Whale Shark

Hello, I'm a whale shark, and I'm the biggest fish in the whole wide ocean. Even though my name has 'whale' in it, I'm actually a type of shark. I swim through the water with my big, gray body. My skin isn't just plain gray, though. It’s covered in a beautiful pattern of white spots and stripes that shimmer in the sunlight. What’s really special is that no two whale sharks have the same pattern. My spots are just for me, like your fingerprint is just for you. This one-of-a-kind pattern makes me easy to recognize as I glide through my ocean home. I may be huge, but I am a very gentle giant.

I love living in the warm, tropical parts of the ocean. I don't swim very fast, just a slow and steady pace as I look for my next meal. You might wonder what a giant fish like me eats. Well, I'm what's called a filter-feeder. I swim with my mouth wide open, which is as big as a small car. As I move forward, water flows into my mouth, and I filter out my favorite food: tiny plants and animals called plankton. It's like a giant ocean buffet for me. Humans have been curious about my kind for a very long time. The first time scientists wrote down a description of a whale shark was way back in 1828. To find enough plankton to eat, I have to travel very long distances, sometimes across entire oceans, utilizing ocean currents during migrations and are attracted to areas of high plankton productivity, such as eddies, for feeding.

Being a gentle giant is a big responsibility, and my ocean home needs protecting. Sometimes, things that humans do can make my life difficult. Ocean pollution, like floating plastic, can get in my way, and busy boat traffic can be dangerous for a slow swimmer like me. Because of these threats, my species was listed as endangered in the year 2016. This means there aren't as many of us as there used to be, and we need help. My job in the ocean is important. By keeping the oceans clean and safe, you help not just me, but all the other wonderful creatures who live here. When the ocean is healthy, we can all thrive together.