View source for Blog:International Whale Shark Day - August 30

'''<big>The Enigmatic Whale Shark</big>'''
[[File:Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) with open mouth in La Paz, Mexico.jpg|alt=Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)|thumb|Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)]]
August 30 is International Whale Shark Day. A day to celebrate and raise awareness about the largest fish in the ocean, the whale shark. These gentle giants are amazing creatures that deserve our respect and protection.
[[File:Whale-Shark-Scale-Chart-SVG-Steveoc86.svg|alt=Whale sharks are gentle giants of the ocean can can grow up to 14 meters long and weigh up to 20 tons.|thumb|Whale sharks are gentle giants of the ocean can can grow up to 14 meters long and weigh up to 20 tons.]]
[[Whale Shark - Rhincodon typus|Whale sharks]] are gentle giants of the ocean can can grow up to 14 meters long and weigh up to 20 tons. They have a distinctive pattern of white spots and stripes on their dark grey skin, which helps them camouflage in the water. Each whale shark has a unique pattern, like a fingerprint, that can be used to identify individuals. Scientists use photo-identification techniques to track and study whale sharks around the world.

Whale sharks are not whales, but sharks. They belong to the order [[Orectolobiformes]], which includes carpet sharks, nurse sharks, and wobbegongs. They are the only living members of the family [[Rhincodontidae]], which means "rasp-toothed". They have hundreds of tiny teeth in their mouth, but they don’t use them to bite. Instead, they are filter feeders, sucking in large amounts of water and filtering out plankton, krill, fish eggs, and small fish.

Whale sharks are found in tropical and warm-temperate waters around the world. They prefer habitats that are rich in food, such as coastal areas, open waters, and even near coral reefs. They are highly migratory and can travel thousands of kilometres in search of food and mating grounds. They usually swim close to the surface, but they can also dive deeper than 1,000 meters. Whale sharks are mostly solitary, but they can form large aggregations in some places where food is abundant.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), whale sharks are classified as endangered, meaning they have a very high risk of extinction in the wild. It is estimated that their global population has declined by more than 50% in the last 75 years.
[[File:Cypron-Range Rhincodon typus.svg|alt=Whale sharks are found in tropical and warm-temperate waters around the world.|thumb|Whale sharks are found in tropical and warm-temperate waters around the world.]]
The main threats that whale sharks face are from human activities, such as hunting, fishing, boat collisions, habitat loss, and climate change. Whale sharks are hunted for their meat, fins, oil, and skin, which are used for food, medicine, cosmetics, and leather. They are also caught as bycatch in fishing nets and gear or injured by boat propellers and their habitats are degraded by pollution, overfishing, climate change, and coastal development.

Whale sharks play an important role in the marine ecosystem. As filter feeders, they help regulate the population of plankton, which are the base of the food chain. Plankton also produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, which affects the climate. By consuming plankton, whale sharks help maintain a balance in the ocean.

Whale sharks are amazing animals that deserve our admiration and appreciation. They are not only the largest fish in the world, but also gentle filter feeders that play an important role in the marine ecosystem. However, they are also endangered and face many threats from human activities.

That’s why we should celebrate International Whale Shark Day on August 30th, a day to raise awareness and appreciation for these gentle giants of the ocean.