Philippines

Travel Trivia: Whale Sharks of Cebu

At first glance, the whale shark can be a terrifying creature. But the natives of Oslob, Cebu know these sea creatures—locally called butanding—are completely harmless. Here are a few interesting facts about these gentle giants.

1. Whale sharks are sharks—which makes them fish.

Oslob, Cebu: Whale Shark Watching

The name is pretty confusing but we’re making it clear: the whale shark (or Rhinodon typus) is a shark. Unlike whales, which are mammals, sharks fall under cartilaginous fish.

2. They’re the world’s largest fish.

Oslob, Cebu: Whale sharks can reach up to 43 feet long.
Whale sharks can reach up to 43 feet long.

That being said, the whale shark is the largest of its kind. The ‘whale’ part is a quick description of its sheer size. On average, they can reach up to 43 feet long, and weigh up to 24,000 pounds!

3.  They have over 3,000 teeth

Oslob, Cebu: Whale sharks have thousands of tiny teeth.
A whale shark’s mouth can stretch up to 4 feet long.

The whale shark has over 300 rows of teeth lining its very long mouth. However, they are so small—smaller than a rice grain, in fact—that the whale shark can’t even bite or chew. Instead, it uses its ‘gill rakers,’ a form of cartilage filters attached to its gills that catch plankton and small fish.

4. Whale sharks are migratory

Oslob, Cebu: Whale watching is a common activity in certain parts of the Philippines
Whale sharks are a rare species, and only migrate within the tropical region.

As tropical fish, whale sharks stay in the equator area for the warm climate and abundant fish supply. But within the tropical to sub-tropical zone, they’ll travel a lot. Within three years, a whale shark can travel over 8000 miles. In the Philippines, you’ll mostly find them in Oslob, Cebu and Dumaguete. But they swim at an incredibly slow pace, at an average of only 3 miles per hour.

5. They’ll probably outlive us

Oslob, Cebu: Whale sharks can live up to 150 years!
Whale sharks can live up to 150 years!

Most marine life experts agree that big fish can live up to 60 years, but a number of scientists argue that the whale shark can live up to 100, even 150 years!

If you want to see the whale sharks in person, you can book a whale watching tour at the scenic island of Oslob, Cebu over here!