Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at the surface on zooplankton, mouth open, known as ram feeding, Yum Balam Marine Protected Area, Quintana Roo, Mexico, North America

Scientist and whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at the surface on zooplankton, mouth open, known as ram feeding, Yum Balam Marine Protected Area, Quintana Roo, Mexico, North America

Biologist taking skin sample from a whale shark to determine what plankton types the animal has been feeding on, Yum Balam Marine Protected Area, Quintana Roo, Mexico, North America

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) with rainbow runner observed by a tourist and guide in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tourists snorkelling with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tourists snorkelling with a whale shark (Rhincodon typu ) in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) below a banca boat in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tourist snorkelling with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) with a shoal of red fish evading predation, Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) beneath a banca tour boat in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) below a banca boat in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tourist snorkelling with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Snorkeller swimming with a juvenile whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) with boat propeller injury, Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tourists snorkelling with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) swimming past a jellyfish (Thysanostoma loriferum), Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) below a banca boat in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tourist and tour guide swimming with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at night, Maldives, Indian Ocean, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at night, Maldives, Indian Ocean, Asia

Snorkeller with a juvenile whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding on the suface in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) vertical suction feeding on a shoal of red fish, Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) vertical suction feeding on a shoal of red fish, Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at night, Maldives, Indian Ocean, Asia

Tourist swimming with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) swimming beneath the surface in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Snorkeling near Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) with rainbow runner, Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Tourist swimming with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus), Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Christmas Island, Australia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) with golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus), Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at night, Maldives, Indian Ocean, Asia

Two tourists snorkelling with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus), in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Snorkeling near Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Snorkeling near Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Snorkeling near Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Tourists snorkelling with a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark under Fishing Platform, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Richelieu Rock, Andman Sea, Thailand

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Snorkeling near Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Christmas Island, Australia

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Snorkellers with a juvenile whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at the suface in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) surrounded by a shoal of fish evading predation, Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) with a shoal of red fish evading predation, Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark under Fishing Platform, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) with shoal of fish on the surface), Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Richelieu Rock, Andman Sea, Thailand

Fisherman feeds Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Christmas Island, Australia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Christmas Island, Australia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Christmas Island, Australia

Feeding Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia

Juvenile whale shark (Rhincodon typus) with a common remora attached in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus), filter feeding underwater off El Mogote, near La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, North America

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus,) filter feeding underwater off El Mogote, near La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, North America

Whale shark, Sakatia Island, Madagascar, Indian Ocean, Africa

A huge whale shark, Rhincodon typus, swims in sunlit Indonesian waters. This massive yet harmless shark feeds on planktonic organisms and can sometimes be found swimming near fishing platforms due to the scent of fish.

Whale shark in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

Whale shark in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

Whale Shark, La Paz, Mexico.

Above and below look at a tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus) swimming in Talbot Bay, Kimberley, Western Australia, Australia, Pacific

Juvenile whale shark (Rhincodon typus), underwater near Los Islotes, Baja California Sur, Mexico, North America

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus), underwater with snorkeler on Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, Australia, Pacific

A huge whale shark, Rhincodon typus, swims in sunlit Indonesian waters. This massive yet harmless shark feeds on planktonic organisms and can sometimes be found swimming near fishing platforms due to the scent of fish.

A huge whale shark, Rhincodon typus, swims in sunlit Indonesian waters. This massive yet harmless shark feeds on planktonic organisms and can sometimes be found swimming near fishing platforms due to the scent of fish.

Young whale shark (Rhincodon typus), filter feeding near snorkeler at El Mogote, Baja California Sur, Mexico, North America

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) underwater with snorkelers off El Mogote, near La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, North America

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus), underwater with snorkeler on Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, Australia, Pacific

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus), underwater with snorkelers on Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, Australia, Pacific

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus), underwater with snorkeler on Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, Australia, Pacific