(photo by Andy Murch)

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the sole living member of its family. It is also the world’s largest living fish. It can reach lengths of up to 50’. Thankfully, whale sharks do not have teeth, but feed on small crustacean plankton and small fishes. This shark is found in the western Atlantic, eastern Atlantic, Indo-West, central, and eastern Pacific oceans. The capture of a female in July 1996 which was pregnant with 300 pups indicates that whale sharks give birth to live young which are 16-24” long. It is believed that they reach sexual maturity at around 30 years and the life span is an estimated 70 to 100 years.

(Source/Source 1)