DIVE-SEEK field image · species photo unavailableshark · carpet shark
Whale shark
Rhincodon typus
The largest fish in the sea, a filter-feeding giant identified individually by spot pattern.
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Quick facts
The Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a marine species divers can encounter. Typical size: 550–900 cm. Usually seen at 3–30 m depth. Where to see it: Cocos Island (August–October), Ras Mohammed (Red Sea), Great Barrier Reef and Aliwal Shoal.
Summarised from DIVE-SEEK's recorded catalogue data; omitted values are not yet recorded.
Taxonomic rank
species
Typical size
550–900 cm (total_length)
Maximum size
1800 cm
Typical depth
3–30 m
Maximum depth
1900 m
Conservation status
Research in progress
Photography difficulty
3 /5
Activity pattern
Diurnal.
Description
Aggregations follow plankton events and are genuinely unpredictable at most sites. Conservation status not populated pending a verified Red List reading.
Habitat
Tropical and warm-temperate open water, coming close to reefs and coasts to feed.
Behaviour
Slow surface and mid-water cruising while filter feeding.
Diet
Plankton, small fish and fish eggs.
Social behaviour
Usually solitary, aggregating at food events.
Photography notes
The subject is bigger than the frame. Widest lens available, no strobes at distance, swim ahead and let it come.
Ask about Whale shark
Answers are built only from our cited catalogue records — where data is missing, the assistant says so instead of guessing.
Where to see it
Destinations
Encounter records link species to destinations only when a verified source supports them.
Cocos Island
Costa Rica
Encounter likelihood: seasonal
Ras Mohammed (Red Sea)
Egypt
Encounter likelihood: Research in progress
Great Barrier Reef
Australia
Encounter likelihood: Research in progress
Aliwal Shoal
South Africa
Encounter likelihood: Research in progress
Dauis
Philippines
Encounter likelihood: Research in progress
Provenance — each verified claim is linked to its source as records are published.