![]() ![]() Some of its most common prey includes krill, copepods, fish eggs, squid, Christmas Island red crab larvae, and small fish. Diet of the Whale SharkĪs a filter feeder, whale sharks feed on small fish, squid, plankton, and crustaceans. The seasonal feeding grounds vary greatly by population, but include South Africa, Belize, Western Australia, India, Honduras, the Philippines, Mexico, and Indonesia. Whale sharks can be found in any tropical or warm temperate ocean worldwide. They are known to aggregate at feeding grounds seasonally. These sharks also avoid colder seas, and are normally found in tropical or warm-temperate oceans. ![]() They can occasionally be found as deep as 6,000 ft., but for the most part remain towards the surface of the open ocean. While swimming along, whale sharks prefer shallower depths. Instead of using their tails for propulsion, whale sharks casually sway their entire bodies to swim along. Because they have no need for speed, they are quite slow moving creatures that rarely exceed 3 mph when swimming. Instead of chasing down food, whale sharks suck in large mouthfuls of water to filter. Leisurely Living – Whale sharks aren’t like most shark species, which have to capture their prey using speed and skill.Instead of baleen, whale sharks have 3,000 tiny teeth that work to filter out food. Whale sharks have developed their feeding strategy slightly differently. Filtering Mechanics – Actual whales filter food using large, stiff, hair-like plates of baleen.The only other sharks that feed in this fashion are basking sharks and the seldom seen megamouth sharks. Whale sharks feed by opening their giant maws, taking in water, and then spitting the water out through their teeth, while keeping the small fish and plankton. A Unique Way to Feed – Filter feeding is a relatively unique feeding strategy among sharks.The name also comes from their foraging behavior, filter feeding, which is also used by baleen whales. Whale sharks get their name from their immense size, which is reminiscent of large whale species. Why “Whale” Shark? – Contrary to what their name may suggest, whale sharks are not closely related to whales in any way.They are relatively unique among sharks in their feeding behavior and adaptations. In his more than three decades of studying white sharks, he’s never seen one feed on a dead whale at this time of year.These magnificent fish are the largest creatures in the world behind the whales. They can also perish from ship strikes or fishing entanglement.īut what is rare is the moment he was able to capture, he said. In late spring, many whales have lost the maximum amount of weight they can and are looking to fatten up on their way back north, but if they’re not quick enough, they can die. Sharks don’t feed all the time, but when they do, they feast high-energy foods like whale blubber and seals are like “eating butter,” he said. Still, those bites will likely go a long way: a couple of kilograms of whale blubber can sustain a shark for up to two months, he said. Anderson likens them to having 30 giant knives in a mouth.Įven so, “it’s not easy to eat a whale, even if you’re a shark,” he said. A great white shark’s teeth are exceptionally powerful, serrated and razor sharp. Those minutes were all Anderson observed of the shark, but when the whale washed up later, he spotted a few bite marks on the whale’s beak. It’s no accident” that one found a whale. “It might be in a shark’s best interest to stick around a month longer than the rest of the sharks. “This (time) is when a lot of whales expire,” he said, referring to the end of the whales’ migration period that can leave whales exhausted. He quickly climbed a cliff to get a better view of the scene, and observed the shark coming up from underneath the dead whale about three times in the span of 10 minutes.īite marks from a shark are seen on the underside of a whale carcass near Point Reyes National Seashore. Peering through his binoculars, he briefly saw the telltale tail fin. While looking out to the surf, he noticed that a flock of birds that had been circling the whale suddenly darted up. Later that afternoon, he came back to the beach. But that morning, he still hadn’t seen a shark. A few surfers were debating whether to stay at the beach and decided to leave after Anderson told them that white sharks are notoriously attracted to dead whales. That morning, Anderson noticed a big white hump on the water. ![]()
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