Swim with humpback whales in Moʻorea, September 2027 · from CHF 4,500See the trip →
Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Animals

Sharks

Whale shark

Rhincodon typus

Drifting alongside the world's largest fish as it feeds is quietly unforgettable. We follow whale shark codes so every encounter stays calm and respectful.

EndangeredIn 54 Atlas countries

Endangered (IUCN, 2016) means it is at very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Huge spotted whale shark gliding through open blue water
Photo: NOAA on Unsplash
Whale shark swimming in clear blue water with light rays
Photo: Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash
Whale shark cruising with small fish alongside it
Photo: Nott Peera on Unsplash
Whale shark swimming near the surface in blue water
Photo: Nott Peera on Unsplash
Whale shark passing just below the surface with fish
Photo: Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
Whale shark swimming through deep blue water with fish
Photo: Heidi Bruce on Unsplash
Whale shark swimming beneath the surface above a school of fish
Photo: Jeremiah Del Mar on Unsplash
Whale shark seen from above over a sandy seabed
Photo: naushad mohamed on Unsplash

Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.

Length

Commonly about 10 m (33 ft); matures at about 9 m (29.5 ft); largest recorded about 20 m (66 ft), a female

Weight

Typical weight not reliably measured; largest published about 34 tonnes (75,000 lb)

Next to a person

A common-sized adult is about six adults lying head to toe; the largest recorded are about twelve

What it eats

Plankton, small crustaceans and small schooling fish, and occasionally squid and small tuna.

Around people

Harmless

How it lives

The whale shark is a filter feeder that sucks in plankton-rich water, often feeding in an upright or near-upright position. At coastal feeding areas, sharks gather in groups of similar size and sex, and they return to favourite sites. Females give birth to live young, and one female carried about 300 embryos.

Where it goes

Whale sharks are highly migratory, travelling around 24 to 28 km a day, yet they return to favoured coastal feeding sites. At Darwin Island in the Galápagos they stay only a short time, from July to December.

Populations

Coastal gatherings are often mostly young males: about 74% male at Ningaloo (about 3 to 10 m long, March to June) and about 72% male at Yucatán and Isla Mujeres in summer (about 2.5 to 10 m). Darwin Island in the Galápagos is unusual, with mostly large females (about 91% or more), often apparently pregnant, from July to December. South Ari in the Maldives has more young males present all year. Who comes, and when, differs from site to site.

Meet it respectfully

We follow the local whale shark code. Codes in many places ask swimmers to stay at least 3 m from the body and 4 m from the tail, and to give more space (about 5 m) when it feeds upright. Never touch, chase, ride or swim in front of it, use no flash, and keep one boat per shark with engines idling. Feeding at provisioning sites changes whale shark behaviour and is not part of ethical encounters.

Fun fact

Tap the bulb to light it up.

Where it goes

Follow its journey

Choose a journey and watch it travel. Every line comes from satellite tracking or documented research, and the source is named.

StartEndJourney (the line joins documented areas; real paths vary)

Where you may meet it

Whale shark in the Ocean Atlas

Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.

