New Juvenile Whale Shark Group Discovered Near Saudi Arabia

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world's oceans, growing to a massive 30 feet in length. Despite their size, though, researchers still know very little about these elusive creatures. Now, scientists have discovered a juvenile whale shark aggregation off of the coast of Saudi Arabia, shedding more light on the behavior of these animals.

The aggregation was first found in 2009 during fieldwork. That's when scientists spotted hundreds of juvenile whales sharks gathering on coral reefs near Al-Lith on the central coast of Saudi Arabia.

"The fact that there were so many whale sharks in such a small area gave us an opportunity to begin an unprecedented study to answer some of the basic questions," said Simon Thorrold, co-author of the new paper, in a news release. "The discovery of the site provides a window into the movements and ecology of the species in a region that we were not necessarily expecting to see them in such high numbers."

In order to learn more about these sharks, the research team used three types of satellite transmitting tags in order to track the movements of 47 whale sharks from 2009 through 2011. In the end, the scientists found that the sharks made frequent deep dives to at least 1,640 feet, and three of the sharks made excursions below 3,281 feet with a maximum recorded dive depth of 4,462 feet. In addition, most of the sharks remained in the southern Red Sea while they were tagged.

"Interestingly, while some individuals that we tagged left the Red Sea and headed into the Indian Ocean, most remained relatively close to where they were tagged, suggesting that the area represents a critical juvenile habitat for this population," said Thorrold.

The findings reveal a bit more about whale sharks. Learning more about these creatures is crucial, since they're listed as "vulnerable." Understanding which areas should be protected, like the one that houses this juvenile population, could be a huge step forward when it comes to preserving this species.

The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.