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The world's largest fish, a gentle filter-feeding giant patterned with a checkerboard of pale spots and stripes over a slate-blue back. Seasonal plankton blooms draw individuals to Egyptian Red Sea reefs, where they cruise the surface with mouths agape, harmless to swimmers.
This is a protected or non-target species — please don't fish for it. If it's accidentally hooked, release it quickly and unharmed.
Eating & safety
Completely harmless to humans, but never touch or ride them and keep a respectful distance to avoid stressing the animal.
Best conditions: Calm summer seas with rich plankton blooms; surface encounters on sunny mornings at offshore reefs
Each whale shark has a unique spot pattern, like a fingerprint, used by researchers to identify and track individuals worldwide.