Sea of Cortez Whale Sharks:
The Whale Shark is a slow filter-feeding shark that is largest living shark species. It can reach sizes of 40 to 60 feet. They are found in warm tropical waters. They are very rare and harmless to men. They feed by drawing water into their large mouth and then forcing it through their gills. Their diet consists primarily of plankton and other small organisms.
The Whale Shark has a distinctive spots and stripes. These markings are unique to each fish. They are very poor swimmers with an average speed of 3.1 miles per hour.
The picture on the left was taken by a member of our dive group in November
2005. It shows the Whale Shark coming to the surface to suck in water and feed.
Our group snorkeled with the these sharks for a couple of hours. Their slow
swimming speed allowed us to swim beside them. The Whale sharks are monitored by
the Shark Research Institute in La Paz, Mexico. The institute's
ultra-light plane gave our boat the GPS coordinates of the feeding sharks. One
of the three sharks we swam with was estimated to be between 25 and 30 feet
long. To view these fish up close was one of the most amazing
experiences of our lives.
The picture on the right shows a front view of a Sea of Cortez Whale Shark taken on the same trip. You will note the very large mouth which can be over four feet wide in grown adult.
Many shark species are extremely endangered and critical to ecological balance of our oceans.
A few Shark Websites:
