The Whale Shark Rhincodon typus, is a slow-moving filter feeding shark and the largest known fish species.

This beautiful creature, about which relatively little is known, seems to show up in the waters around Koh Tao twice a year, from April-May and September-October and this year it has been a bonanza season for whale shark sightings around Koh Tao including sightings on Christmas day!!!

Nick Zioncheck, PADI pro underwater cinematographer, was one of those lucky enough to be on a dive; with Koh Tao dive operators Planet Scuba, at Chumphon Pinnacle Dive Site, Thailand in October when he chanced upon this amazing PAIR of whale sharks!!! One was considerably smaller than the other and both where swimming independently of each other. Fortunately Nick's training on our Underwater videography course meant that he was able to contain his excitement at seeing these rare animals and get these amazing shots.

The whale shark is known to be the largest living non-mammalian vertebrate; these beautiful creatures have been reported up to grow to up to 12.65 metres (41.50 ft) and are thought to have a life span of around 70 years. They are the sole member of the genus Rhincodon and the family, Rhincodontidae, which belongs to the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. The species originated approximately 60 million years ago.

Whale sharks have very large mouths and as filter feeders they feed mainly, though not exclusively, on plankton, which are microscopic plants and animals. However, the BBC program Planet Earth, aired in 2006 filmed a whale shark feeding on a school of small fish. The same documentary showed footage of a whale shark timing its arrival to coincide with the mass spawning of fish shoals and feeding on the resultant clouds of eggs and sperm.

Ecocean at www.whaleshark.org keep a record of whale shark sightings around the world and uses photographs of the skin patterning behind the gills of each shark and any scars to distinguish between individual animals. Cutting-edge software supports rapid identification using pattern recognition and photo management tools.

This information library is s maintained and used by marine biologists to collect and analyse whale shark encounter data to learn more about these amazing creatures. We have submitted our footage to the database for their review.

credit to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark for information.