Whale sharks despite being a kind of shark, their massive size, and their docile nature have earned them the nickname “gentle giants”. Lots of us definitely find the whale shark cute. They are very amusing animals that have a very different diet than what you would expect, they feed on some of the smallest organisms and spit out everything unknown, making it completely safe to swim with them. These adorable, gigantic creatures are incredible so we have some really amusing facts about whale sharks that we’d like to share with you.
Worlds Biggest Shark
Whale sharks are undeniably enormous in size and rank first among the world’s biggest fish, with proven lengths of over 12 meters and lengths of over 17 meters. Lots of people get amused and even scared at first sight when encountering a whale shark for the very first time, and it is completely understandable because if you compare a regular school bus to an adult whale shark, you would be amazed by how close their sizes are.
Whale Sharks Have Teeth on Their Eyes?
As crazy as it sounds, these animals not only have rows of tiny little teeth on their mouths, but studies have shown that Whale sharks have tiny teeth on their eyeballs. Yes! their eyeballs, but don’t be afraid, these teeth are not used to bite or anything, actually, not even the ones on their mouth, since they are filter feeders and gulp their food.
The scientist’s theory is that they probably serve as protective armor against the elements since Whale sharks have no eyelids they can poke out on either side of their heads, which makes them vulnerable to exposure.
They Think We Smell Bad
When we are done exercising or doing an activity that makes us sweat we tend to smell and people sometimes won’t want to be so close to us, well, you’ll be amused to know that whale sharks think we stink, too, well more specifically the chemicals from the shampoo, deodorant, sunscreens, among others because we irritate their eyes.
They are very sensitive and will dive down deep to get away from you if you’re wearing scents. which is why before adventuring swimming with them, various tour operators will ask you to kindly go without showering or use eco-friendly and odor-free products.
Whale Sharks Are Very Ticklish
Swimming with whale sharks is an activity as astonishing as no other, but most destinations where you can have a close encounter with whale sharks offer snorkeling, but not scuba diving. The main reason is that whale sharks have very sensitive and soft tummies. While whale sharks tend to ignore snorkelers, they have been observed turning away from scuba divers.
One theory is that they don’t like the feeling of the divers’ air bubbles against their bellies because whale sharks associate bubbles with dolphins who have been observed molesting whale sharks from below, perhaps as a game or because they want the whale sharks out of their territory.
Whale Sharks Don’t Sleep!
One of its characteristics is that whale sharks, like nearly all sharks, do not sleep. Instead, they only temporarily rest a portion of their brain, which prevents them from falling asleep because they need to continue moving in order to filter oxygen. They go through a process termed daily torpor, which is quite similar to hibernation, where they are able to reduce their activity levels and body temperatures in order to drop their metabolism by 50%.
Definitely, facts about whale sharks show how amusing these animals are, and you’ll be glad to hear that you can get to know them a little better by swimming with them, and we actually have great snorkeling with whale sharks in Cancun tour, where you’ll be able to safely swim alongside these majestic creatures with all the needed gear.
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