Are Whale Sharks whales or sharks?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Are Whale Sharks Whales or Sharks?"

Who Smarted? - Educational Podcast for Kids
Episode Date: October 3, 2025
Host: Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media ("Trusty Narrator")
Featured Guests (Voices): Rio Lady (Whale Shark), Mr. Facey (Whale Shark)

Brief Overview

This lively episode investigates whether whale sharks are truly whales or sharks, unraveling myths and sharing fascinating facts in the classic Who Smarted? blend of humor, interactive trivia, and adventure. Accompanied by "whale shark" characters, the episode explores the biology, behaviors, habitats, and mysteries surrounding the largest fish in the ocean, all in a tone designed to keep kids (and adults!) learning and laughing.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is a Whale Shark?

• Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the sea, not the biggest animal (which is the blue whale).
• Despite their name, whale sharks are sharks, not whales.
• Scientific name: Rhynchodon typus.
• "We're called whale sharks because we're about the same size as most whales and we look kind of similar except our tails are vertical instead of horizontal."
  — Rio Lady, [04:46]

2. Whale Shark Size and Classification

• Average length: about 40 feet (about the length of a school bus)
  • Can grow up to 65 feet and weigh 18 tons!
  • "If you said 40ft long, you're right. Although some whale sharks can grow up to 65ft long and whale sharks can weigh up to 18 tons."
    — Mr. Facey, [04:18]
• Bones vs. Cartilage: Like all sharks, their skeletons are made from cartilage, not bone.
  • Activity: Listeners are encouraged to squeeze their own nose or ears to feel cartilage.

3. Habitat & Range

• Whale sharks prefer temperate (warm) waters, especially near the equator, and are found both in deep oceans and sometimes near land.
  • "Whale sharks like to live in temperate waters."
    — Rio Lady, [01:35]

4. Comparison to Other Sharks

• There are over 400 kinds of sharks swimming in the world’s oceans.
• Whale sharks are the largest shark species, bigger even than the great white.

5. Appearance & Characteristics

• Flat, broad heads with very large mouths positioned at the front.
• Usual color: dark reddish-brown or gray above, white underneath, decorated with distinct yellowish or white spots and stripes.
  • "Our patterns of stripes and spots are as unique as human fingerprints."
    — Rio Lady, [09:57]

6. Nature & Behavior

• Gentle Giants: Whale sharks are not dangerous to humans; they're filter feeders and not interested in biting people.
  • "Are whale sharks dangerous? Nah, we're gentle giants. We don't attack people. Plus, our tiny teeth aren't very good for biting."
    — Mr. Facey, [06:14]
• Divers sometimes hold onto the fins of whale sharks for underwater rides.

7. Movement & Speed

• Swim slowly: about 3–5 mph.
• Most scuba divers can easily keep up with them.

8. Teeth & Feeding Habits

• Each whale shark can have 3,000 to 6,000 tiny teeth—but they're not for biting.
  • "Our giant mouths can have between 3,000 and 6,000 teeth."
    — Rio Lady, [07:09]
• Diet: They eat small sea creatures like plankton, tiny fish, and crustaceans—never pizza!
  • "We're filter feeders. We eat by swimming with our mouths open to catch small fish, crustaceans, and tiny organisms like plankton."
    — Mr. Facey, [07:48]
• Filter feeding method: Swim with mouths open, strain out food, and expel water before swallowing.
• Fun Fact: A whale shark eats a mouthful of plankton every 20 seconds!
  • "A whale shark actually takes a mouthful of water and plankton every 20 seconds."
    — Trusty Narrator, [09:22]

9. Camouflage and Unique Markings

• Spots and stripes help camouflage them from predators.
• Each whale shark’s spot pattern is unique, much like human fingerprints.

10. Predators

• Despite their size, whale sharks have natural predators:
  • Great white sharks, tiger sharks, blue sharks, and orcas (killer whales).
  • "Great whites, of course, will attack pretty much anything. And tiger and blue sharks are also on the list of fish to avoid."
    — Mr. Facey, [14:06]
  • "Don't forget dolphins... it's a member of the dolphin family... the orca, otherwise known as the killer whale."
    — Rio Lady, [14:14], [14:23]
• The biggest threat to whale sharks are humans—through fishing and environmental dangers.

11. Human Interaction & Luck

• Positive relationships: Whale sharks are often curious about humans and are considered good luck by some cultures.
  • In Japan, seeing a whale shark means there are lots of plankton and, thus, plenty of fish.
    • "In Japan, fishermen believe seeing a whale shark means there are lots of plankton around."
      — Rio Lady, [15:16]
• The larger the whale shark, the more tolerant they are of human swimmers.

12. Helping Science

• Whale sharks help scientists by wearing satellite tracking tags to see where they migrate.
  • Notable story: Rio Lady traveled from the Yucatan Peninsula, through the Gulf of Mexico, across the Atlantic, and crossed the equator.
    • "Scientists put satellite tags on us to see where we go the rest of the year...I swam all the way to the North Atlantic Ocean, headed south, and crossed the equator just before my tag fell off."
      — Rio Lady, [15:55]
  • "When I worked with a human scientist, I wouldn't leave her alone. I liked to nudge her tummy and I even became her companion for an entire dive at Gladden Spit in Belize."
    — Mr. Facey, [15:43]

13. The Unsolved Mysteries

• There’s much more to learn about whale shark migrations and population patterns.
  • "As much as we know about whale sharks, there's still plenty more to discover, smarty pants. Which is why you should never stop smarting."
    — Trusty Narrator, [16:39]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Are you whales or sharks? We are definitely sharks and obviously we're the biggest of all sharks, including the great white."
  — Mr. Facey, [04:39]
• Funny moment:
  "If you said pizza, you're thinking of me. But surprisingly, giant whale sharks like to eat small sea creatures."
  — Trusty Narrator, [07:40]
• Gentle tease:
  "The most dangerous thing about us is our big flapping tails."
  — Rio Lady, [06:31]
• "The bigger a whale shark is, the more tolerant of people it will be."
  — Mr. Facey, [14:53]
• "Maybe someday one of you smartypants will make a new discovery and find out."
  — Rio Lady, [16:36]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:11] — Introduction: Whale sharks described as the biggest fish (not animal).
• [01:35] — Whale shark habitat: "Temperate waters," near the equator.
• [04:18] — How big are whale sharks?
• [04:39] — Are they whales or sharks? The answer explained.
• [05:46] — Description of whale shark appearance.
• [06:14] — Are whale sharks dangerous? Answer: No.
• [07:09] — How many teeth do whale sharks have?
• [07:48] — How do whale sharks eat? Filter feeding explained.
• [09:22] — How often do whale sharks eat? Every 20 seconds!
• [09:57] — Why do whale sharks have spots and stripes?
• [14:06] — What are whale sharks’ predators?
• [15:16] — Whale sharks as good luck in Japan.
• [15:43] — Whale sharks helping with science and satellite tagging.
• [16:39] — The importance of discovery; encouragement for kids to keep learning about whale sharks.

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Tone and Style

• Playful, interactive, and accessible: Hosts and whale shark characters answer questions directly, encourage kids ("smarty pants") to think and guess, and weave in jokes and fun facts throughout.
• Inclusive encouragement: Listeners are reminded that science is an ongoing adventure and they could contribute to future discoveries.
• Memorable, kid-friendly analogies: Whale shark size compared to school bus, basketball hoops, and buildings; filter feeding likened to eating mouthfuls of plankton every 20 seconds.

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Conclusion

This episode of "Who Smarted?" delivers a delightful journey into the world of whale sharks, demystifying their name, highlighting their gentle nature and massive presence, and igniting curiosity about marine science. Listeners walk away knowing not only why whale sharks aren't whales, but also that there’s plenty of mystery left for future "smarty pants" to solve!

Transcript

[A]

And now it's time for who's Smarted? Psst. Hey, smarty pants.

[B]

I'm on a boat about to jump.

[A]

Into the ocean to meet some friends of mine who also happen to be the biggest fish in the sea. Any ideas what kind of animal they are? Did you say a whale? Or even a blue whale? Well, that's a good guess, but not quite right. As you know, whales are the biggest animal in the ocean and on the planet. But I didn't say the biggest animal. I said the biggest fish. Do you know what the biggest fish is? I'll give you a hint. It has the word whale as part of its name. Ah, that's better. I hear lots of you saying it now. Why, it's the whale shark. Ah, it's good to be in the ocean. It's also good to have the special underwater equipment that only exists in whosmarted land that allows me to breathe and podcast underwater. Now, where are my friends?

[C]

Hey, Trusty, over here.

[D]

Good to see you, Trusty. Hiya, smarty pants.

[A]

Oh, there you are. I didn't see you swimming up behind me, smarty pants. Say, say hey to my whale shark friends, rio lady and Mr. Facey. Smartypants, any idea where on the planet you can find most whale sharks? Care to give them a hint, Rio Lady?

[C]

Sure. Whale sharks like to live in temperate waters.

