawa Aquarium.jpg|thumb|left|Whale sharks at the [[Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium]], Japan]] The first attempt at keeping whale sharks in captivity was in 1934 when an individual was kept for about four months in a netted-off natural bay in [[Izu Province|Izu]], Japan.<ref name=Mollet2012>{{cite web | author=Mollet, H. | date=September 2012 | title=Whale Shark Rhincodon typus Smith, 1828 in Captivity | url=http://elasmollet.org/Rt/Rt_captive.html | accessdate=8 November 2017 }}</ref> The first attempt of keeping whale sharks in an aquarium was initiated in 1980 by the [[Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium]] (then Ocean Expo Park) in Japan.<ref name=Matsumoto2017/> Since 1980, several have been kept at Okinawa, mostly obtained from incidental catches in coastal nets set by fishers (none after 2009), but two were strandings. Several of these were already weak from the capture/stranding and some were released,<ref name=Matsumoto2017/> but initial captive survival rates were low.<ref name=Moore2011/> After the initial difficulties in maintaining the species had been resolved, some have survived long-term in captivity.<ref name=Matsumoto2017/> The record for a whale shark in captivity is an individual that, as of 2017, has lived for more than 18 years in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.<ref name=Matsumoto2017/> Following Okinawa, [[Osaka Aquarium]] started keeping whale sharks and most of the basic research on the keeping of the species was made at these two institutions.<ref name=Schreiber2017>{{cite book| authors=Schreiber, C.; and C. Coco | title=Husbandry of Whale Sharks | editors=Smith; Warmolts; Thoney; Hueter; Murray and Ezcurra | year=2017 | work=Elasmobranch Husbandry Manual II | publisher=Special Publication of the Ohio Biological Survey | pages=87–98 | isbn=978-0-86727-166-9 }}</ref> Since the mid-1990s, several other aquariums have kept the species in Japan ([[Kagoshima]] City Aquarium, [[Kinosaki]] Marine World, [[Notojima]] Aquarium, [[Ōita Prefecture|Oita]] Ecological Aquarium, and [[Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise]]), South Korea (Aquaplanet Jeju), China ([[Chimelong Ocean Kingdom]], [[Dalian]] Aquarium, [[Guangzhou]] Aquarium in Guangzhou Zoo, [[Qingdao]] Polar Ocean World and [[Yantai]] Aquarium), Taiwan ([[National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium]]), India (Aquarium [[Thiruvananthapuram]]) and Dubai ([[Atlantis, The Palm]]), with some maintaining whale sharks for years and others only for a very short period.<ref name=Mollet2012/> The whale shark kept at Dubai's Atlantis, The Palm was rescued from shallow water in 2008 with extensive abrasions to the fins and after rehabilitation it was released in 2010, having lived 19 months in captivity.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=20 March 2010 |title=Dubai hotel releases whale shark back into the wild |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2010-03-20-dubai-whale-shark-release_N.htm |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807010950/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2010-03-20-dubai-whale-shark-release_N.htm |archivedate=7 August 2015}}</ref><ref name=Bennett2017>{{cite book| authors=Bennett; Kaiser; Selvan; Hueter; Tyminski; and Lötter | title=Rescue, rehabilitation and release of a whale shark, Rhincodon typus, in the Arabian Gulf | editors=Smith; Warmolts; Thoney; Hueter; Murray and Ezcurra | year=2017 | work=Elasmobranch Husbandry Manual II | publisher=Special Publication of the Ohio Biological Survey | pages=229–235 | isbn=978-0-86727-166-9 }}</ref> [[Marine Life Park]] in Singapore had planned on keeping whale sharks, but scrapped this idea in 2009.<ref>{{cite news| author=Chua, G. | title=No whale sharks at Sentosa IR | url=http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.dk/2009/05/no-whale-sharks-at-sentosa-ir.html#.WgNR_JDcCf0 | publisher=Wild Singapore News | date=16 May 2009 | accessdate=8 November 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |agency=AsianOne Travel |date=16 May 2009 |title=Resorts World considering alternatives to whale shark exhibit |url=http://www.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20090516-141880.html |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609102739/http://www.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20090516-141880.html |archivedate=9 June 2013}}</ref> Outside Asia, the first and so far only place to keep whale sharks is [[Georgia Aquarium]] in [[Atlanta]], United States.<ref name=Mollet2012/> This is unusual because of the comparatively long transport time and complex logistics required to bring the sharks to the aquarium, ranging between 28 and 36 hours.<ref name=Schreiber2017/> Georgia keeps four whale sharks: two females, Alice and Trixie, that arrived in 2006,<ref>{{cite news| author=Moore, M. | title=Georgia Aquarium Whale Sharks Receive Special UPS Delivery; Two Resident Male Whale Sharks are Joined by Two Females | url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060604005046/en/Georgia-Aquarium-Whale-Sharks-Receive-Special-UPS | publisher=BusinessWire | date=4 June 2006 | accessdate=8 November 2017 }}</ref> and two males, Taroko and Yushan, that arrived in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |date=1 June 2007 |title=Aquarium gains two new whale sharks |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/06/01/aquarium.whale.sharks.ap/index.html |accessdate=1 June 2007 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070603085148/http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/06/01/aquarium.whale.sharks.ap/index.html |archivedate=3 June 2007}}</ref> Two earlier males at Georgia Aquarium, Ralph and Norton, both died in 2007.