Looking for a quick, easy-to-read fact guide to these ‘gentle giants?’ We have it all in our Ultimate Guide written by Anna Ortega, marine scientist extraordinaire, with whale shark facts that will amaze you and your dive buddies!

Gentle Giants

It never fails to shock me when massive ocean creatures sneak up on you, but they do without fail. 

The ocean has no doors, and your view of blue nothingness could turn into the outline of a slowly approaching, enormous 21-ton creature in mere seconds. This creature, the whale shark, will capture your attention instantly but barely notice you. It’s far more concerned with its next meal: the invisible plankton that live just below the surface.

Whale sharks are known as “gentle giants” of the sea, because they are harmless to humans. They only eat things that are too tiny to see, and they’re slow swimmers who aren’t bothered by the curious eyes of humans, awestruck by their size and the unique constellation of patterns on their backs. There are many things about this mysterious animal that we don’t know yet, but researchers are working hard to understand more about this species and how to save it from extinction. 

Allow me to catch you up to speed on what we do know about whale sharks facts: from how they got their name, to how you can help in their conservation.

What is a Whale Shark? 

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish alive today. They can grow to 12m (40ft) in length! These gentle giants spend time at the surface feeding on plankton but can dive to depths of over 1000m (3000 ft). Whale sharks have white undersides, but their back can be gray, blue, or brown and covered in white spots and stripes. These patterns are unique to each individual and can be used to identify different individuals.

Whale Shark Facts

Why is a whale shark called a “whale shark”?

The largest fish on the planet, whale sharks, are sharks and not whales. But because they can grow to be so big (up to 12m / 40 ft, and 21 tons / 42,000 lbs), they earned the title of “whale” as well. 

Is a whale shark a shark? 

Whale sharks are sharks. A shark is a type of fish that has cartilage instead of bones. What’s the difference? In humans, our skeleton is hard bone, but our ears are made of cartilage. 

The first whale shark specimen recorded in science history was discovered off the coast of South Africa, and Dr. Andrew Smith described it as “the largest living shark in the ocean”.

Is a whale shark a whale? 

The whale shark is given the title “whale” for its size, but it is not a whale. Real whales are mammals: they need to breathe air, they are warm blooded, and they produce milk for their young. Whale sharks and other fish do not do any of those things. Whale sharks are cold-blooded, extract oxygen from the water with their gills, and their babies have to filter-feed to eat, just like the adults.

Is a whale shark a mammal? 

Whale sharks are not mammals, they are fish. Mammals are warm-blooded, have hair or fur, breathe with lungs, and give birth to live young. On the other hand, fish are cold-blooded, have scales, breathe with gills, and hatch from eggs. Fish and mammals are both vertebrates, which means they have a backbone. To make it even more confusing, whale sharks (and other sharks) don’t have a backbone made of bone, but one of cartilage.

Whale Shark Personality

Whale sharks are known as “gentle giants”. They are calm creatures who spend most of their time in the open ocean, alone, and they like it that way. They do share feeding grounds, and many whale sharks will converge to eat if there is a plankton bloom. Whale sharks are slow swimmers, and there has never been a report of a whale shark injuring a person.

Whale sharks are often seen at popular dive sites, whether to take advantage of the plankton, or to check out a diver’s bubbles. It’s been observed that whale sharks enjoy the bubbles exhaled by scuba divers and are quite content with swimming around a boat and people.

You will often see remora fish hitching a ride with a whale shark, to collect any scraps of food dropped by the whale shark. This is an indication of how chilled out a whale shark can be! 

How much does a whale shark weigh? 

Whale sharks begin as babies that weigh less than a kilogram (2 lbs) but could grow into adults that weigh 21 tons (42,000 pounds)! That’s a little less than two African bush elephants, and a little more than two school buses.

Baby whale sharks

Most sharks give birth to a few, large babies. Whale sharks, though, give birth to hundreds of very small babies, called pups. Whale sharks can grow to 12m (40ft) but give birth to babies that are only 45cm (20 inches)! Because they are so small in such a big ocean, they’re extremely hard to find and study. Most of what we know about baby whale sharks comes from a study of one fisheries who caught a pregnant whale shark in 1996. The pregnant whale shark in the study was hunted, but was bought and given to scientists, who were able to use it to understand even more about the elusive whale shark and its pups.

