Boaters get ‘breathtaking’ glimpse at the biggest fish in the world. See the video
A group of boaters recently spotted two massive sea creatures moving through the water in New Jersey. They were an endangered whale shark and a huge ocean sunfish.
The rare encounter happened during Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center’s Sept. 9 through Sept. 10 24-hour tour, according to a Sept. 13 Facebook post from the tour agency.
“We were extremely fortunate to encounter an endangered whale shark,” the post said. “This observation was very unique!”
When the boaters first noticed the creatures, they kept their distance, according to the agency. After a few minutes though, the at least 30-foot shark swam near the boat, allowing experts onboard to positively identify the creature.
“This was a lifer for everyone onboard and our first documented sighting for Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center,” the agency said in its post.
Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world — and the largest fish known to have existed on Earth, according to the Georgia Aquarium. They are known to live in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and tropical Atlantic.
The massive filter-feeding creatures have unusually large mouths that can be up to 4 feet long, experts said. Although the sharks do not use their teeth to feed, they have about 300 rows of tiny teeth on each jaw.
The “gentle giants” are distinguishable by their white spots, which are unique to each individual, similar to human fingerprints, World Wildlife Fund experts said.
Facebook users shared in the agency’s excitement about the New Jersey sighting.
“Amazing, you are blessed!” one commenter wrote.
“Breathtaking!” another comment said.
“That is so awesome!” a third person commented on the post.
Cape May is in southern New Jersey, about 60 miles southeast of Philadelphia.
This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 11:45 AM with the headline "Boaters get ‘breathtaking’ glimpse at the biggest fish in the world. See the video."
