Discover the Schoolbus-Sized Sharks Gathering in the Waters of Qatar

Qatar witnesses the largest concentrations of hundreds of whale sharks on the northeastern coast of the country every year from May to next October, and they are the largest shark concentrations in the world. What is the truth about these huge creatures, and do they harm humans?

Whale sharks swim in the warm and shallow sea waters near the coast of Qatar, about 145 kilometers from the shores of the capital, Doha, and appear in groups of about 100-150 fish at a time.

Shark or whale?

According to Discover Qatar website, as it appears from its mysterious name and appearance, it is often confusing to determine whether these gentle, endangered giant fish are a descendant of a whale or a shark.

Although whale sharks share a lot of similarities with whales, they belong to the shark family.

The website site says: Whale sharks are scientifically known as Rhincondon Typus, and they can grow up to 65 feet in length, which is the length of a large bus.

While these fish mature like a whale and push water out of their gills, they also have some characteristics of sharks such as a skeletal system that consists of cartilage rather than bones, and the female grows larger than the males.

Does it threaten people?

Regardless of their intimidating name, whale sharks do not pose any threat to humans, be they a spectator or a diver, according to the Discover Qatar website

Whale sharks are famous for their clearly dotted patterns and camouflaged shapes.

What is the food of these organisms then?

Whale sharks get their food by filtering, they have about 3000 small teeth, and it doesn't use their teeth to eat, they feed on fish eggs and small plankton.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change says that Qatar incubated about 600 sharks in 2020, and more than 100 sharks were monitored in the Al-Shaheen field, during the period from May to October of each year.

The Ministry calls upon citizens and residents of the marine beaches and northern islands not to approach the whale shark gathering areas and to report immediately by calling the unified call center on phone number (184) in the event of any sightings or monitoring of them, and not to shed light on it and prevent any source of sounds.

How can you see it up close?

Discover Qatar website has announced the launch of trips to discover whale sharks in Qatar, which offer guests an amazing experience to enjoy watching one of the natural marine wonders, the largest gathering of whale sharks in the world.

It is worth noting that the government of the State of Qatar is working hard to provide the greatest protection and development of the marine environment in Qatar in order to provide all means of luxury and enjoyment for the Qatari people and visitors to spend special holidays and is also working to raise awareness among visitors in order to preserve and protect this environment, and protect the living creatures in it.