Whale Shark

Rhincodon typus

Also known as: Basking Shark, Tofu Shark, Typus Shark

ALSO KNOWN AS

Basking Shark
Tofu Shark
Typus Shark

ENEndangeredIUCN Red List, 2025

Add a photo

This has been identified as M-031 by the ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification Library. — Whale Shark adult, photographed at Maldives Liveaboard MV Sea Queen, Maldives — @fishx6 · Maldives Liveaboard MV Sea Queen, Maldives · August 20031 / 11

Overview

Found singly or in shivers, cruising around coral atolls, lagoons, and off-shore, often with schools of pelagic fish in tow.

This beautiful shy shark is the largest living fish species, with very distinctive markings.
These are slow filter feeding sharks whose mouth can be 1.5m wide and can contain as many as 350 tiny rows of teeth.

How to identify

COLOURS

Pattern: spots white spots
Behaviour: loose groups shy solitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

Habitat & where to find it

Range · Circumtropical
Country only · 11

LIVES IN

Found singly or in shivers, cruising around coral atolls, lagoons, and off-shore, often with schools of pelagic fish in tow.

RANGE

Circumtropical

Adult photos 11

Discussion 2

2 comments

scubasteve· 3 Mar 2008
I was snorkelling, when I heard a bunch of dive computers going off. I turned round to see why the divers were coming up so quickly and saw this bugger coming towards me!! Incredible sight. As big as a double decker bus, and harmless. He just sailed on by! I saw mine in the Maldives.
Helpful· 1
fishx6Top Contributor· 13 Mar 2008
Wonderful, my son nearly "shit" himself when he first saw it!!
Helpful