Although the whale shark is often confused with the whale, it belongs to the shark family. It got its name because of its enormous size and unique filter-feeding habits, not because of any kinship with whales.
1. The age of the oldest caught individual is 50 years old. But scientists believe whale sharks can live to 100.
2. Whale sharks have 3,000 tiny teeth less than 2.5 centimeters long in their mouths, which help them eat small shrimp, fish and plankton.
3. The whale shark has teeth not only in its mouth, but also on its eyes. Thousands of them! They are located around the iris and probably protect the animal's vision from the harsh waters of the ocean.
4. Whale sharks reach reproductive age by the age of 30, the gestation period lasts from 16 to 18 months, and they give birth once every 3 years.
5. Like human fingerprints, each whale shark has a unique pattern of light-colored spots randomly settled on the body.
This distinctive feature allows experts to identify and track individuals using a specially designed database.
Meeting with a whale shark is no danger to humans. They are not interested in us, we are not part of their diet. So dive to whale sharks with MaldivianCharterClub.
