Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus
The world's biggest fish wears a starry fingerprint.
Whale sharks are gentle, bus-sized sharks that filter tiny food from warm seas. Every individual carries a unique constellation of pale spots and stripes.
Find this SeaPal in the card gallery
From field guide to game table
Bring this Whale Shark home
See which ready-to-play decks feature this SeaPal. Try one in the simulator before you buy, or explore each full deck list.
- 1 copy
Ready-to-play deck
Blue Water Deck
Includes 1 card featuring Whale Shark.
- 1 copy
Ready-to-play deck
Murky Water Deck
Includes 1 card featuring Whale Shark.
Quick dive
Creature passport
- Home
- They wander tropical and warm-temperate oceans, often gathering where food blooms.
- Favorite foods
- They filter plankton, fish eggs, small fishes, crustaceans, and squid.
- Size check
- Commonly to 40 ft (12 m), with larger records—school-bus length
Tell-your-friends facts
Four wonderfully wild things
- 1
The whale shark is the largest living fish, not a whale.
- 2
Its broad mouth opens near the front of its flat head.
- 3
Researchers identify individuals by spot patterns, much like human fingerprints.
- 4
Whale sharks can dive thousands of feet below their usual surface feeding areas.
Ocean superpower
Built to be amazing
Filtering pads inside the gills sift tiny prey from huge mouthfuls of water.
Junior scientist tip
What should I look for?
Find a broad flat head and a dark back covered in pale spots and bars.
Grown-up research links
We used trusted science organizations to check this profile.