Whale Shark

Photo: J. Martin Crossley · CC BY-NC-SA

Whale sharks appear at Ras Lima from October through April, drawn by dense concentrations of fish spawn and zooplankton aggregating at the strait's productive upwelling. Individuals here are frequently 6 to 10 m juveniles rather than the mature adults typical of other aggregation sites, suggesting the Musandam Peninsula functions as a developmental feeding ground. Encounters at depth along the thermocline are common, with sharks often circling slowly and allowing extended observation.