What do whale sharks eat? 

Whale sharks are carnivores. Judging by their size, you might think they eat large fish or even other sharks, but they can’t – they’re filter feeders. Filter feeding is when an animal opens its jaws, swims forward, and passively collects all the tiny things in its path. Whale sharks swim along the surface with a gaping mouth, scooping up plankton: microscopic plants and animals, and sometimes tiny fish.

Do whale sharks have gills? 

Whale sharks do have gills; five on each side of their body. They are fish, so they use their gills to breathe by getting oxygen from the water as they swim. Not only do whale sharks use their gills for breathing, but they use them to filter feed. Their gills are able to catch small plankton and animals, and the water is expelled out through their gill slits.

Why do whale sharks come to the surface if they don’t breathe air? 

It’s true that whale sharks breathe underwater, but they eat plankton. Plankton (microscopic plants and animals) live at the surface of the ocean, where they can get sunlight to make food like land plants. This means that whale sharks often come to the surface to feed on plankton in sunny, nutrient-rich places. This works out well for those of us that want to swim with whale sharks!

Where to see a whale shark

You can find a whale shark near tropical waters across the world. They migrate to find food, and this means that some places become seasonal whale shark hotspots: Mexico, the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, The Similan Islands, Thailand, Donsol in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Tanzania.

Is it safe to swim with whale sharks? 

Whale sharks do not pose any threats to humans, and there has never been any record of a whale shark injuring or killing a human. Whale sharks are docile creatures, which makes their feeding ground “hotspots” excellent places for people who want to experience these gentle giants up close.

Check out: Diving in Koh Tao, Thailand; A hotspot for visiting whale sharks!

Swimming with whale sharks

The ocean is huge, and its creatures are free to go anywhere. That means that while it’s never a perfect guarantee that you can see a whale shark, we do know that whale sharks migrate to follow their food. They eat plankton, and environmental conditions mean that there will be plankton blooms in certain places at certain times of the year.

Because of this, there’s a good chance you can see these majestic creatures from June to November in the Galapagos, in Mexico from the summer (Isla Mujeres, Bahia de Los Angeles) to October (La Paz) to November and December (Socorro Island). And in Oslob, The Philippines, local fishermen have been authorized to feed the whale sharks. The fishermen do feed the whale sharks almost every day, which means that whale sharks can be seen regularly, year-round.

What hunts whale sharks?

Adult whale sharks are so big that most have no natural predators, but old or sick whale sharks are easy prey for killer whales. Sharks and big fish, such as blue marlins, have been known to eat juvenile whale sharks, since the pups (babies) are so small. Lastly, humans hunt whale sharks in some parts of the world. 

Are whale sharks endangered? 

Yes. Unfortunately, whale shark facts state that whale sharks are classified as “Endangered” by the IUCN. Why? Whale sharks may get caught accidentally in fishing gear, or caught on purpose for their fins. Whale shark meat and fins are eaten as a delicacy in some parts of Asia.

The warming climate is also affecting their ocean home, and plastic pollution is dangerous for these filter feeders. Fortunately, whale sharks are protected internationally from hunting and trade by CITES (the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna). Many countries have enforced national regulations to protect whale sharks from fishing, and many conservation groups focus on whale sharks.

Whale Shark Conservation Projects

There are many whale shark conservation projects around the globe. These organizations work hard to minimize whale shark hunting by studying whale sharks and raising public awareness about why whale sharks are important. One wonderfully successful example of this is the Whale Shark Conservation Project, led by the Wildlife Trust of India.

In the 1990s along the Indian state Gujarat, whale sharks were commonly hunted. To stop this, the species was added to India’s Wildlife Protection Act in 2001, and in 2004, the Whale Shark Campaign was launched. This project was started by the Wildlife Trust of India with a goal to spread information to the coastal communities of Gujarat about whale sharks, their decline, and their new protected status. The Wildlife Trust of India encouraged the fishermen to become protectors of whale sharks, and they succeeded. The perception of whale sharks and the local community attitude toward them completely changed.

