Methods like these can result in errors, with one study finding that visual assessments tend to lead to underestimations for sharks more than eight metres long. Measurements may be taken by comparing the animal to the size of a boat or snorkeler, or by swimmers holding up a tape measure or rope knotted at intervals beside the animal. There have been accounts of whale sharks measuring in at over 20 metres in length - though some scientists question the accuracy of these reports given the limited information on how the measurements were taken.Īccurately determining the size of large animals like whale sharks can be tricky. We don't actually know the maximum size limit for these animals. One of the biggest whale sharks ever reported was an impressive 18.8-metre-long female from the north-western Indian Ocean – that's longer than a tenpin bowling lane. Many grow larger than this - with most of those measured coming in at around 12 metres. Upon reaching sexual maturity, whale sharks are typically about nine metres in length. The Atlantic Ocean is home to the remaining 25% of the whale shark population. It's estimated that 75% of the whale shark population lives in the Indo-Pacific Ocean - which comprises the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean and the seas around Indonesia that connect the two. It is found in tropical and temperate oceans, in both deep water and coastal areas. The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is the largest fish in the world. Read on to find out about the biggest sharks in the world. There are more than 500 species of shark found across the world, and they range in size from centimetres long to ocean giants. Sharks are a group of fish with skeletons made from cartilage instead of bone.
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