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Simon J Pierce

Shark Biologist & Underwater Photographer

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Whale Shark & Entourage: All The Pretty Fishies

October 16, 2019

Whale shark and associated baitfish, Mafia Island, Tanzania

One of the fairly unique things about Mafia Island is the sheer number of fish that are frequently associated with the whale sharks.

Theres a whale shark in there somewhere…

The sharks, and the small fish, are all chasing the same prey: small (~1 cm) sergestid shrimps. When the shrimp move inshore over summer, the sharks and the fish follow them in. Predatory fishes, such as cobia and mackerel, join the migration.

I guess it makes sense for the smaller fish to team up with the sharks for the protection. I doubt the sharks get much out of the deal – after all, these small fishes are direct competitors – but it does look really cool.

Heres some shots of a single shark we saw this week. I changed the photos to black and white because vis was a bit crap I am an artist. Also because Steve showed me one of his shots in B&W, and it looked great, so I immediately stole his idea.

UPDATE: Here’s a video from Chris Rohner! Check out his Facebook page.

Like geeky animal facts and dad jokes?

I write a few articles just for my mailing list. They normally focus on something interesting, and possibly hilarious, that I've learnt about sharks (or other random animals) that week. There may also be groan-inducing jokes.

Real talk: there will be groan-inducing jokes.

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© 2019 Simon J Pierce. All rights reserved. You look fantastic.