How to adopt a whale shark

As a way to fund their scientific research, many whale shark conservation projects offer an interesting way to get involved: by adopting a whale shark. You don’t get to take it home, but you do get to name it and, in some cases, track it. Although, the organizations that offer these adoptions (to name a few: World Wildlife Fund, Wildbook, MarAlliance) make it clear that because whale sharks are wild, they can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to track your shark forever. If your shark is spotted, tracked, or photographed, they’ll do their best to get that information to you.

Your donation, which gives you the naming and/or tracking rights of a whale shark, goes directly towards funding whale shark research. Some of these projects include identifying whale sharks by photos of their spot patterns, tagging whale sharks to track their movement, work to study whale sharks in the field, contribute to scientific equipment upkeep, and help pay the people that so work on these projects to save and understand whale sharks.

These whale shark facts have taught you a lot about whale sharks, but there is still a lot that scientists don’t know about them. By learning more yourself and supporting whale shark research and conservation work, you play a part in saving these majestic “gentle giants”.

To learn more about marine life written by Anna Ortega, check out her guide on eagle rays. You can also read our exclusive interview with UW photographer, Paddy from Peach Snaps Photography, and learn some tips on how to get your own perfect photo of a whale shark!

We are going Batoid for Spotted Eagle Rays in this Ultimate Guide to Aetobatus narinari!

Related to the manta ray and other marine batoids (rays), these stunning animals can be identified by their unique spotted patterns on their backs, and found soaring majestically through tropical waters.

Where do Spotted Eagle Rays live?

Spotted eagle rays can be found around the world in tropical waters. The Atlantic population is considered to be the true spotted eagle ray, Aetobatus narinari. In the Atlantic, these animals can be found in the Caribbean from the southeast coast of the USA to Brazil, and along the African coast from Cabo Verde to Namibia. There are similar rays in the Indo-Pacific (the ocellated eagle ray) and the Eastern Pacific (the Pacific white-spotted eagle ray), but they are different species from the Atlantic population.

How did Spotted Eagle Rays get their name?

The spotted eagle ray, Aetobatus narinari was first described in the late 1700s by a botanist on a trip to the Antilles. Very cleverly, “Aeto” means “eagle” and “batus” means ray. Instead of staying close to the sea floor, these animals like to swim across pelagic waters (open ocean). Soaring through the water makes these rays look like eagles flying, and so they became the eagle rays.

Spotted Eagle Ray Size

Only manta rays beat them in size; these majestic creatures can have wingspans up to 11 feet (3m)! Spotted eagle rays are very active, and they need these huge fins to propel them across oceans and from the depths to the surface as they hunt. Spotted eagle rays with can be 16 ft (5m) long and reach a weight of over 500 lbs (230 kg).

How do Spotted Eagle Rays Breathe?

Spotted eagle rays have five gills on each side of their body. Spotted eagle rays need to keep swimming to breathe, so they can continue to absorb oxygen from the water passing through their gills. 

Why are Spotted Eagle Rays dark on top but white on the bottom?

Spotted eagle rays are big and have an incredible sense of smell, which means that they thrive in the open ocean. 

If you look down in the open ocean, you see darkness below. If you look up in the open ocean, you see the bright surface. Spotted eagle rays have “countershading” camouflage – dark on top and light on the bottom – to be hidden from predator view both above and below. The spots give them extra camouflage as they swim over reefs during migrations or to hunt for prey.

What do Spotted Eagle Rays eat and how?

Spotted eagle rays have what some call a “duckbill” snout. This long, broad snout is used to dig into the sand until there’s a huge cloud of sand all around and the ray finds a snack. Spotted eagle rays can turn over rocks and poke into reef crevices. 

Spotted eagle rays like to eat small creatures that they dig out of the seafloor with their snouts. Their favorites include crustaceans (crabs, shrimp), bivalves (clams, oysters), gastropods (sea snails) and small octopus and fish. 

How do they break through those shells? Spotted eagle rays have specialized teeth to help them crush through hard shells. Their teeth are actually two hard plates with a grooved chevron pattern, allowing them to crunch through the hard shell of any prey that catches their eye.

