Whale Sharks' Hidden Feeding Habits Unveiled by New Camera Study

Researchers attached video‑recording tags to whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) off Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, gathering more than 22 hours of footage. The cameras captured the sharks foraging deep below the surface, revealing a range of previously undocumented feeding techniques, including slow, continuous feeding near the seafloor and opportunistic snacking on krill swarms. Analysis identified 36 distinct behaviors, six of them new to science, and showed that the sharks spend far more time feeding at depth than surface observations had suggested. The findings were published in the journal Marine Biology and involved scientists from Murdoch University’s Australian Institute of Marine Science, with commentary from emeritus biologist Philip Motta. The study provides the most comprehensive view yet of whale‑shark foraging across the water column.