Meet the Whale Shark

2/7/2013

6 Comments

 
 The Rhincodon typus, is a big shark, some have been seen as long 50 ft., that’s as long as a school bus ("whale shark." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2012). The whale shark is the largest of all fishes (“whale shark.” Encyclopedia  Britannica., 2012.), so they don’t have a lot to be afraid of.  They look like sharks, have a lot of teeth like sharks, but aren’t scary like the Great White or Tiger sharks.  They are actually rather harmless, spending most of the day eating plankton.  Whale sharks have their mouth is at the front of their head; to eat it opens wide, sucking in water, filtering it through their gills and swallowing the collected food ("whale shark." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2012).

Even though these massive creatures have little to fear, there aren’t as many as there used to be. If this keeps up the whale shark will living with the Dodo birds, which are not living at all. In future weeks I hope to share more about this giant of fishes, be sure to check back later to read more for more.

Citations:

"whale shark." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2012. Retrieved February 07, 2013 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-whalesha.html

“whale shark.” Encyclopedia  Britannica. 2012. Retrieved February 07, 2013 from Britannica.com: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/641437/whale-shark
Picture
The Whale shark brown-gray with white spots and light underside.
Picture
Whale shark feeding.
6 Comments
Linda Ralston link
2/11/2013 08:15:37 am

Anthony:

Wow, I already learned something new about Whale Sharks. I think I would still be a bit nervous if I saw a 50 foot whale shark approaching me in the ocean. Are they being hunted for their fins like the other sharks? I can't wait to learn more about these unusual creatures.

When I was in China, shark fin soup is very popular. I am always sad to think that people will order shark fin soup to impress me so now I always circulate a list of the items that I object to before I arrive on their campus. I explain to them that I have a ethical objection to shark fin soup and respectfully request that they do not serve it to me during my stay. They can save money and "face" because even though I know it is very yummy, I will not eat it.

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Tiffannee Boss link
2/11/2013 09:45:49 am

Hey yeah I think that would be nice to guest blog and have links on each others pages. Thanks for contacting me and we will pow wow ideas about what to do.

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Tiffannee Boss link
2/12/2013 04:54:21 am

Anthony:
Your blog looks great too. I guess great minds think a like, your topic is sharks, my topic is sharks:) Since we are both doing a different species of endangered sharks we should work great together. In order for us to further the awarness of the topic it is important that people know the issues with shark poaching and how damaging it is to the oceanic ecosystem. We should raise awarness by providing information on what they can do to take action in helping conservation efforts. One organization that is a great support for our cause is http://www.sharksavers.org/en/home/ . They have many projects, education tools, news links, and even a donation link to help this cause. Good luck with the campaign and keep me posted on your progress.

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Kelsey Krogen
2/12/2013 09:08:35 am

Hey Anthony! Your blog looks great! Thanks for the comment and the link! Super helpful! Our topics definitely have a lot in common so we could collaborate on some things. Here is an interesting article I found about whales and whale sharks being used as bate for Japanese tuna fishermen. I know GreenPeace can be a little out there but it's maybe something we could look into.
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/mediacentre/media-releases/oceans/Destructive-tuna-fishing-kills-whales-and-whale-sharks1/
Maybe even you, Tiffannee and I could all put something together. Like a compare/contrast type thing? I'm up for anything and would love to work with you guys!

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Bryson Balling link
2/15/2013 12:50:31 am

Good looking blog Anthony. I am doing a travel blog on the Great Barrier Reef, something that has quite a bit in common with the Whale Shark. Whale sharks can be a rare sight in the reef. I found this great article about sharks in the reef and why they are endangered. check it out at - http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/great-barrier-reefs-sharks-in-decline . many of us doing Ocean related topics might find it useful to talk about many of the ways our topics relate. anyway thanks for the great info on the Whale Shark. I look forward to learning more.

Bryson

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DJ Hesterman link
2/15/2013 01:41:58 am

I had no idea that these sharks could get up to 50 feet! It is interesting to see that such a large fish can become endangered. I look forward to seeing why there is a shortage of these sharks and what could be done to fix the problem. I am about to write about sea turtles on my blog, another endangered species living in the ocean. I just found this book that may have some good info for you. Here's a link http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03234.x/full. Keep up the good work, I love how your blog is easy to follow and understand. These are important topics for people to know about, so maybe we could help each other out through pinterest, twitter, etc.

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