Introduction The Whale Shark also known as Rhincodon typus is the largest of the fish species. It is a species that thrives in tropical waters all over the world excluding the Mediterranean waters (Wolfson, 1986) and is the only shark to have its mouth located at the front of its head instead of on the underside of its head. It is commonly found between latitudes 30°N and 35°S, but has been spotted occasionally at higher latitudes (Wolfson, 1986). It can be found in both deep and shallow waters as well as in the coral lagoons and reef (Demetrios, 1979; Wolfson 1983). It has many rows of small teeth and gills rakers that help to sort food from the water body. Due to the structure of its mouth, the Whale Shark mainly consumes plankton but is …show more content…
Antoniou pers. comm.; Gudger, 1932). While Whale Sharks can be spotted around the Seychelles inner island, studies conducted by the Marine Conservation Society in Seychelles show that there are times where number of sighting increased which indicated that there were peak period where Whale Sharks can be observed; these periods ranged from June to August and from October to November (Marine Conservation Society Seychelles, unpubl). Due to technology advancement, scientists are able to use tagging to monitor and observe the movements of wild life. The tagging of Whale Sharks indicated that these animals do undertake long distance migrations and during multiple times a year. The distance that these shark cover consists of more than 2000 km from the Great Barrier Reef areas towards Asia (pers. obs. 2002), another migration which was 2000 km long and lasted over two months from the inner Philippine to the south of Vietnam (Eckert et al., 2002) and another migration which lasts over 37 months and consists of distances straggling over 13000 km from the Gulf of California, Mexico, towards Tonga (Eckert and Stewart, 2001). In 2001, three sharks were tagged in Seychelles and each of them was observed to have travelled to Zanzibar, Somalia and towards the coast of Thailand respectively (Rowat, …show more content…
While the range of a whale shark and its possible age of maturity has been identifies, the location of birth, length of gestation and frequency of reproduction about the species is still unknown to scientists; this would require a further study of this species. Whale sharks are not known to be subjected to predation especially after maturity and this is probably due to the nature of their large size. While adults are not as prone to predation, the juveniles have been reported to have been taken by another animal, in particular, a Blue Marlin and a Blue Shark (A. Goorah pers. comm.; Kukuyey, 1996). Orcas have been observed killing and consuming an 8 m long whale shark (O’Sullivan & Mitchell, 2000) while other whale sharks from the Ningaloo Reef have been observed to have scars that might be due to a shark attack during their juvenile period (Norman,
Sharks have also been subjected to medical research, games and competitions, jewellery, souvenirs and cosmetics. We need to take into consideration that sharks play a vital role in the natural world that we live in. it is imperative that we look after these majestic creatures and ensure they remain protected. We need to be aware of the dangers of sharks, swim in protected areas where there are shark nets, and do not swim after dark in the sea (especially not alone) as the sea is the sharks home. Humans should also be wearing wet suits as protection in the ocean. The sea is where they live, they swim freely and they eat – they do not particularly target humans but rather prey on food that is available to them in their habitat.
The film Sharkwater is a documentary directed and produced by Rob Stewart. Rob is an underwater photographer and a biologist that has a fascination with sharks, and their behavioral aspects. His way of studying these creatures he is able to learn about life and how to survive on this earth. This film showed the characteristics of reflexive documentary, this is because of the attention drawn into the sharks, their behaviors, and how we are affecting them. A statement that really stuck the documentary is people are taught their whole entire lives that sharks are dangerous but when you finally see it underwater your whole life can change in a flash. Rob made a very valid point as well, which is believed to be his thesis statement.
The bull shark may be responsible for many shark attacks in the world but I believe that we have no right to kill them. Sharks are very important to animals food cycles and if the food cycles get messed up it can greatly effect the world. In fact, the bull shark is more vulnerable to human impact due to their ability to live in fresh and salt water but many sharks that are killed are for either shark fin soup or their liver oil. The sharks liver oil has many uses now but it started as a machine lubricant. Another way that sharks die is by recreational fishing. The sharks can get caught up in the fishermen's nets and eventually suffocate and die. As an environmental community, I feel like we need to inform people about shark habits and how to keep sharks safe. The water is their home and we are
Image sitting on the beach one July morning. The sun is beaming down and decide to go for a swim. As you approach the water, you see a whale unusually close. You begin to get nervous as it continues to approach the shore. However, you aren’t worried because you know that they are confined to the sea. As the whale comes near you can see it clearly. Just as you think that it will turn around, the whale walks out of the ocean!
To fight is to stand up for what is right, break through the walls of what is acceptable, and to have the fire blazing in the eyes of a warrior. Throughout life society has taught humanity to form into a definite way that should not ever change, but through life there has been a small population who are immune from societies spell. The outcasts that must battle to stand up for what they believe is right. In the novels Antigone, Anthem, and in the movie Whale Rider, the main characters fight for what they believe is right by standing up to society's norms the society has deemed acceptable.
