Scuba divers in Ocotal are amazed at the presence of whale sharks, the world’s largest marine species. The exotic fish have been spotted by divers several times in the vicinity of Ocotal, Catalinas Islands and Murcielagos Islands. The species is expected to migrate through this area of the Pacific Ocean in search of better climate conditions and food.
Oliver Blumeke, a diver in the area, shared his experience with ocean’s giants. “It’s quite a show. During the season, we have been able to see about 10. They swim far below the surface. They can’t be seen from the beach. Only us divers have this experience with them. Most of the ones that we have seen are babies. They are between four and five meters (13 to 16 feet) long and have a friendly demeanor. They do turns around divers as if they are playing. They repeatedly do a kind of flips,” Blumeke said.
Whale sharks are protected by conservation groups since it has been declared endangered species.
It is the biggest fish that inhabits the seabed. It can reach a size of 15 meters (50 feet) long and its weight can reach 20 tons. It has a dark gray color with white spots all over its body. It feeds on algae, diatoms, shrimp, and tuna fish, among other things.
It reproduces by laying eggs inside the female’s belly. These eggs are the largest in the animal world, measuring up to 30 cm (11.8 feet) long.
Andrés López MISIÓN TIBURÓN
Andres Lopez, a shark expert from Mision Tiburon (Mission Shark) Conservationist Association, said that this animal’s favorite place is Darwin Island in the Galapagos Archipelago in Ecuador. Lopez said that their migration happens during the transition period between dry season and rainy season.
“It is normal to see these sharks in the Costa Rican Pacific each year between April and July, usually in search of food and weather conditions. They have been seen in Dulce Gulf and Coco Island. Their habitat is the seabed in deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, but they might approach the coast in search of food,” said Lopez.
Lopez pointed out that this is a species that contributes greatly to recreational tourism and ecotourism since it is rare species with very exotic characteristics.
Andrés López MISIÓN TIBURÓN
Since they are present under the water surface, they can only be seen by means of underwater expeditions. Many tourists take the plunge for the sake of the adventure of meeting one of these magnificent monsters of the sea face to face.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkz6arZoVwo#t=76 width:500 align:center autoplay:0]Viideo by: Deep Blue Living http://deepblue-diving.com/es/
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