Whale shark Aug 30, 2025

Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the sea, but don"t let the word "shark" fool you. They"re plankton-eating giants with no interest in humans. Found in warm waters from the Maldives and Mozambique to Mexico"s Yucatán coast, they often show up in food-rich, calm waters. Their mouths can stretch over a metre wide, but they feed by suction, not biting. Each has a unique pattern of white spots and stripes—no two alike—used by researchers to track individuals. Their breeding patterns remain largely a mystery, but they are ovoviviparous, meaning pups hatch inside the mother before being born alive. Their story reminds us how much ocean life remains a mystery and how vital it is to protect what we already know is at risk.

© Bachir Moukarzel/Amazing Aerial Agency

palette

Today in History

Aug 30, 2023Whale shark, Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Aug 30, 2024Whale shark

More Desktop Wallpapers:

May 20, 2025Honey bee on lavender flowers
Nov 14, 2023Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
May 21, 2024Poço Encantado cave, Brazil
Jun 22, 2024Amazon rainforest, Brazil
Feb 22, 2025Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Jun 1, 2024Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Brazil
Jan 26, 2024Northern hawk-owl
Jul 8, 2025Seceda, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy
Nov 30, 2024Kilchurn Castle, Scotland
Aug 22, 2025Rolling hills of the Palouse, Washington, United States
Feb 7, 2024St. James Tidal Pool, Cape Town, South Africa
Aug 18, 2025Avalanche Lake Trail at Adirondack High Peaks, New York, United States
Oct 25, 2024Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France
Apr 17, 2024Black bear cub emerges into spring
Aug 11, 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy
Dec 4, 2023Cheetah and her cubs
May 19, 2024Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Jul 4, 2024Zahara de la Sierra, Andalusia, Spain
Nov 4, 2023American bison
Nov 3, 2023Pacific sea nettle jellyfish
Jun 9, 2025Old City of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia, Croatia
Sep 10, 2023Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
Mar 15, 2024Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA
Sep 20, 2025Swing carousel at Oktoberfest, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Dec 9, 2023Guanacos, Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina
Feb 7, 2025Blue hour in Trondheim, Norway
Aug 27, 2024Young black caiman
Jan 18, 2024Pont Alexandre III, Paris, France
Nov 2, 2023Death Valley National Park, California, USA
Jan 24, 2025Strokkur geyser in Iceland