FijiTanzaniaW. SaharaCanadaUnited States of AmericaKazakhstanUzbekistanPapua New GuineaIndonesiaArgentinaChileDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaSudanChadHaitiDominican Rep.RussiaBahamasFalkland Is.NorwayFr. S. Antarctic LandsTimor-LesteSouth AfricaLesothoUruguayBrazilBoliviaPeruColombiaPanamaVenezuelaGuyanaSurinameFranceEcuadorPuerto RicoJamaicaCubaZimbabweBotswanaNamibiaSenegalMaliMauritaniaBeninNigerNigeriaCameroonTogoGhanaCôte d'IvoireGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaSierra LeoneBurkina FasoCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaZambiaMalawiMozambiqueeSwatiniAngolaBurundiIsraelLebanonMadagascarPalestineGambiaTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanCambodiaThailandLaosMyanmarVietnamNorth KoreaSouth KoreaMongoliaIndiaBangladeshBhutanNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandNew CaledoniaSolomon Is.New ZealandAustraliaSri LankaChinaTaiwanItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomAzerbaijanGeorgiaPhilippinesMalaysiaBruneiSloveniaSlovakiaCzechiaEritreaJapanParaguayYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoEgyptLibyaEthiopiaDjiboutiSomalilandUgandaRwandaBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoTrinidad and TobagoS. SudanBaird Bay and Eyre Peninsula, AustraliaBarunguba and Narooma, AustraliaBremer Bay, AustraliaCairns, Port Douglas and the Ribbon Reefs, AustraliaChristmas Island, AustraliaCocos (Keeling) Islands, AustraliaLady Elliot Island, AustraliaLord Howe Island, AustraliaNingaloo, AustraliaRowley Shoals, AustraliaTasman Peninsula and Eaglehawk Neck, AustraliaMaria Island and the east coast, AustraliaPlacencia and the Southern Reef, BelizeGulf of Tadjoura and Arta, DjiboutiGalápagos, EcuadorMoʻorea, French PolynesiaRurutu, French PolynesiaRoatán, HondurasUtila, HondurasGuanaja, HondurasCayos Cochinos, HondurasAmed, Bali, IndonesiaGili Trawangan, IndonesiaKomodo, IndonesiaGili Air, IndonesiaMaratua and Derawan, IndonesiaRaja Ampat, IndonesiaNusa Penida, IndonesiaLovina, Bali, IndonesiaIfaty and Mangily, MadagascarNosy Be, MadagascarÎle Sainte-Marie, MadagascarPerhentian Islands, MalaysiaTioman Island, MalaysiaFuvahmulah, MaldivesHanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, MaldivesSouth Ari Atoll, MaldivesLa Ventana, MexicoGuadalupe Island, MexicoTofo, MozambiqueDhofar and the Hallaniyat Islands, OmanMusandam and Khasab, OmanMuscat and the Daymaniyat Islands, OmanCoron, Palawan, PhilippinesMoalboal, Cebu, PhilippinesPanglao and Balicasag, Bohol, PhilippinesSiquijor, PhilippinesApo Island and Dauin, PhilippinesApo Reef, PhilippinesBoracay, PhilippinesEl Nido and Bacuit Bay, PhilippinesPort Barton and San Vicente, PhilippinesTubbataha Reefs, PhilippinesFaial and Horta, PortugalMadeira, PortugalPico (Madalena and Lajes), PortugalPrincess Alice Bank, PortugalMafia Island, TanzaniaMikindani and Mnazi Bay, TanzaniaZanzibar - Matemwe, Mnemba and Chumbe, TanzaniaKhao Lak, Similan and Surin Islands, ThailandKoh Lanta and Hin Daeng, ThailandKoh Tao, ThailandUmluj and the Red Sea islands, Saudi ArabiaYanbu, Saudi ArabiaJeddah and Obhur, Saudi ArabiaAl Lith, Saudi ArabiaGulf of Aqaba coast, Saudi ArabiaSanta Catalina and Coiba, PanamaGulf of Chiriquí, PanamaPearl Islands, PanamaIsla Iguana and Isla Cañas, PanamaBocas del Toro and Bastimentos, PanamaGuna Yala, PanamaWatamu, KenyaDiani, KenyaShimoni and Kisite, KenyaMergui Archipelago and Burma Banks, MyanmarLampi Marine National Park, MyanmarAyeyarwady River dolphins, MyanmarHawar Islands, BahrainNorthern pearl beds and reefs, BahrainKubbar Island, KuwaitQaruh and Umm Al Maradim, KuwaitKarachi turtle beaches (Hawksbay and Sandspit), PakistanChurna Island, PakistanAstola Island, PakistanDaran Beach, Jiwani, PakistanKish Island, IranHengam Island and Dolphins' Bay, IranQeshm Island and the Hara mangroves, IranDayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park, IranSal, Cabo VerdeBoa Vista, Cabo VerdeMáncora, Los Órganos and Cabo Blanco, PeruPunta Sal and the Tumbes coast, PeruParacas and the Ballestas Islands, PeruMalpelo, ColombiaGorgona, ColombiaNuquí, Bahía Solano and Utría, ColombiaProvidencia and Santa Catalina, ColombiaSan Andrés, ColombiaKavieng and New Ireland, Papua New GuineaKimbe Bay, Papua New GuineaMilne Bay, Papua New GuineaTufi (Oro Province), Papua New GuineaLa Digue, SeychellesMahé, SeychellesPraslin and Curieuse, SeychellesAliwal Shoal and Umkomaas, South AfricaCape Town and Hermanus, South AfricaSodwana Bay, South AfricaAbu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesRas Hafun to Alula coast, SomaliaBajuni Islands, SomaliaLittle Bay and Shoal Bay, AnguillaSindori, Jeju, South KoreaWallis Island lagoon, Wallis and FutunaFutuna, Wallis and FutunaSouthern lagoon and Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) IslandsPulu Keeling (North Keeling), Cocos (Keeling) IslandsFakaofo atoll, TokelauDrake and Caño, Costa RicaQuepos and Golfo Dulce, Costa RicaJardines de la Reina, CubaMaria la Gorda and Guanahacabibes, CubaTrincomalee and Nilaveli, Sri LankaLakshadweep (Agatti, Bangaram, Kadmat), IndiaNetrani and Murudeshwar, IndiaSwaraj Dweep (Havelock) and Barren Island, IndiaCham Islands and Hoi An, VietnamCon Dao, VietnamNha Trang, VietnamPhu Quoc, VietnamDe Gi coast, VietnamPort Sudan reefs and Sanganeb, SudanDungonab Bay, SudanWestpunt, CuraçaoWillemstad and the central coast, CuraçaoCuraçao Marine Park (southeast coast), CuraçaoKlein Curaçao, CuraçaoSwatch of No Ground, BangladeshSundarbans, BangladeshCox's Bazar and Sonadia, BangladeshSaint Martin's Island, BangladeshFlorida Keys (Key Largo), United StatesLa Jolla and the Channel Islands, United StatesMaui, United StatesOʻahu, United StatesSan Diego and La Jolla, United StatesJuneau and Southeast Alaska, United StatesGlacier Bay, United StatesSeward and Kenai Fjords, United StatesFernando de Noronha, BrazilAbrolhos, BrazilPraia do Forte, BrazilSanta Catarina whale coast, BrazilBonito, BrazilOkinawa, JapanBourail, Poé and Déva, New CaledoniaNouméa and the Great Southern Lagoon, New CaledoniaPoindimié and Hienghène, New CaledoniaÎle des Pins (Kunié), New CaledoniaDahab, EgyptMarsa Alam, EgyptXiaoliuqiu, TaiwanHualien, TaiwanEilat and the Coral Beach Nature Reserve, IsraelKaikōura, New ZealandPoor Knights Islands, New ZealandBay of Islands, New ZealandHauraki Gulf, New ZealandAkaroa and Banks Peninsula, New Zealand

