Whale Shark

  • Galapagos Wildlife: Whale Shark © Jonathan Green

    © Jonathan Green

     

  • Galapagos Wildlife: Whale Shark with Jacks © Jonathan Green

    © Jonathan Green

     

Species Data

Common Name Whale shark
Scientific Name Rhincodon typus
Spanish Name Tibrurón ballena
Conservation Status

Galapagos Graphics: IUCN Red List Vulnerable © Dan Wright

Vulnerable

Endemic/Native/Introduced

Native

Size 9 - 12 metres
Weight

Some can reach to weigh more than 19,000kg!

Average Lifespan Thought to live for up to 100 years
Predators Killer whales (orcas) and other sharks
Food Plankton and small fish (planktivore)
Animal Class Chondrichthyes

Species Overview

The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, growing bigger than a bus. Covered in unique white spots, each individual can be identified by its markings, like a fingerprint. They are found in tropical waters around the world.

They feed in several different ways including suction filter-feeding, when they suck water into their mouths and filter small fish and plankton out to eat. They can dive to over 1,000 m but are generally found in surface waters with a temperature of between 21°C – 30°C.

Every year between July and September, whale sharks travel through Galapagos on what appears to be a long migration. Amazingly, over 95% of whale sharks observed in Galapagos are pregnant females, meaning that the Islands are a very important area for whale shark conservation.

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Species Data
Common Name Whale shark
Scientific Name Rhincodon typus
Spanish Name Tibrurón ballena
Conservation Status

Galapagos Graphics: IUCN Red List Vulnerable © Dan Wright

Vulnerable

Endemic / Native / Introduced

Native

Size 9 - 12 metres
Weight

Some can reach to weigh more than 19,000kg!

Average Lifespan Thought to live for up to 100 years
Predators Killer whales (orcas) and other sharks
Food Plankton and small fish (planktivore)
Animal Class Chondrichthyes