A Florida family was enjoying fishing when they were surprised by an animal near their boat. The beachgoers were just 5 miles off the coast of Destin, Florida when they saw a fin in the water. As a result, the boaters started quickly speculating about the type of animal it could be.
“It’s a whale,” one of the people said. Another one expressed that it was a “hammerhead shark,” but they were finally able to realize that it was a much bigger animal, a whale shark. The siblings who witnessed the rare moment told Fox 35 News that they knew they were in the ocean and that we had all the chances to find marine animals but concluded that the moment was unlike anything they had seen before.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association states that these marine animals can be seen in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the summer and fall seasons. In addition, they prefer warm waters so they usually live in tropical areas. They are also the biggest fish in the ocean thanks to their massive proportions.
According to experts, the whale shark is one of the largest animals in the ocean. It is about 46 feet long and can weigh up to 24,000 pounds. They are docile creatures and mostly eat plankton and small fish. They are relatively elusive but sometimes can be spotted on their migrations around the world. It is currently an endangered species, as it is hunted in Asia and Mexico.
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