Travel with usComing soonTrusted referralExploringOn pause, story onlyEthics pass

Country colour: pink where we travel, blue where we are exploring or refer, grey for story only.

AnguillaAustraliaBahrainBangladeshBelizeBrazilCabo VerdeCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaCosta RicaCubaCuraçaoDjiboutiEcuadorEgyptFrench PolynesiaHondurasIndiaIndonesiaIranIsraelJapanKenyaKuwaitMadagascarMalaysiaMaldivesMexicoMozambiqueMyanmarNew CaledoniaNew ZealandOmanPakistanPanamaPapua New GuineaPeruPhilippinesPortugalSaudi ArabiaSeychellesSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSri LankaSudanTaiwanTanzaniaThailandTokelauUnited Arab EmiratesUnited StatesVietnamWallis and Futuna

Read more about the whale shark

Responsible travel and conservationWhat Ningaloo Gets Right About Whale Shark TourismRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationWhy We Leave the Flash Off Around Marine WildlifeRead ↗Planning and destinationsOcean and Safari in Africa: Choose Both Parts CarefullyRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsNingaloo’s Whale Shark Code: What Each Rule ProtectsRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsBaited Shark Dives: What the Research Really ShowsRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationSouth Ari Whale Sharks: Scars, Propellers and the New RulesRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationHanifaru Bay Mantas: Why It’s Snorkel OnlyRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsWhere to Swim Ethically With Whale Sharks in the PhilippinesRead ↗
Sources for this page

Facts checked 24 September 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.

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Swim with humpback whales in Moʻorea, September 2027

from CHF 4,500

See the trip →