[ad_1]
There is no doubt that the ocean is home to some of the largest animals found on the planet, including the biggest. While the whale shark isn’t the biggest (that credit goes to the blue whale), it’s certainly one of the bigger critters found in the great unknown. However, you probably won’t find a whale shark in your favorite aquarium, making it difficult to know how big they are. That’s when a whale shark size comparison like this comes in handy.
From comparing the whale shark to other sharks to even a school bus, this whale shark size comparison is just the right tool to get all the whale shark size facts you need to know. Ready to learn more? Dive in!
How big is a whale shark?
With a name that combines two of the largest sea creatures, it’s no surprise that the whale shark is big. In fact, it’s big enough that it’s earned the title of largest shark!
The largest whale shark ever recorded was 61.7 feet long. Each letter in the famous Hollywood sign is only 49 feet tall! On average, however, these gentle giants tend to measure anywhere from 18 to 32.8 feet, with a 30-foot whale shark spotted in the summer of 2021. . But if they were just born? Baby Whale Sharks measures only a measly 25 inches – the same as the pillow you sleep with!
Only the whale shark’s mouth can be four feet wide. Unlike many sharks you may know well, such as the great white shark, whale sharks only eat small animals such as plankton and shrimp thanks to their small teeth.
While its size is definitely impressive, the whale shark’s weight is a mouthful. A single adult whale shark can weigh as much as 41,000 pounds, or three African elephants.
Because it’s a skeleton made of cartilage rather than actual bones, it can be difficult to know exactly how long the whale sharks were in the past, if only a few decades ago. However, if they resemble the whale sharks we see today, they were also one of the largest animals around!
Human vs Whale Shark Size Comparison
If you’ve ever wanted to take an immersive underwater journey, the back of a whale shark is the way to do it. Not only do you have to worry about them eating you, but their size allows them to take you and 71 of your friends on the deep-sea adventure of a lifetime!
At 32 feet in length, the average whale shark is nearly 6 times the size of an adult human. The largest whale shark is more than ten times the same size. Only one of the whale shark’s fins is almost 1.5 meters high (extra cargo space for young passengers aboard the Deep-Sea Express)!
While a comparison of the size of a whale shark to that of a human is impressive enough on a size basis — after all, could you? imagine swim next to one of these gentle giants – their weight is what takes the crown. A single whale shark can weigh up to 275 people. That’s about the same as the population of Bombay Beach, California!
Basking shark vs. Whale shark size
The basking shark and the whale shark are similar in many ways. First, they share a similar diet, both eating more of the smaller animals of the sea than their cousins. Anything else they have in common? Their size!
The largest basking shark was about 39 feet long, meaning it falls right in the middle of the whale shark’s possible length, although larger than the typical whale shark. However, an adult is more likely to measure about 25 feet, which is still almost neck and neck with the whale shark.
While these two soft sharks are similar in size, there are differences in weight.
The average basking shark is about 11,000 pounds, or the same weight as a certain type of camper. Compared to the whale shark, it can almost last four basking sharks to match the weight of a single very large adult whale shark. That’s what we call a shiver!
Great White vs. Whale shark size
Biggest predatory shark vs biggest shark: It sure is a tough competition. This time, though, it’s safe to say the whale shark wins — just by a end.
Great white sharks have earned their name for a reason. These top ocean predators can grow to an excellent length of 21 feet and can: weighs a whopping 5,000 pounds. That’s about twice a 10-foot shipping container you can see on a boat.
While they have certainly earned their place as the largest predatory shark, they don’t come close to the whale shark. Although they are not too far apart in length, it might take nearly 8 of the largest great white sharks to weigh the same as one large adult whale shark.
School bus vs. Whale shark size
When you see an animal the size of a whale shark, it’s hard to compare it to anything but a bus. After all, buses are probably one of the few things we’re all familiar with that rivals the massive size of the whale shark. But how accurate is this whale shark size comparison?
It turns out you need a couple of buses to be the size of a whale shark!
The average school bus size is 40 feet long, although some can be as small as 20. While this is better than or equal to the average whale shark, it’s still only a fraction of the weight of the largest whale shark ever.
And, like the great white, while a school bus can rival the average whale shark in size, it’s not even a competition when it comes to weight. The average school bus here in the United States weighs about 24,387 pounds, just over half that of a whale shark. Even with 72 passengers on board, the school bus still can’t balance the scales with the whale shark. Talk about gentle giants!
[ad_2]
Source link