Sharks belong to the fish species. They live in waters all over the world, in oceans, seas, and in other water basins including rivers and lakes. Sharks have no bones; instead their skeleton is made of cartilage, a flexible fibrous substance. There are many different types of sharks. The whale shark is the largest living fish on the earth. It can grow up to 40 ft long and weight up to 15 tons. The natural habitat of this species is a tropical water of open seas or oceans. The lifespan of a whale shark is about 70 to 100 years.

It is believed that this fish species originated over 60 million years ago. However, other sources indicate that sharks have existed for over 350 million years. The name whale shark comes from the size of this fish, since it is as large as a whale. Whale shark or basking shark are common names used to refer to this fish species. In Latin America and in Mexico they are named “pez dama” (domino) for the patterns of spots on fish’s skin. The whale shark is a filter feeder, which is why it has a huge mouth up to 4.9 feet wide with 300 to 350 rows of small teeth.

Whale sharks feed on phytoplankton, zoo plankton, and other small marine vertebrates. The shark sucks water in and, after closing the mouth, expels the water through its gills, leaving the plankton. Despite the whale shark’s enormous size, they don’t pose any significant danger to humans. Generally they are quite gentle and playful animals. Divers can easily swim with whale sharks with no risk to their life. They just need to be careful not to be struck by the shark’s large tail.