<ref name=Moore2011/> Georgia's whale sharks were all imported from Taiwan and were taken from the commercial fishing quota for the species, usually used locally for food.<ref name=Schreiber2017/><ref name=Sundquist2013>{{cite news| author=Sundquist, T. | title=Transporting the World’s Largest Fish: A Whale [Shark] of a Task | url=https://www.promegaconnections.com/transporting-the-worlds-largest-fish-a-whale-shark-of-a-task/ | publisher=Promega Connections | date=18 September 2013 | accessdate=8 November 2017 }}</ref> Taiwan closed this fishery entirely in 2008.<ref name=Sundquist2013/> ===Human culture=== [[File:Nadando con un Tiburón Ballena- Swimming with a Whale Shark.ogv|thumb|Snorkelling with whale shark near Isla Mujeres (Mexico) 30 August 2011]] In Vietnamese culture, the whale shark is referred to as "sir fish".<ref>{{cite web |title=Whale Shark |publisher=Discovery.com |url=http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/whale-shark.html |accessdate=3 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304012722/http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/whale-shark.html |archivedate=4 March 2009}}</ref> In the Philippines, it is called ''butanding'' and ''balilan''.<ref>[http://www.oneocean.org/ambassadors/sharks/index.html Ocean Ambassadors – Sharks]. Oneocean.org. Retrieved 23 May 2013.</ref> The whale shark is featured on the reverse of the Philippine 100-peso bill. By law snorkelers must maintain a distance of four feet from the sharks and there is a fine and possible jail time for anyone who touches the animals.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cannon |first=Marisa |date=21 July 2015 |title=Swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines |website=cnn.com |publisher=CNN |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/05/travel/whale-shark-oslob/index.html |accessdate=16 August 2015}}</ref> The whale shark is also featured on the latest 2015-2017 edition of the Maldivian 1000 [[rufiyaa]] banknote, along with the [[green turtle]]. ==See also== {{Outline|Outline of sharks}} * [[List of sharks]] * [[List of threatened sharks]] * {{Portal-inline|Sharks}} ==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="Smith, 1828">{{cite news |last=Smith |first=[Andrew] |title=Descriptions of New or imperfectly known Objects of the Animal Kingdom, found in the South of Africa |work=[[The South African Commercial Advertiser]] |volume=3 |number=145 |date=November 5, 1828 |via=[[Center for Research Libraries]] Document Delivery System |url-access=subscription |url=https://dds.crl.edu/item/30451}} Reprinted in {{harvtxt|Penrith|1972}}.</ref> <ref name="Penrith, 1972">{{cite journal|ref=harv|last1=Penrith|first1=M. J.|title=Earliest Description and Name for the Whale Shark|journal=Copeia|date=1972|volume=1972|issue=2|page=362|jstor=1442501|doi=10.2307/1442501}}</ref> <ref name="Melville, 1984">{{cite journal|last1=Melville|first1=R. V.|title=Opinion 1278. The Generic Name ''Rhincodon'' A. Smith, 1829 (Pisces): Conserved|journal=The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature|date=1981|volume=41|issue=4|pages=215–217|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12228798}}</ref> <ref name="Smith, 1829">{{cite journal|last1=Smith|first1=Andrew|title=Contributions to the Natural History of South Africa, &c|journal=The Zoological Journal|date=1829|volume=4|pages=443–444|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2310852}}</ref> <ref name="Müller & Henle, 1841">{{cite book|last1=Müller|first1=J.|last2=Henle|first2=J.|title=Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen|date=1841|publisher=Veit und Comp|location=Berlin|page=77|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6352988}}</ref> }} ===Further reading=== {{Refbegin}} *{{cite journal |author=Colman, J.G. |title=A review of the biology and ecology of the whale shark |journal=J. Fish Biol. |volume=51 |issue=6 |pages=1219–34 |date=December 1997 |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8649.1997.tb01138.x}} * [http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/2801/en FAO web page on Whale shark] *{{cite web |title=Whale Sharks, Whale Shark Pictures, Whale Shark Facts |work=Animals, Animal Pictures, Wild Animal Facts |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/whale-shark/}} {{Refend}} ==External links== {{Commons category|Rhincodon typus|Whale sharks}} {{Wikispecies|Rhincodon typus|Whale sharks}} * [http://www.whaleshark.org/ Whale Shark Photograph-identification Library] * [http://www.wsorc.org/ Whale Shark And Oceanic Research Center] * [http://www.maldiveswhalesharkresearch.org/ Maldives Whale Shark Research Program] * [http://www.qatarvisitor.com/index.php?cID=430&pID=1616 Whale Sharks: Gentle Giants of the Seas] * [http://marinemegafauna.org/ Foundation for the Protection of Marine Megafauna] * {{marinebio|id=47|name=Whale shark, Rhincodon typus}} * [http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Documents/recreational_fishing/fact_sheets/fact_sheet_whale_shark.pdf Whale Shark Fact Sheet, Fisheries Western Australia] * [http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/albino-whale-shark-photographed-in-ecuador Albino whale shark photographed in Galapagos] * [http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/whale-shark Photographs National Geographic] * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7727136.stm A whale shark recorded defecating] {{Taxonbar|from=Q80378}} {{Good article}} {{Sharks|state=collapsed}} {{DEFAULTSORT:shark, whale}} [[Category:Rhincodontidae]] [[Category:Ovoviviparous fish]] [[Category:Pan-tropical fish]] [[Category:Selandian first appearances]] [[Category:Extant Paleocene first appearances]] [[Category:Fish described in 1828|whale shark]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]]'