People have hunted whales for hundreds of years, and now there are less than 15,000 of them left on Earth. Unlike whales, sharks are not mammals but belong to a group of cartilaginous fishes. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 m (62 ft) The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by … The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. There are 100,000 to 200,000 whale sharks left in the wild. However, it is impossible to count the number of whales or any other ocean-dwelling creature accurately, and thus, the real number of whales in the world … Most sharks live in saltwater, but a couple of species — bull sharks and river sharks — can live in freshwater or saltwater. There are thousands of whale sharks in the world. “Whale sharks are definitely in a lot of trouble,” he says by email. They are huge, graceful, and have beautiful coloration. The skin of the whale shark has a blue-gray coloration on the back and white in the belly. And whale-shark sightings in several oceans have become less frequent. The best estimates from the International Whaling Commission indicate that there are roughly 1.7 million whales in the world. At a maximum length of about 65 feet and weight of 75,000 pounds, a whale shark's size rivals that of large whales. They are not predatory, like other sharks. The answers to these questions may lie in deeper waters, far away from human observation. Fortunately for many animal species (including humans), the natural food of the large whale shark is mainly plankton, although occasionally includes other small animals such as krill, jellyfishes, sardines, anchovies, mackerels, squids, and crabs, as long as they are small. Next to the blue whale, the fin whale is the second largest mammal in the world. Below are some fun facts about whale sharks. One of the most notable facts about whale sharks is that they are the world's largest fish. Asked in Endangered, Vulnerable, and Threatened Species , Beluga Whales How many … Unfortunately, many shark species are under attack and are decreasing in numbers every year. Go to WWF for more information! Many of these whale sharks are located in the wild oceans. Our local WWF team, led by Benny Noor, related how the presence of whale sharks in the Cendrawasih National Park had generated a … Experts estimate that 100 million sharks are killed by people each year. Other notable findings include: These whale sharks (tagged in West Papua, Indonesia) are not as migratory as many believed. The gills act like strainers, filtering out the water while keeping solid organisms smaller than about 2 centimeters in diameter. They are not predatory, like other sharks. How many sharks are caught each year? Other notable findings include: These whale sharks (tagged in West Papua, Indonesia) are not as migratory as many believed. Sharks can be found in all seas around the world. Lida swimming with Whale Shark in Papua. We have gathered complete set of Whale Shark Facts for Kids that will provide you all the Whale Shark Information you need. Whale sharks may not be the first species that comes to mind when you think of a shark. They are not voracious predators, as they feed on some of the tiniest creatures in the ocean. 28th January 2011 Compared to other commercial fisheries, the shark-fin industry is opaque, secretive, and often operates in a legal grey area, exploiting loopholes in anti-finning laws and keeping few records. For the long term, however, as for the coastal communities throughout the Coral Triangle, we must get better now at collaborative … The whale shark was not bothered at all while we took many pictures and swam slowly with it. The whale shark (Rhinodon typus) earns the name “whale” solely because of its size.Just as the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest living mammal*, the whale shark is the largest species of any fish, known to reach more than 40 feet in length..