Saturday 19 March 2011
Whale Shark Feeding Frenzies Mystify Scientists
If this year is like the last few, one of the most mysterious creatures in the world will soon descend upon the waters off of the Yucatan Peninsula. The blue, plankton-rich waters will become an all-you-can-eat haven for hundreds of giant whale sharks, an annual event known as “afuera.”
As writer Jim Tharpe wrote Monday in the Washington Post, the sharks feed on plankton at the ocean surface in a “swirling mass.” Nowhere else do whale sharksgather in such numbers in full view of human eyes – and researchers are using the opportunity to learn more about these elusive giants.
“Amazingly, the largest fish in the world, which is the whale shark, is one of the least known,” Rafael de la Parra, a biologist and coordinator for Mexico’s whale shark conservation Domino Project, told LiveScience. [Images of whale sharks]
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