International Whale Shark Day Aug. 30, 2024

Every year on August 30, ocean enthusiasts come together to draw attention to whale sharks and advocate for their conservation. These gentle giants have been around for more than 240 million years, but the first specimen was discovered off the coast of South Africa in the 1820s. As the world"s largest fish, whale sharks can grow up to 12 metres, with one reaching a record 18.8 metre. Found in tropical oceans around the world, these filter feeders glide through the water, mouth wide open, straining plankton and small fish. Each pattern on their dotted, starry skin is as unique as a human fingerprint.

© Andy Lerner/Tandem Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Aug. 30, 2023International Whale Shark Day
There’s more to Pisa than leaning towers
Aug. 30, 2025International Whale Shark Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

A sky full of stars
Paddle power
The ‘potato chip bird’
Celebrating the tropics
Apr. 18, 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites
Aug. 1, 2025Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Jun. 17, 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
Were halfway there
Like paint on a canvas
Apr. 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, USA
Sep. 10, 2023Grandparents Day
A city so nice, they made it twice
A convocation of eagles assembles
Jun. 26, 2024Banggai cardinalfish with sea anemone
Warm light through an ancient forest
A triumphant pose
Sports where you least expect it
A labyrinth of luxury
Sep. 8, 2023International Literacy Day
Nov. 4, 2024Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England
Gateway to Iberia
The Coast of Death
Mar. 5, 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand
Big rocks, big heads, still counting?
Jan. 7, 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Jun. 25, 2024Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Mar. 9, 2024Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico, USA
May 21, 2024International Tea Day
Feb. 21, 2024Firefall at Yosemite
Feb. 17, 2024Sassnitz lighthouse, Rügen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania