Gigantic whale shark circles Darwin Island and meets scuba diver

A whale shark circled Darwin Island in the Galapagos and swam through a group of scuba divers; whale sharks visit the islands for cleaning stations where other fish remove remoras.

A large whale shark was observed circling Darwin Island in the Galapagos and swam through a group of scuba divers. The Galapagos lie on the equator west of Ecuador and are influenced by four strong ocean currents that bring nutrients and many species to the area. Predators such as hammerhead, silky, and Galapagos sharks gather there, and trevallies are also common. Whale sharks visit these waters to use cleaning stations where other fish remove remoras and parasites. Key details: - A whale shark circled Darwin Island and swam among a group of scuba divers. - Whale sharks are the largest fish and come to Galapagos cleaning stations to relieve remora loads. - Remoras can number in the dozens on a single whale shark and may add drag or interfere with filtering. - Silky sharks and trevallies are among the species that remove remoras; trevallies can enter gill slits and the mouth to eat them. - The same whale shark has been seen circling Darwin Island several times since 2018. Summary: The encounter highlights how whale sharks use Galapagos cleaning stations and how interactions among whale sharks, remoras, and other predators play out near Darwin Island. It also shows that such large animals can come very close to divers. Undetermined at this time.