Whale Sharks: Gentle Giants

Theyre not whales at all, but by far the largest fish in the sea. Yet at nearly 50 feet in length and weighing 20 tons or more, they eat only the smallest marine animals. They are not a threat to humans, but their numbers are dramatically shrinking. Like elephants slaughtered for their ivory tusks, whale sharks are relentlessly pursued by poachers. From Africa to Asia, they are targeted for their meat and immense fins.

Whale Sharks: Gentle Giants introduces us to this amazing creature through scientists who are racing against time to save the species. Utilizing space-age technology from NASA and the Hubble Telescope, researchers are able to identify, catalogue and track individual sharks. In Mexico and remote Western Australia, whale shark tourism has proven to be both a blessing and a curse, as more and more boats vie for fewer animals. The program also features the remarkable story of shark cowboys who captured and transported 4 live whale sharks (in customized jumbo jets) to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

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Entertainment

Tags:

• Whale
• shark
• ningaloo
• reef
• holbox
• georgia
• aquarium
• blue
• realm
• ocean
• scuba
• diving