Some of my dive buddies and myself were recently fortunate to be able to do a couple of Whale Shark dives while diving in the Philippines. These dives were on Cebu island at a location called Oslob. Whale sharks (Rhincodon Typus)are the world's largest fish, measuring up to 18 meters and weighing more than 34 tons (although the ones we saw were smaller with the larger one of the three being close to 20 foot in length). They make ocean-wide migrations and congregate around areas of high food density. They are filter feeders who eat zooplankton and small fish by sucking water through their large mouths which can be up to 1 meter wide. Each whale shark has a unique pattern of white spots and lines. Scientist use these as "fingerprints" to recognize the individuals.