Whale Shark

Photo: Simon Pierce · CC BY-NC

Whale sharks arrive off Setouchi each summer, typically from June through September, feeding on dense aggregations of fish spawn and zooplankton that bloom in the Amami Straits. They are predominantly sub-adult males in this region, suggesting the channel serves as a seasonal foraging corridor rather than a mating aggregation. Surface feeding events are common on calm mornings, when animals tilt nearly vertical to engulf prey near the surface.