If you’ve been Googling around the place and you’ve stumbled across this article and you’re wondering what the biggest fish in the world is – it’s the Whale Shark.
These big fish can grow up to a massive length of 12 metres (about 41 ft) and can often possess a large mouth that’s around 1.5 metres (5 ft) wide! Plus they weigh around 9 tonnes, so that’s a crapload of sushi! But they’re protected in most parts of the world, so that would be pretty unlikely!
They also feed more like whales than like fish. Whale sharks are filter feeders and like chowing down on a bit of plankton and other microscopic organisms. They’re pretty cruisy and generally not dangerous to humans, and you can swim with them in the wild in some places around the world. Whale sharks tend to be found in tropical areas, so that sounds like a good enough excuse to go travelling to find them!
But because of the logistical nightmare of trying to keep one of these beasts alive, it’s rare that you’re going to see one in captivity. In fact, there are only a handful of places in the world were you can see one of these magnificent beings behind glass in air conditioned comfort.
One of them is the Osaka Aquarium in Japan, shown below. I’ve been to a few aquariums around the world, and this one is pretty impressive in terms of its scale and the marine specimens you can view there.
But back to the Whale Shark. I can’t imagine the planning and maintenance that is required to keep this big fish swimming around in a tank. Things like temperature control, maintaining correct nutrient loads and feeding would send the most passionate aquarium owner insane most of the time.
But the result means a lot of people enjoy visiting the aquarium to marvel at what nature can create.
Have a look at some of the pics I took when I went there – and of course, the Whale Shark exhibit was one of the most popular.
The Biggest Fish In The World – The Whale Shark
The school kids in this photo were going nuts every time the big fish swam past them! I would be too if I was their age.
And this shot had the Whale Shark swimming next to the pane.
While it was great to see a whale shark with my own eyes, I’d also love to swim along side this fish in the wild one day!
However, while it might take a while, there are gazillions of other things to see at the Osaka Aquarium, such as countless fish, spider crabs, and other weird beasties from the deep.
Probably the most photogenic creatures you can capture though are the jellyfish.
Have a look at this series of wobbly marine gelatinous looking things I photographed.
I love the colour and movement in all of these!
There you go! Robson Green and Extreme Fishing, eat your heart out!
Great pics – looks like an aquarium to visit!
Definitely worth it! Really impressive!