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Whale Shark

Rhincodon typus

Fish · family Rhincodontidae · order Orectolobiformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G4: apparently secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Whale Shark
Photo: User:Zac Wolf (original), en:User:Stefan (cropping), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G4 Apparently Secure[2]
Native in
7 states[3]
Longest recorded life
54 years[4]

The whale shark is a fish, a shark in the family Rhincodontidae[5]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe lists it as native along the coasts of 7 US states, including Florida and Texas[3].

Conservation status

The whale shark is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. That means it has no federal listing, and other groups still rate its status. The IUCN Red List places it in the Endangered category[6]. NatureServe gives it a global rank of G4, which means Apparently Secure across its whole range[2].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G4 (Apparently Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[6] Endangered

Where Whale Shark lives

NatureServe lists the whale shark as native in 7 US states: Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas[3]. Each state has its own NatureServe rank. The state ranks are shown in the table on this page[7]. People have also reported it in Hawaii and California, along with Florida, South Carolina and New Jersey[8].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: native, state rank SNRNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: native, state rank SNRMDDelaware: native, state rank SNRDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S3SCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: native, state rank S3LAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S4TXFlorida: native, state rank S3FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[7].
Show state ranks (7 states)
StateRankMeaning
DelawareSNRNot Ranked
FloridaS3Vulnerable
LouisianaS3Vulnerable
MarylandSNRNot Ranked
New JerseySNRNot Ranked
South CarolinaS3Vulnerable
TexasS4Apparently Secure

Lifespan

A typical litter for the whale shark is about 300 young[9]. The longest recorded lifespan is 54 years in the wild[4]. That is a record, not how long most whale sharks live.

Trait Value
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 54 years (wild)
Litter or clutch size[9] 300
Female maturity[10] 6,935 days (about 19.0 years)

When to look for it

In the United States, people report whale sharks most often in May, July and August[11]. These counts show when people are out looking and reporting, not how many sharks are around[11].

January: 9 recordsJanFebruary: 5 recordsFebMarch: 6 recordsMarApril: 4 recordsAprMay: 18 recordsMayJune: 7 recordsJunJuly: 20 recordsJulAugust: 42 recordsAugSeptember: 12 recordsSepOctober: 8 recordsOctNovember: 8 recordsNovDecember: 5 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[11].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January9
February5
March6
April4
May18
June7
July20
August42
September12
October8
November8
December5

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Whale Shark as present in 1 park units[12]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Hawaii, Florida, California, South Carolina, New Jersey[8]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the whale shark endangered?
The IUCN Red List places the whale shark in the Endangered category[6]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[1].
Where do whale sharks live in the US?
NatureServe lists the whale shark as native in 7 US states: Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas[3]. People also report it in Hawaii and California[8].
How long do whale sharks live?
The longest recorded lifespan is 54 years in the wild[4]. This is a record, not a typical lifespan.
When can you see a whale shark in the US?
Most US reports come in May, July and August[11]. This reflects when people look and report, not how many sharks are there[11].

Facts and sources

  1. Whale Shark is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Whale Shark: G4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Whale Shark as native in 7 US states and territories: Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 54 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) is a fish in the family Rhincodontidae, order Orectolobiformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Endangered. NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe state ranks for Whale Shark (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  8. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Whale Shark: Hawaii, Florida, California, South Carolina, New Jersey. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  9. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 300. AnAge
  10. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 6,935 days (about 19.0 years). AnAge
  11. GBIF observation records of Whale Shark in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  12. NPSpecies park lists recording Whale Shark as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: User:Zac Wolf (original), en:User:Stefan (cropping), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.