A whale shark, the largest fish on Earth, was recently spotted off the coast of Eilat. Freediving instructor Sagi David Kabra was diving at the Eilat Coral Beach Nature Reserve when he spotted the majestic creature and began filming it. "This is a very exciting encounter for me. In the last 5 years I have had many encounters in the Gulf of Eilat and the last encounter was about six months ago. I waited a long time to see it again. The observation lasted about 3:30 minutes. A whale shark comes near the shore in search of food. During such an encounter it is recommended to allow the shark freedom of movement and not to touch it," Kabra said. The shark Kabra encountered was estimated to be about six meters, or twenty feet in length. Whale sharks, so named for their massive sizes, are the largest species of shark in the world and can grow to lengths of 40 feet, with some estimates putting their maximum length at 60 feet. They are filter feeders that consume very small prey such as zooplankton and phytoplankton and are not considered dangerous to humans.
