Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) – the world’s biggest fish – are one of the most charismatic marine species. They connect with the hearts of anyone lucky enough to encounter them, making people deeply curious about their lives and invested in their conservation.

Yet most of what researchers know about the behaviour of whale sharks comes from snorkelling or watching them from boats at the sea surface – only a small part of their entire habitat. Much of their lives below the surface remains a mystery.

Whale sharks live in tropical oceans where food is often sparse and patchily distributed, so they need to constantly adapt. As oceans are affected by climate change, food for whale sharks may become even more scarce, so it’s important to understand their feeding strategies.

Our new research, published today in Marine Biology, used cameras carried by whale sharks themselves, to follow them below the water surface in a tropical coastal gathering site.

Our work has revealed new behaviours and, for the first time, provides a more comprehensive picture of whale shark foraging strategies throughout the water column – from the surface to the bottom of the sea.

Going where we can’t follow

Before our study,........

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