Once they find something tasty, they suck it into their mouth and crush it with their flat teeth that are like jagged plates, specifically designed to crush shells. Spotted eagle rays also have papillae, small projections used to remove shells from the prey. They spit the shells, eat the soft parts, and move along to the next morsel.

Spotted Eagle Ray Predators

Sharks are the about the only thing big and fast enough to eat spotted eagle rays. Species like the tiger, lemon, silvertip, bull, and hammerhead sharks have been seen preying on spotted eagle rays. The sharks sometimes follow pregnant females and wait to eat her newly born pups, but preying on adults takes much more effort. Sharks will bite a pectoral fin first, to make sure the eagle ray can’t swim away quickly. Then the shark will pin the ray against the seafloor and eat it, headfirst. But this is not always how it goes; spotted eagle rays can be fierce competitors. 

Spotted eagle rays have camouflage to prevent them from being seen. They use their soft bodies, made of cartilage (not bone) to make sharp turns in a chase. If a predator gets too close, spotted eagle rays can leap out of the water to evade and confuse predators before swimming away safely. And as a last resort, spotted eagle rays have a venomous weapon: tail spines. Anywhere from two to six small, barbed spines filled with venom await any predator that gets too close. 

Because of these defenses, it’s very rare to witness a spotted eagle ray being eaten.

Are Spotted Eagle Rays dangerous?

There have been injuries when spotted eagle rays accidentally leapt onto boats and landed on boaters, but spotted eagle rays are timid creatures who tend to avoid human interaction. Like many animals, spotted eagle rays have defenses to use if they are provoked. 

If a predator approaches a spotted eagle ray, it may find itself on the wrong edge of a venomous tail spine. 

Even if a spotted eagle ray finds a human interesting underwater, it will still keep its distance. You may be lucky enough to watch it fly by, so have your camera ready! 

Do Spotted Eagle Rays migrate?

Yes, but there is a lot we don’t know about spotted eagle ray migration. Eagle rays can be found traversing the ocean alone or in schools. These animals migrate long distances during the same seasons each year, which makes scientists think they migrate to stay within optimal conditions to find prey. Though spotted eagle rays migrate throughout the year, they come back home.

Why do they jump out of the water?

There are many theories, but no proven answers yet. Spotted eagle rays may be jumping:

1. to avoid predators chasing them
2. to shake off parasites and remoras (animals that live on them)
3. to avoid unwanted male attention
4. just for fun!

Spotted eagle rays may be jumping out of the water for any or all of these reasons, but what do know is that it’s incredible to watch.

Spotted Eagle Ray Superpowers

Spotted eagle rays have electroreception: they can sense electric energy.

Marine animals produce electrical signals, and spotted eagle rays can detect those signals to find prey. In their snout, there is a cluster of jelly-filled pores that are extremely sensitive to electrical signals, which allows them to sense prey if it’s swimming by, crawling below, or even buried in the sand.

Are Spotted Eagle Rays Endangered?

Spotted eagle rays are listed by the IUCN as “Near Threatened”. Populations are in decline because spotted eagle rays can only give birth to 2-4 pups a year, and there are many threats to the species. 

These animals are hunted by a variety of sharks. Spotted eagle rays are caught globally to be moved into aquariums, and in some places (primarily Southeast Asia and Africa) they are fished to be used for fishmeal and oil. And while they are not targeted by fisheries in every country, they often end up as bycatch: accidentally caught in fishing gear that was trying to target another species.

Get FACTED!

Eagle rays help support marine ecosystems and are a big tourist attraction, so people around the world want to protect this species. To know how to protect something, you have to understand it first. Plenty of information on spotted eagle rays remains a mystery. Why do they leap out of the water? Where do they migrate? Who do they migrate with? Which populations are connected? Luckily, there are groups of people trying to answer these questions.

How you can help the spotted eagle rays

The Eagle Ray Project – Mexican Caribbean is one of those groups.

Spotted eagle rays have unique spot patterns on their back, like our fingerprints. If there was a way to pinpoint the location of an eagle ray and what individual it was, you could track that individual. Welcome to the world of photo identification. 

