A Year in the Life of a Whale Shark
Summary
<div class="c-field c-field--name-title c-field--type-string c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__item">A Year in the Life of a Whale Shark</div></div></div> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-image c-field--type-entity-reference c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__item"><figure> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-media-image c-field--type-image c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__item"> <img alt="A large, spotted shark swims near the surface of the water by a person with long fins." height="717" src="https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_width_1275/public/2026-06/whale-shark-larry-dr.spetka-jamison-smith-bwri.jpg?itok=GT3Cjn_k" title="A large, spotted shark swims near the surface of the water by a person with long fins. (Image credit: Blue World Research Group/Jamison Smith)" width="1275" /> </div></div></div> <figcaption> <div> <div class="caption-credit"> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-file-caption-formatted c-field--type-text-long c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__item"><div><div><div><div id="lightbox--caption">Physician Dr. Larry Spetka swims with his namesake, Larry the whale shark, in the Gulf in May 2025. Credit: BWRI/Jamison Smith</div></div></div></div><p><br /> <span class="credit">(Image credit: Blue World Research Group/Jamison Smith)</span></p></div></div></div> </div> <div class="image-download"><a class="image-download-link" href="https://www.noaa.gov/media/image_download/31c488f3-d554-417a-82f5-19a10608d34e">Download Image</a></div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div></div></div> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-publication-date c-field--type-datetime c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__item"><time datetime="2026-06-05T12:00:00Z">June 5, 2026</time> </div></div></div> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-node-focus-area c-field--type-entity-reference c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__items"><div class="c-field__item"><a href="https://www.noaa.gov/fisheries">Fisheries</a> </div></div></div></div> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-tags c-field--type-entity-reference c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__items"><div class="c-field__item"><a href="https://www.noaa.gov/topic-tags/shark-week">Shark Week</a> </div></div></div></div> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-sidebar-next-to-intro c-field--type-boolean c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__item">0</div></div></div> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-updates c-field--type-entity-reference-revisions c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__items"><div class="c-field__item"></div></div></div></div> <div class="c-field c-field--name-field-suppress-hero-image c-field--type-boolean c-field--label-hidden"> <div class="c-field__content"><div class="c-field__item">Off</div></div></div>