Where does the Whale Shark live?
Rhincodon typus has 15,859 records in 85 countries and territories, from 1840 to 2026. Most records come from Australia.
- 15,859 records
- 85 places
- 70 years recorded
- Elasmobranchii class
AnimaliaChordataElasmobranchiiOrectolobiformesRhincodontidaeRhincodon
When it is recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak month: September. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.
Where it is recorded
| Place | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 8,523 | |
| Ecuador | 1,049 | |
| Mexico | 739 | |
| Indonesia | 604 | |
| Maldives | 498 | |
| Christmas Island | 390 | |
| Peru | 371 | |
| Philippines | 272 | |
| Costa Rica | 170 | |
| United States | 146 | |
| Colombia | 109 | |
| Thailand | 70 | |
| South Africa | 57 | |
| Madagascar | 46 | |
| Mozambique | 46 | |
| Saint Helena | 43 | |
| Djibouti | 32 | |
| Honduras | 32 | |
| New Caledonia | 26 | |
| Tanzania | 25 | |
| Wallis & Futuna | 25 | |
| Egypt | 24 | |
| Cocos Islands | 20 | |
| India | 19 | |
| Malaysia | 19 | |
| Panama | 19 | |
| French Polynesia | 19 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 18 | |
| Seychelles | 18 | |
| Israel | 17 | |
| Antarctica | 16 | |
| Sri Lanka | 16 | |
| New Zealand | 15 | |
| Portugal | 14 | |
| Cuba | 13 | |
| Taiwan | 12 | |
| Brazil | 11 | |
| Belize | 11 | |
| Oman | 10 | |
| French Guiana | 7 |
Showing the top 40 of 85 places.
Status from the records: resident
Recorded across many years and months — an established presence. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.
Recorded across many years and months — an established presence. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.