Whale shark, Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia Aug 30, 2023

Say hello to the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. These gentle giants are not related to whales, despite their impressive size of an average 12 metres in length. Whale sharks are calm creatures which are usually safe for divers to swim alongside. These sharks are filter feeders and consume plankton and small fish by sieving them through their gill plates. There has been a significant decline in their populations, with an estimated 63% decrease in their numbers in the last 75 years. Threats include being hit by boats or tangled in fishing gear and their habitats are being damaged by pollution, coastal development and over-fishing. Advocates work through education and community engagement to help safeguard whale sharks and preserve our oceans.

© Jason Edwards/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Aug 30, 2024Whale shark
Aug 30, 2025Whale shark

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 1, 2026Colourful house in Olinda, Brazil
May 24, 2024Añisclo gorge, Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Oct 3, 2023Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia
Nov 10, 2024Caribbean flamingos, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Nov 30, 2023The Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
Jul 16, 2024Skara Brae, Scotland
May 5, 2025Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
Jul 20, 2025Photo of the moons surface through a telescope
Apr 27, 2025Coastal redwoods in Redwood National and State Parks, California, United States
Jul 13, 2024Fairy chimneys and cave dwellings in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Dec 28, 2023Humpback whale
Nov 19, 2025Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest, Hungary
Jul 28, 2024Skåne County, Sweden
Jan 6, 2025Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy
Oct 16, 2024Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England
May 7, 2024Duckling in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
Jan 27, 2025Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Oct 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York, USA
Apr 4, 2026Black grouse males, Estonia
Nov 17, 2024Red deer stag
May 9, 2025Common chameleon
Sep 29, 2024West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut, USA
Sep 7, 2023Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates
Feb 21, 2026Red fox, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
Dec 11, 2024Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy
Oct 11, 2024Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada
Oct 23, 2024Madame Sherri Forest, New Hampshire, United States
Oct 17, 2025Rock River Falls, Michigan
Oct 13, 2025Waterfall at Wimbachklamm Gorge, Bavaria, Germany
Dec 27, 2023Kirkjufell, Iceland