| Sometimes, when we are fishing
offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, a really big fish shows up. Now, this is
not one of our target species...but always a welcome visitor. This is a whale shark--a filter-feeder that swims with its mouth open, collecting microscopic plankton and small fish. They grow to the size of a school bus (40 feet plus!), and are the largest fish* in the sea.
*(Whales are larger, but are mammals...not fish.)
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These docile creatures will swim right
up to our boat. We'd like to think that they are happy to see us, and
are curious about us. But maybe they know that small fish tend to congregate under any floating object in the open seas, and tend to be a good spot for a meal. |
| Here you can see a remora hitching a ride on the back of the whale shark. |
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Sometimes a whale shark will allow a swimmer to get close...even hitching a ride like Captain Billy is doing in this picture. |
| Whale sharks are listed as a threatened species, since they are still hunted for in parts of Asia, such as Taiwan and the Philippines. |
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