The Eagle Ray Project uses citizen scientists: people in the general public willing to submit their eagle ray photos to a huge database. These photos are submitted with information: where the photo was taken, when, and if the eagle ray was alone. Photos are run through software to be identified by their unique spot patterns, and each unique eagle ray is given a name. After collecting many pictures, the researchers start to see individuals appearing in different locations at different times.

For example, Spotted Eagle Ray #117, Blitzen, might be seen in May 2020 in Honduras. But in August 2020, Blitzen may be spotted in Mexican waters. We know now that Blitzen migrates from Honduras to Mexico in the summer, and all it took was two photos. Now imagine that with thousands of photos and hundreds of individuals.

Read More: What is a Marine Citizen Scientist and their responsibilities?

By compiling all of this data, the people at The Eagle Ray Project can track individuals. This lets them understand how spotted eagle rays use habitats, if spotted eagle rays are travelling with the same individuals, and where these individuals are migrating.

If you have photos of spotted eagle rays from the Caribbean where you know the location and date, and you’d like to contribute to work that helps save the Spotted Eagle Ray species, you can submit photos to The Eagle Ray Project any time .

Spotted eagle rays are a majestic species that is in danger of being lost. If we continue to appreciate and learn about them, these magnificent animals can be enjoyed for centuries to come.

To learn more about our author, Anna Ortega and her work, check out her Q&A as a marine science teacher!

If you have ever ventured out into the ocean as a surfer, swimmer, or scuba diver, you have likely come across one of the many interesting species of sea urchins. You can find a wide variety of sea urchins in different colors, shapes, and sizes. If you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you; but step on one and get a sea urchin in your foot, and you will definitely need to know what to do to treat the injury!

Let’s learn more about what to do with a sea urchin sting and more about this prickly creature!

Prickly Creatures

Seemingly harmless, the sea urchin has a unique defense system that includes two different modes of protection. This protection comes most obviously in the form of the exterior spikes, which may contain harmful venom. The urchins commonly use their spikes to defend themselves against predators such as other fish, eels, and crabs. 

This article will help you discover how best to remove the sea urchin’s spines with our five-step method. For example, you may get one of the spines of a sea urchin in your foot for the first time; what will you do? Safely removing the sea urchin from your skin is something that every beachgoer should know how to do just in case you suffer from an unexpected sting. Keep reading as we answer some of the most commonly asked questions about sea urchin stings and removing the spines of a sea urchin from your foot.

Can You Guess The Top 10 Most Dangerous Marine Animals? 

What is a Sea Urchin?

A sea urchin is a type of marine animal known as an echinoderm. Each of the 950 or more urchins species plays a vital role in maintaining the reef’s ecosystem. Numerous benefits are linked to urchins’ presence, such as how they work to balance coral and algae, build reef resilience, and provide settlement spaces for corals. In contrast, a large sea urchin outbreak could lead to unsustainable bio-erosion.

How Big is a Sea Urchin?

The sea urchin’s average size is one to four inches (10.1 centimeters), while larger species can reach up to 14 inches (35.5 centimeters). Long-Spined Urchin (Diadema Antillarum) quickly penetrates the skin with their spines if you contact one in the water. 

How Does a Sea Urchin Travel in the Water? 

A sea urchin moves around by using its tube feet which are assisted by its spines. Don’t worry; they typically only move about 3 to 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) per day. The sea urchin can not intentionally reach out towards you and bite or sting you; it simply can be a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Where does a Sea Urchin Live? 

You can only find sea urchins in the ocean, and they can not survive in freshwater systems. The urchins enjoy living in rock pools, coral reefs, and seagrass beds. They move in a similar way to starfish, and while they don’t have eyes, they can sense movement. 

Are Sea Urchins Poisonous?

One sea urchin species called the Flower Sea Urchin or Toxopneustes Pileolus is the most dangerous sea urchin in the world. It is commonly found in the tropical Indo-West Pacific which includes the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, connecting together in the general area of Indonesia. Other sea urchins with poisonous spines include those in the Echinothuridae, Toxopneustes, and Tripneustes species. 

Are Sea Urchins Deadly? 