The Killer Whale is a part of the toothed whale (odontoceti) suborder. The toothed whale suborder is consisted exclusively of porpoises, whales and dolphins that are born with teeth, instead of baleen plates. The Killer Whale is the largest animal in the dolphin family and is the only known to attack sharks, whales and other marine mammals.
Shirihai, H. and B. Jarrett (2006). Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton, Princeton University Press. p.185-188.
The origin of modern day whales, a mystery that has puzzled paleontologists for years, may have just been solved with the discovery of an ankle bone. This discovery might sound simple and unimportant, but the bones of these ancient animals hold many unanswered questions and provide solid proof of origin and behavior. The relationship between whales and other animals has proven to be difficult because whales are warm-blooded, like humans, yet they live in the sea. The fact that they are warm-blooded suggests that they are related to some type of land animal. However, the questions of exactly which animal, and how whales evolved from land to water, have remained unanswered until now.
A hero is someone who will attempt everything in their power to help others and risk everything they have to help others. In the movie, The Whale Rider, you can clearly see all the elements of The Hero’s Journey. A young girl named Paula Apirana, is living in a small village with her grandparents. Paika’s dad, who is living in Spain, returns to see Paula and proposes that she should come live with him. She declines the offer and decided to stay with her grandparents. Paula then secretly tries to learn the important ritual, that only males are allowed to learn. Her grandpa, Paka, gets extremely angry at her until he realizes that she is the “chosen one” to perform the ritual. Paika goes through many difficult challenges, however she manages
Orcas, or killer whales are majestic giants of the sea. They are actually the largest type of dolphin. They have long black bodies with distinct white patches near their eyes. A killer whale can be up to 32 feet or more in length, and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. Females are a bit smaller, but live longer (Gorman). The name “killer whale” apparently came not because it is a vicious whale, but because it preys on whales. They do not have any natural predators, and they are considered the “top dog” of the ocean. Not even the great white shark stands a chance against these superb killers. “Unlike sharks, killer whales are cautious hunters, sometimes spending hours harassing a 1,000-pound sea lion so it can easily be drowned” (Francis). Orcas use many hunting tactics that are unique to their species, which is what makes them invincible.
In 2015 only 59 shark attacks have occurred around the world compared to the millions of sharks killed by humans every year. Due to these accidental shark attacks people tend to think that sharks, especially Great Whites are evil creatures with malice intentions when attacks do occur; but, on the contrary that is wrong. Sharks are not the only beautiful and unique creatures in the ocean, they also play a vital role in our ecosystem; however, due to human interference they might not be around much longer, through awareness sharks can be protected from endangerment.
Most people think that sharks are large, fast-swimmers, and savage predators. This is true of some species and groups should be interested of the appealing aspects of biology found within it: all sharks have an excellent sense of smell; some can detect electrical discharges; some sharks give birth to one of the
During the month of September in 1998 an amazing and unique discovery was found by a group of scientists when they went out to the Sea of Japan. There, they collected the carcass of a medium sized baleen whale. This was the ninth specimen needed to complete the research on discovering this new species. This species of the baleen whale did resemble the fin whale, another species of the baleen whale. However, this carcass was much smaller in size. After comparing DNA data of the external morphology, osteology, and mitochondrial, scientists were able to classify all they found into a new and different species. This new species, which was named after a Japanese cetologist, H. Omura, has a unique cranial morphology and a small number of baleen plates. Another wonderful discovery was made while doing this research as well, that was that one of the species of baleen whale could actually be classified into two unique species, Eden’s whale and Bryde’s whale. There were thought to be only five species of the baleen whale. But after the new discovery was made the number had risen to eight.
Did you know in the world there are more than 90 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises? (WDC) The dolphin is a very important animal to the ocean and there are many different types to discover. In order to learn about dolphins, it is important to discuss where they live, their appearance, and what they eat. Some helpful words to understand are “dorsal fin”, a dorsal fin is the top pointed fin on the dolphins back, “flippers”, a flipper is a flat fin that dolphins use to swim, and “echolocation” is a tool dolphins use to find food by sounds bouncing off of objects (dictionary.com).
One particularly interesting sea creature is the whale shark, formally known as Rhincondon typus it was first discovered in 1828 by Andrew Smith (Rowat 2012). This large fish is found globally in warm tropical oceans and prefers to stay within 200 meters of the ocean’s surface in waters ranging from 4.2 to 28.7 degrees Celsius (Stevens 2006). This creature can be found all across the globe in any warm tropical seas. Aggregations of whale sharks have been seen off the coast of Australia at times, although it is primarily a creature of solitude. Whale sharks are filter feeders that consume plankton as well as small fish and are harmless to humans. The whale shark is a species with a fascinating ecology, life history, behavior, anatomy