International Whale Shark Day Aug. 30, 2023

International Whale Shark Day

Say hello to the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. On August 30, we celebrate International Whale Shark Day to honour these magnificent marine creatures. These gentle giants are not related to whales, despite their impressive size of an average of 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

There’s more to Pisa than leaning towers
Aug. 30, 2024International Whale Shark Day
Aug. 30, 2025International Whale Shark Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Pride and Joy
Is it green with envy?
Sep. 11, 2024Red fox mother kissing her baby
Nov. 30, 2024Saint Andrews Day
Aug. 7, 2024St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, Michigan, USA
Nov. 1, 2023Kenny Lake, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Jul. 28, 2024Colourful bathing huts on the beach in Skåne County, Sweden
Oct. 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York
Mar. 4, 2024Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
Celebrating art in the city
Feb. 5, 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
Apr. 4, 2025Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Bhutan
May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Feb. 28, 2024Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, England
Unbe-leaf-able
Nature at its colourful best
Oct. 27, 2023Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Mar. 30, 2025Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
May 9, 2025Canadian Tulip Festival
Meet an expert on the dog days of summer
Mar. 20, 2024Cave Dale and Peveril Castle, England
Sep. 21, 2023International Day of Peace
Feb. 28, 2026Oloupena Falls, island of Molokai, Hawaii, United States
Feb. 19, 2025European river otter
Fly me to the moon
Nov. 8, 2023West Indian manatees, Crystal River
Dec. 2, 2024Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
Aug. 9, 2025International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
Dec. 22, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Whos in this creepy copse?