In the depths of the ocean, whale sharks act like birds

The secret life of the mysterious whale shark has been revealed through a study that shows the world’s biggest fish moves much faster than previously thought, mimicking a diving bird under water.

While humans normally see whale sharks cruising slowly on the surface of the ocean, researchers found they transformed in the depths of the ocean, hurling themselves into swift, steep dives.

WA biologist Brad Norman and British zoologist Rory Wilson attached electronic monitors to the dorsal fins of whale sharks off Ningaloo, in WA’s North-West.