General Information
Whale Sharks are easily recognized by their immense size and a two-tone pattern of light spots and lines on a base coloration ranging from gunmetal grey to black to dusky blue, mocha brown, or bronze upper surface and a white underbelly.
The whale shark has a broad, blunt head; three prominent ridges running transverse along its body.
It's enormous mouth is located at the front of the head, and can be opened wide to filter large amounts of water for small fish, squid, crustaceans, and other plankton organisms.
The Whale Shark is ovoviviparous and gives birth to live young measuring approximately 70cm in length. The Whale Shark is not only the largest shark species, it also has the largest litter size of all sharks.
Very little is known about the habits of the Whale Shark. Sub adults may live in small groups, but these are seen only very rarely. Adults are usually solitary and nothing is known about the way these giants find each other, or how and where their mating occurs.
Whale Sharks are on many peoples "must do" list and in spite of their general scarcity, encounters with these gentle giants can be had off Sodwana Bay annually between October and April due to their natural migratory patterns.
Globally, Whale Sharks also appear often around the Seychelles, Similan Islands (Thailand), Christmas Island, Ningaloo Reef (Western Australia), India, Sri Lanka, Belize, Mexico, Kenya and Mozambique.