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Some of today's whale sharks have been roaming the oceans since the Gilded Age. These majestic creatures—the largest fish in the sea—can live up to 130 years, as revealed by a recent study published in the journal Marine and Freshwater Research. To put that in perspective, back in 1888, Grover Cleveland was nearing the end of his first term, Thomas Edison had just introduced his first light bulbs, and the United States had only 38 states.
In order to understand how long whale sharks live, researchers from Nova Southeastern University in Florida, along with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Program, tracked male sharks around South Ari Atoll in the Maldives for a decade. They used repeated visits from these sharks to estimate their sizes, relying on distinctive spot patterns, lasers, tape measurements, and visual estimates to gather the most accurate data possible.
By studying these measurements alongside whale shark growth patterns, the team discovered that male whale sharks usually mature by 25 years and can live to about 130 years. Over the course of their long lives, they typically grow to an impressive length of 61.7 feet—roughly the length of a bowling lane.
Although whale sharks are renowned for their gentle nature, studying them remains a challenge, and there’s still much we don’t know about them. Classified as endangered, any data we can collect is crucial. This marks the first time scientists have successfully measured live, swimming whale sharks.
“Until now, studying their aging and growth meant retrieving vertebrae from deceased whale sharks and counting growth rings, much like how tree rings are counted to determine age,” said first author Cameron Perry in a press statement. “Our research demonstrates that we can gather age and growth data without needing dead sharks from fisheries. This is a significant breakthrough.”
While whale sharks are considered to have long lifespans, their longevity pales in comparison to that of the Greenland shark, which researchers reported could live up to 400 years in 2016.
