The Whale Shark

In the warm, shimmering waters of Thailand swims Atlas the whale shark, a gentle giant who likes things just the way they are: quiet, calm, and solitary. 

With a body the size of a school bus, a mouth wide enough to scoop up clouds of tiny food, and a slow, steady way of moving through the sea, Atlas spends his days drifting and thinking big thoughts.

But everything changes when a tiny, cheerful hitchhiker named Renea shows up … and refuses to leave.

At first, Atlas just wants his space back. But as he tries (and fails!) to shake his new companion, he begins to discover something surprising: sometimes the friend you didn’t ask for might be exactly the one you need.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they dive into the calm, curious, and captivating world of the ocean’s largest fish: the whale shark.

Episode Resources

1.21 Whale Shark Coloring Sheet.pdf

Download PDF • 332KB

Explore More:

• Secrets of Whale Shark Migration Revealed (National Geographic) 

• Whale Sharks Have Tiny Teeth on Their Eyeballs (Smithsonian Magazine) 

• The Whale Shark (National Geographic Kids) 

• 5 Interesting Facts About Whale Sharks (The World Wildlife Foundation)