Whale Shark Tours – What you Need to Know

Whale Shark tour from Tulum is one of the things you can doduring your stay here. It is a very popular and exciting activity. And, you can go snorkeling too, if you like. But, before you go on a Whale Shark tour, do you know about them? A little research can help you understand them better and you will have a great time watching the Whale Shark.

Here are some interesting facts about the Whale Shark:

1. Whale Sharks are not exactly whales, despite the name. Neither they are sharks for that matter. But they are the largest nonmammalian fish in the world with an incredible length of 12 meters. And, they can weight up to 21 tons. They are huge for sure and that’s what makes them so interesting to watch.
2. Despite their size and name, the Whale Sharks are very gentle giants of the ocean. The name “gentle giant” perfectly describes them. Why they are called so? Because they filter feed, meaning they don’t bite or chew. Instead, they filter out plankton or nutrients suspended in the water.These things go through the gills of the whale shark where they are sieved. Their mouth can stretch up to 4 feet wide while feeding.
3. Due to their bulk and nature, the Whale Shark are very slow swimmers. Despite that, they can travel long distances with a speed of 4 kph/3 mph. A single whale shark can travel 12,874km/8,000 miles or more while migrating, in just three years.It is an incredible thing and it makes them more interesting.
4. As you know, Whale Sharks filter feed. During this process, they can process over 6000 liters of water at a time. It gulps a huge amount of water to filter the plankton. Once it gulps the water, it closes its mouth and the water is expelled through the large gills. Its gills filter out the plankton and let the water go. It can process 6000 liters of water every hour.
5. Whale shark can live for a long time. In fact, they have a long lifespan and live for 100 years. They are a giant fish and they are very beautiful. Watching them is an incredible experience because they are an endangered species. You can take Whale Shark Tour from Tulum and enjoy watching these beautiful giants.
6. Even though Whale Sharks don’t bite, they have thousands of teeth. They have 3000 tiny teeth that are less than 1-inch long and help them eat smaller fish, shrimp and plankton of course. This is an interesting thing about them. Make sure to watch for those tiny teeth if you can see.
7. Whale Sharks is not very motherly, because they leave quickly after giving birth. In fact, they leave their young ones when they are just 16 to 24 inches long. They usually reach maturity at 30 and then start reproducing. True whales live with their young ones, but not the whale sharks. In many ways, they are loners’ sand don’t usually live in a group.
8. How do you differentiate one whale shark from another? By their fingerprints. They are the unique pattern of spots on their body which acts like fingerprints. They are unique which means, they can be identified by tracking their patterns.

The Bottom Line

Before you go on a Whale Shark Tour from Tulum, make sure that you know about these wonderful fish species. They are rare fish and watching them is an incredible experience. They are a very interesting fish with many interesting facts.

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Amy Davies Member since November 6, 2020