Open Wide: The Diver Who Nearly Got Swallowed by a Whale Shark

Just after a day after I posted how docile whale sharks are there is a news article that reads that a diver "almost" got swallowed by one.

The UK's Daily Mail posted an article, today, with the title "Open Wide: The Diver Nearly Got Swallowed by a Whale Shark".  Even though the title seems a bit far-fetched in nature, the article does feature some nice shots of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) off of Isla Mujeres, which were taken by Mauricio Handler.

In the photo that is captioned with "Jaws: This diver almost got sucked into the mouth of a massive whale shark as it fed on plankton" using perspective that might give the impression that the diver is about to be sucked up by the whale shark at first glance.  However, as one of the Daily Mail readers commented, the whale shark in this photo is actually closer to the camera than the diver, which exaggerates its size in relation to the diver.  The diver appears to be behind (in relation to the camera) the whale shark and not in any harm's way.  Also remember, that whale sharks are filter feeds and have absolutely no interest in eating a human!  In the end, they still remain very docile creatures and no harm to a human.

Whale Shark

This video has been around for sometime now and there is nothing super exciting about it, but there is an aweness about it that I feel is inspiring enough to be shared.  To be able to see a create this enormous, yet so gentle, speaks wonders about the mystical magic of nature.

The whale shark is the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 fee (12 meters) or more!  That would be one fishing story to tell.  Whale sharks have an enormous menu from which to choose.  Fortunately for most sea-dweller, and us!, their favorite meal is plankton.  If this isn't an ironic joke told by nature then what is?  The largest fish eats microscopic plants and animals! HAHA!  The whale shark will scoop these tiny plants and animals up, along with any small fish that happen to be around, with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the water's surface.

The whale shark, like the worlds' second largest fish, the basking shark, is a filter feeder.  In order to eat, the beast juts out its formidable sized jaws and passively filters everything in its path.  The mechanism is theorized to be a technique called "cross-flow filtration," similar to some bony fish and baleen whales.

Appearance: The whale shark's flattened head sports a blunt snout above its mouth with short barbels protruding from its nostrils.  Its back and sides are gray to brown with white spots among pale vertical and horizontal stripes, and its belly is white.  Its two dorsal fins are set rearward on its body, which ends in a large dual-lobbed caudal fin.

Size: Maximum size is thought to be 20m, but some scientist believe the can grow even big.  The smallest free-living individuals are from 55 cm (21.7 inches) long.  

Distribution: Preferring warm waters, whale sharks populate all tropical seas and oceans, except the Mediterranean.  They are known to migrate every spring to the continental shelf of the central west coast of Australia.  The coral spawning of the area' Ningaloo Reef provides the whale shark with an abundant supply of plankton.

IUCN Listing:  They are currently listed as a vulnerable species; however, they continue to be hunted in parts of Asia, such as the Philippines.  If not regulated carefully these magnificent, docile creatures, will soon join so many other sharks listed as threatened/critical.

Although massive, whale shark are extremely docile sharks and will sometimes even allow swimmers to hitch a ride.  And people say all sharks are man-eating machines....