Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus
Sighting evidence at Whale Shark Cleaning Station, Lankayan Island
Photo: Simon Pierce · CC BY-NC
Lankayan hosts one of Southeast Asia's most reliable whale shark aggregations, with individuals returning repeatedly to the cleaning station to have parasites removed by wrasse. Juveniles 4 to 8 metres long are most common, feeding on zooplankton concentrated by upwellings over the sandy shelf. Encounters are typically calm and prolonged as the sharks move slowly at snorkel depth.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Whale Shark is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.