Scientists have found the reason why 420 whale sharks gathered off of the Yucatan Penisula of Mexica in the summer of 2009.
The record 420 sharks were there to feast on an abnormally large amount of fish eggs in one area. See, while these sharks are the largest fish in the ocean, they actually feed on some of the smallest organisms in the ocean.
"Whale sharks are the largest species of fish in the world, yet they mostly feed on the smallest organisms in the ocean, such as zooplankton," Mike Maslanka said.
The gathering, known as an "afuera" (Spanish for "outside"), occurred in August 2009, when the animals were observed crowded in an elliptical patch of ocean about 7 square miles.
This study was rare and exciting, as these sharks are often out of the sight of humans for most of their lives. They grow up to 40 feet long, but little is still know about these fish. We do not know much about what they eat, how they eat, how they breed and so much more.
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