International Whale Shark Day Aug 30, 2025

If you"ve never seen an over- 10-metre, polka-dotted fish gliding past coral reefs, you are missing out. Today is International Whale Shark Day, a reminder that these slow-motion giants need our attention. First observed in 2008, the day is used by researchers and marine advocates to spotlight conservation efforts and threats like vessel strikes, plastic pollution and unregulated tourism. Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the sea, but don"t let the word "shark" fool you. They"re plankton-eating giants with no interest in humans. Found in warm waters from the Maldives and Mozambique to Mexico"s Yucatán coast, they often show up in food-rich, calm waters. Their mouths can stretch over a metre wide, but they feed by suction, not biting.

© Bachir Moukarzel/Amazing Aerial Agency

palette

Today in History

Aug 30, 2023Celebrating sibling bonds
There’s more to Pisa than leaning towers
Aug 30, 2024International Whale Shark Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 7, 2025Plum blossoms, China
Sep 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore, California, United States
Jul 10, 2025Guru Purnima
In the tropics, land greets sea warmly
Oct 9, 2025Space Week isnt over yet!
Apr 12, 2025International Day of Human Space Flight
Say hello to these halophytes!
Jul 29, 2025International Tiger Day
Nov 10, 2025Black-tailed prairie dogs in Badlands National Park, United States
Gateway to Latin America
Jul 12, 2024Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA
Nov 27, 2023Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil
Panoramic Penzance
Frosty Finland
Apr 6, 2024Himeji Castle, Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
King of the ocean
Jul 6, 2025Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, United States
Eyes on the skies
Sep 6, 2024Glenariff Forest Park, Northern Ireland, UK
Sharks, just living their lives
Jan 27, 2025Zoroaster Temple, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Sep 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Apr 25, 2024Adélie penguins
Nov 15, 2025Irohazaka Road in autumn, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan
Sep 9, 2025A female Eurasian red squirrel, Switzerland
Oct 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
When ice imitates art
America’s backyard
May 17, 2024Endangered Species Day
Will we be ready for the ‘big one?’