Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassElasmobranchii
- OrderOrectolobiformes (Carpet Sharks)
- FamilyRhincodontidae (Whale Sharks)
- GenusRhincodon (Whale sharks)
- SpeciesRhincodon typus (Whale Shark)
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. An individual with a length of 18.8 m (61.7 ft) has been considered the largest reliably recorded. The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the largest living non-cetacean animal. It is the only living species of the genus Rhincodon and the only extant member of the family Rhincodontidae, which belongs to the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. Before 1984, it was classified as Rhiniodon into Rhinodontidae. An extinct species, Rhincodon ferriolensis, was described in Europe (probably in Spain), in the Late Burdigalian stage. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Whale Shark sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Coiba National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Isla del Coco National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 6 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Whale Shark in Galápagos Islands?
About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Whale Shark sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Whale Shark in Galápagos Islands?
August has the highest sighting rate for Whale Shark in Galápagos Islands in our monthly data.