What is the largest shark?
The whale shark is the largest shark and the largest fish in the world. It can grow to about 12 to 18 meters long, yet it eats mainly tiny plankton.
Whale sharks live in warm tropical oceans. They swim with their huge mouths open, filtering plankton, fish eggs and small fish from the water. Despite their size, they are gentle and pose no danger to people, and divers often swim alongside them.
Each whale shark has a unique pattern of white spots and stripes on its back, which researchers use to identify individuals, much like fingerprints. They are listed as endangered because of fishing, boat strikes and habitat change.
The largest predatory shark
The great white shark is the largest predatory fish, reaching about 6 meters. The basking shark, another plankton eater, is the second-largest fish. The extinct megalodon may have reached around 15 to 18 meters.
Only a few shark species are known to attack humans unprovoked, and such attacks are rare. People kill tens of millions of sharks each year, so sharks have far more reason to fear us.
Did You Know?
Whale sharks can dive deeper than 1,900 meters, and scientists are still learning where they breed and give birth.