Whale shark, Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia Aug 30, 2023

Say hello to the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. These gentle giants are not related to whales, despite their impressive size of an average 12 metres in length. Whale sharks are calm creatures which are usually safe for divers to swim alongside. These sharks are filter feeders and consume plankton and small fish by sieving them through their gill plates. There has been a significant decline in their populations, with an estimated 63% decrease in their numbers in the last 75 years. Threats include being hit by boats or tangled in fishing gear and their habitats are being damaged by pollution, coastal development and over-fishing. Advocates work through education and community engagement to help safeguard whale sharks and preserve our oceans.

© Jason Edwards/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Aug 30, 2024Whale shark
Aug 30, 2025Whale shark

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 11, 2025Externsteine, Teutoburg Forest, Germany
Jan 7, 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Jul 8, 2025Seceda, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy
May 9, 2024Tulips at Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye
Oct 26, 2023Schönbrunn Palace Park, Vienna, Austria
Dec 4, 2023Cheetah and her cubs
Feb 1, 2024Sassnitz lighthouse, Germany
Jun 14, 2025Cinque Torri, Dolomites, Italy
Dec 12, 2024Poinsettia flower
Jan 16, 2025Pinnacles National Park, California, United States
Sep 9, 2023Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
Jun 19, 2024Water tower in Cuxhaven, Germany
May 8, 2025Donkeys in a valley near Rhyolite, Nevada, United States
Jul 24, 2025Family of ashy woodswallows
Nov 23, 2023Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Oct 6, 2025Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
Mar 9, 2025St Marks Clock Tower, Venice, Italy
Apr 17, 2024Black bear cub emerges into spring
Dec 4, 2024Male white rhinoceroses
Nov 6, 2023Lago Pehoé, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Aug 25, 2025Calcite Springs Overlook and Yellowstone River, Wyoming, United States
Jan 13, 2024Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii, USA
May 8, 2024Château dIf, Marseille, France
Jul 19, 2025Luna moth
Nov 23, 2024Spiral aloe, Kangaroo Island, Australia
Sep 1, 2024River Thames, England, United Kingdom
Nov 29, 2023Schwerin Castle on Lake Schwerin, Germany
Nov 28, 2025Val Brandet, Brescia, Lombardy, Italy
Dec 27, 2025Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States
Jun 24, 2025Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, United States