# @sealegacy on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcq5DizB4yF
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/69787918-sealegacy-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/4fd86c5ea1.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-08-30T16:00:05.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** SeaLegacy (@sealegacy) — https://gondola.cc/sealegacy

## Caption

Whale, whale, whale… look what we have here. It’s a shark!

Reaching 60 feet in length with an insatiable appetite for plankton, the “whale” in whale shark is no surprise. But make no mistake, these gentle giants are sharks through and through.

Despite their intimidating size, whale sharks are harmless to humans. With teeth so small they look more like bumps, they filter-feed instead, using suction and specialized gills to strain plankton, shrimp, and small fish from the water, filling the same ecological niche as baleen whales. 

Whale shark populations have dropped by more than half in the last 75 years. They are a migratory species, and a study published earlier this year found Indo-Pacific whale sharks spend 40% of their time in the high seas. That’s why international agreements like the High Seas Treaty are so important.

On this International Whale Shark Day, here’s hoping global cooperation can help these incredible animals recover to their former glory. 

Video by PaulNicklen

#OceanSchool #InternationalWhaleSharkDay #WhaleShark #Galapagos #Explore

## Stats

- **Views:** 80,341
- **Likes:** 14,477
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 84

## Tags

oceanschool, galapagos, explore, internationalwhalesharkday, whaleshark

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