Fatalities from sea urchin stings have occurred and some sea urchin species (as noted above) can be deadly. In severe cases, nausea, vomiting, paresthesias (“pins and needles”), muscular paralysis, and respiratory distress may occur. 

Sea urchins are also harvested and consumed as a delicacy in some locations around the world; commercial fishing and harvesting are considered a high-risk industry. Fishermen are more likely to suffer injury as they intentionally come into contact with the sea urchins.

Want to read about our own experience of ‘catching’ and eating sea urchins in Cambodia?  

Sea Urchin Spines

Sea urchin spines are composed of calcium carbonate and are currently the only animals that can still see without having eyes. This is truly amazing as they instinctively use the cells in their feet to sense light.

How Can I Avoid a Sea Urchin Sting? 

To avoid touching a sea urchin, mind your step, and avoid jumping into the shallow water from the shore or a boat if you do not have a clear view of the bottom.

For scuba divers, the tides and currents can cause you to brush up against the urchins, and yes, the spines can even puncture through neoprene so take good care to avoid them as much as possible. It is common for new scuba divers to be directed to kneel on the sandy floor-bed when practicing Open Water skills, so do exercise caution and always check where you are placing your legs and arms.

Mares Rubber Sole 5mm Dive Boot

Read More: The Difference between a Scuba Diver vs Open Water Certification

What Happens when I Step on a Sea Urchin?

In the best case scenario of stepping on a sea urchin, the delicate spine will just break off and be embedded in your skin. It will be sensitive but not toxic. To encourage the spine to come out, you can soak your foot in clean, warm water. This will soften your skin and over time your body will push the non-toxic spine out.

However, multiple deep puncture wounds from stepping on a sea urchin may cause severe injury, especially if accompanied by symptoms such as:

• Weakness
• Muscle aches
• Shock
• Paralysis
• Intense fatigue

A serious sea urchin sting may cause pain to the injury site leading to swelling and inflammation. Symptoms from a venomous sea urchin sting will lead to additional symptoms such as dizziness, breathing problems, chest pain, changes in heart rate, loss of consciousness, nausea, and vomiting. In the worst-case scenario, the venom will enter the bloodstream and cause death. 

Sea Urchin Removal

If you have a sea urchin spine injury, it is essential to remove the affected area’s spine. The calcium-filled spines that a sting can leave behind can be difficult to remove from the skin, so if you can, ask someone for assistance and be gentle to avoid the spines from breaking inside the skin. 

Anyone with allergic reactions to bites or stings should take extra precautions and get medical assistance immediately. The following is a guide to help you known what steps to take if this should occur and is not intended to replace the possible need for medical care: 

Step 1: Immerse the area for 30 – 90 minutes in hot water. Sea urchin toxins are heat-labile meaning hot water immersion is very effective in reducing the pain. If you can not access hot water, try to source vinegar as this will help the spines dissolve, making them easier to remove. Vinegar and hot water bath commonly use treatment to break down the spines so they can be successfully removed from the skin.

Step 2: Remove the larger spines with tweezers (use a magnifying glass if possible). 

Step 3: Remove the smaller spines known as pedicellariae by scraping them carefully with a razor or a credit card.

Step 4: Clean the wound with warm water and soap. Always use the cleanest possible water to prevent infection to the wound.

Step 5: Rinse the wound with clean water again to ensure all spines are removed. If you find that the spines can not be removed, you should see medical attention for assistance right away. 

It is typical for the site of the sting to turn blue or black. This is a symptom of the dye, which the sea urchin may release on impact or as a result of minor bruising. Remember to keep the wound clean and treat the area with a topical antiseptic ointment to ensure no bacteria causes an infection. If you are concerned about infection, seek further medical advice as a doctor may suggest a round of antibiotics.

Final Thoughts 

Sea urchins should not bother you while you are exploring the ocean’s beauty, but it is possible that a simple misstep can lead you to be stung and get the sea urchin spines in your foot. Follow the five steps for removing the sea urchin spines from your foot mentioned above and seek further medical attention if required. We hope that the sea urchin populations continue to protect the coral reefs and learn to appreciate their vital role in the ecosystem.