[A]

Hmm, Smarty pants, do you know what temperate means? It sounds like it has to do with temperature. So does it mean warm or cold? If you said warm. Nice.

[D]

Yep. Whale sharks prefer warm waters. Often find us living near the equator, you know, the center of the earth.

[C]

We can be found in deep oceans and sometimes near land.

[A]

Fantastic. And now that we've found our whale shark friends, we can ask them questions to learn more about them. Things like how big do whale sharks grow? What do they eat? And how can you tell the difference between a whale shark and a whale? Get ready for another whiff of science on who smarted.

[E]

Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. But who's smarted?

[A]

You know, when I was a kid, the times I learned the most weren't in school.

[B]

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[A]

Okay, smarty pants, like I said, whale sharks are the biggest fish in the ocean. So how long can a whale shark grow? Is it 20ft long? Like the height of two basketball hoops stacked on top of each other? 40ft long, about the length of a school bus? Or 100ft long, the size of a 10 story building? So, Mr. Facey, real lady, what is it?

[C]

If you said 40ft long, you're right.

[D]

Although some whale sharks can grow up to 65ft long and whale sharks can weigh up to 18 tons.

[A]

Wow, that's heavy. Now wait a sec. You're called whale sharks, so which is it? Are you whales or sharks?

[D]

We are definitely sharks and obviously we're the biggest of all sharks, including the great white.

[C]

We are called whale sharks because we're about the same size as most whales and we look kind of similar except our tails are vertical instead of horizontal. Our scientific name is Rhynchodon typus.

[A]

Yeah, I'll just stick with whale shark.

[C]

We're the only sharks in the Rhynchodon family, and like all sharks, our skeletons are made of cartilage instead of bones.

[A]

Cartilage is a connective tissue that humans have too. Go ahead, gently squeeze your ears or your nose that's made of cartilage.

[C]

Whoa.

[D]

Hey.

[A]

How many kinds of sharks are swimming in the oceans on Earth? Is it A, over 100, B over 300 or C over 400? If you said over 400, you're right. But whale sharks don't resemble what you're probably thinking of when I say shark. Maybe you two can describe yourselves for our smarty pants. Listening?

[C]

Sure. We have flat, broad heads and our mouths are at the front of our heads instead of underneath like most sharks have them. Our mouths are as big as our heads.

[D]

We are usually dark reddish brown or gray on top and white underneath. And we have yellowish or white spots and stripes on our heads, bodies and tails.

[A]

I hate to bring this up, but a lot of humans are scared of sharks. Are whale sharks dangerous?

[D]

Nah, we're gentle giants. We don't attack people. Plus, our tiny teeth aren't very good for biting. In fact, human divers often grab eyes to our backs and swim with us.

[C]

The most dangerous thing about us is our big flapping tails.

[A]

Whoa. Incoming.

[C]

Sorry.

[A]

It's okay. I have lightning fast reflex. Ow.

[D]

Sorry about that.

[A]

It didn't hurt much. Speaking of speed, I know sharks swim fast, but what about whale sharks?

[D]

Eh, not so much. We tend to take things slow.

[C]

We only swim about 3-5 mph. Most scuba divers can easily keep up with us.

[A]

Even me. Before you mention having tiny teeth, how many tiny teeth do you have?

[C]

Our giant mouths can have between 3,000 and 6,000 teeth.

[A]

Whoa. That'll keep the tooth very busy. You also said your teeth wouldn't be very good for biting a human. So, with that many teeth, what do whale sharks. Sharks eat, smarty pants? Do they like to eat A, big fish, B, small sea creatures, Or C, pizza. If you said pizza, you're thinking of me. But surprisingly, giant whale sharks like to eat small sea creatures.

[C]

Yep, we can eat entire schools of anchovies at once.

[B]

Me too.

[A]

Well, when they're on a pizza. Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

[D]

The reason our big mouths are filled with tidy teeth is because we're filter feeders. We eat by swimming with our mouths open to catch small fish, crustaceans, and tiny organisms like plankton. We tend to look for large schools of fish swimming close together. When we find one, we rise up out of the ocean to drain the water out of our mouths. Then we drop back into the ocean next to the school of fish and then swallow them all up.

[C]

If you ever see video of whale sharks, you might see us swinging our heads from side to side to suck in all the creatures we can catch. We have long rough strips in our mouths that planktons stick to when they float in.

[A]

Oh, I see. Well, you certainly don't need big, sharp, pointy teeth when your menu is mostly small fish and plankton.

[C]

Nope. But you do need a big mouth.

[D]

Our mouths are usually around six feet wide. Whoa.

