The whale shark is one of the world's most impressive animals. I was pretty sad to see a dead one in my news feed, being hauled up onto a dock by its lifeless tail. This animal was found dead in shallow waters off Pakistan. Most sources initially said that the animal was confused by ships and died in shallow waters, but it's probably more likely that it was caught in fishing nets and suffocated.

 

Like all sharks, the whale shark has to keep moving forward in order to breathe. Its ability to pass water over its gills is sharply limited when it is motionless. Being held still is not a common occurrence for whale sharks in the wild… unless they get tangled up in a fishing net.

 

Whale sharks are filter feeders, supporting their massive size by eating the tiniest creatures in the sea. These tiny plankton are frequently found at the surface, where whale sharks can also often be found. Whale sharks follow the plankton blooms, and so do other fish. And where fish go, fishermen are quick to follow. 

 

In fact, whale sharks are found at the surface often enough that they are the source of many sea monster legends. If a sea monster is depicted with dots or a square pattern, chances are good it's actually a whale shark. These giants cruise the world's temperate oceans, from northern Australia to the California coastline. 

 

These sharks are monsters in name only. They have no useful teeth, have a maximum swimming speed of about 3 MPH, and are completely peaceful. As well they should be - once a whale shark is out of infancy, it has no natural predators, not at its size! Not only are there no records of whale sharks harming people (except by accident, due to their size) but divers are often able to hitch a ride on the sharks' dorsal fins.

 

Ordinarily the whale shark can attain a length of 40 feet, and live about 70 years. But not this poor fellow. He was sold at market to poultry feed producers for a rumored $2200. 

 

Although the whale shark is considered a threatened species, there is no moratorium on hunting them. Pakistan is one of the many countries which actively hunts whale sharks. Taiwan is probably the biggest consumer of whale sharks, both for their fins (used in making shark fin soup) and their flesh. In Taiwan the whale shark is known as the "tofu shark" for the texture and color of the shark's meat.