Cameras on whale sharks reveal how the world’s biggest fish hunts

For decades, marine scientists have watched whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), the world’s biggest fish, from boats and while snorkelling. They could only catch glimpses of the world’s largest fish gliding through tropical waters. It turns out that what they have observed until now was only the trailer. A new study published in the journal Marine Biology reveals their krill chases and complex behaviour. Researchers mounted cameras on these charismatic marine animals near Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia and discovered that the giants do not mostly feed at the surface, as was previously assumed. Instead, they are calculating foragers that dive deeper than 70 metres, shifting between different feeding strategies depending on what they find.Spying on the giantsThe lives of whale sharks below the surface have mostly remained a mystery. These magnificent creatures live in tropical oceans, where food is often sparse, and hence they must constantly adapt to survive.