[A]

Your mouth is bigger than me. I guess you need all that room to hold all the plankton and other small creatures you need to eat.

[D]

You got that right, trusty.

[C]

And again, don't worry, we would never eat you.

[A]

I wasn't worried. So where do you go to look.

[D]

For plankton, we usually like to swim at the surface, but we could also dive deep. We're not picky about where we swim. We follow our food source as plankton drifts with the warm ocean currents.

[A]

Gotcha. Hey, smarty pants. How often do you think whale sharks take in a mouthful of plankton? Is it A, three times a day? B every hour, or C every 20 seconds? While humans tend to eat three meals a day, a whale shark actually takes a mouthful of water and plankton every 20 seconds. Wow. That's a lot.

[D]

It takes a lot to feed the biggest fish in the ocean.

[A]

I'll say even more than feeding a hungry, trusty narrator. Yeah, enough about food for a second. Tell me about your cool looking stripes and spots.

[C]

It might surprise you to know our patterns of stripes and spots are as unique as human fingerprints.

[D]

They're also used to help us hide from predators. Because they help camouflage us in the water. Our spots reflect light and make it harder to make out our giant shape.

[A]

Wow. But wait a minute. If you're the biggest fish in the ocean, who is your predator? Is it other sharks, other whales, or something else? We'll have the answer right after this quick break.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Off at ixl.com smartED now back to WhoSmarted. Despite being 40ft long, a whale shark still has predators.

[D]

Yep. Great whites, of course will attack pretty much anything. And tiger and blue sharks are also on the list of fish to avoid.

[C]

Don't forget dolphins.

[A]

Dolphins. Dolphins attack whale sharks.

[C]

Well, it's a member of the dolphin family.

[A]

Smartypants. Do you know what Rio lady is talking about? Call it out if you know why. Of course it's the orca, otherwise known as the killer whale.

[D]

Of course, like with most sea creatures, the most dangerous predator is Humids.

[A]

I knew you were going to say that.

[C]

Not all humans, of course. Many humans travel the world to swim with us and we are very curious about them.

[D]

Fun fact. The bigger a whale shark is, the more tolerant of people it will be. Of course, all whale sharks are much, much bigger than people.

[C]

Yep, people love to hold on to our fin and let us take them for a ride through the ocean. Wanna try, Trusty?

[A]

Uh, maybe a little later. I've also heard that whale sharks are considered good luck. How so?

[C]

In Japan, fishermen believe seeing a whale shark means there are lots of plankton around.

[D]

And if there's lots of plankton, there should be lots of other fish too.

[A]

Makes sense. Listen, I'm sure you both want to eat, but I have one more question.

[C]

Go for it.

[D]

Yeah, just make it quick. I'm starving.

[A]

Is it true that you've both worked with human scientists and helped them make important discoveries about whale sharks?

[D]

It's true. When I worked with a human scientist, I wouldn't leave her alone. I liked to nudge her tummy and I even became her companion for an entire dive at Gladden Spit in Belize.

[C]

And I was part of a group of whale sharks at Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula that come every year from May to September to feed on plankton. Scientists put satellite tags on us to see where we go the rest of the year. Most of my dining companions scattered through the Gulf of Mexico, Straits of Florida and Caribbean Sea. But I swam all the way to the North Atlantic Ocean, headed south and crossed the equator just before my tag fell off. I was somewhere between South America and Africa. Scientists don't know what I was doing. But maybe someday one of you smartypants will make a new discovery and find out.

[A]

That's right. As much as we know about whale sharks, there's still plenty more to discover, smarty pants. Which is why you should never stop smarting. Also, you can look up rio lady and Mr. Facey and read more about their adventures and what they taught scientists about whale sharks.

[D]

Yum. I feel much better. Bye, Trusty.

[C]

Bye, trustee. See you again soon, I hope.

[A]

Actually, before I go, can I have that ride now?

[C]

Sure thing. Hold on tight.

[A]

Wee. A super smarty shout out to Grace. In Overland Park, Kansas, we hear that if you're in the car, then you're listening to who smarted. And you love everything from the wild characters and sound effects to all the amazing facts. Now that's what we call a true Smarty Pants. This episode, Whale Sharks was written by Sarah Sweetick and voiced by Kieran o', Connor, Chris Okawa, and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn, who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[E]

Who Smarted.

[F]

Hey parents. We'd like to know more about what your child listener thinks about our podcast. And we'd like to know a little bit about you, the parent. So we're asking you to fill out our short survey with your child. As a thank you, we'll give you a chance to win one of three $100Amazon gift cards. Fair deal. Check out the [e-mail] that's starglowsurvey.com.