I would LOVE to see one of these guys up close!
Some fishermen spotted multiple whale sharks off the coast of Anna Maria Island in Manatee County over the weekend! Jon Royster, who was aboard a vessel with Captain Lance, part of the Florida Fishing Fleet, were on the water when three large whale sharks came up to their boat.
“Biggest I’ve ever seen in the Gulf in 15 years,” Lance said.
The whale shark weigh an average of twenty tons (40,000 pounds!) and can reach lengths of 40 feet or more!
Like many whales, the shark filter-feeds and typically eats plankton with its lengthy, gaping mouth while swimming close to the surface of the ocean. (translation: they're vegetarians, and aren't known to attack humans)
Story: WFLA
Photo: Getty Images