Whale Shark Size Comparison: The Largest Shark

Whale sharks are the largest species of shark. Their gentle manner and massive size make them the gentle giants of the ocean. However, one especially large whale shark has been spotted off the Pacific Coast, leaving marine experts stunned. The shark is estimated to be 60 feet long, which is roughly the length of two city buses. Average whale sharks grow to between 18 and 33 feet long, with some especially large individuals reaching 40 feet. This massive specimen rivals the largest ever recorded, coming close to the 61.7-foot record!

While the whale shark isn’t the largest marine animal (that honor goes to the blue whale), it’s definitely one of the larger species found in the great unknown. This article explores the amazing whale shark, comparing its size to other sharks and even to an average school bus. This post will cover all the whale shark size facts you need to know. Let’s dive in!

This post was updated on June 18, 2025 to include the extremely large whale shark spotted off the Pacific Coast.

How Big is a Whale Shark?

With a name combining two of the largest sea critters around, it comes as no surprise that the whale shark is big. In fact, it’s big enough that it has earned the title of the largest shark!

On average, these gentle giants tend to measure anywhere from 18 to 32.8 feet, with a 30-foot whale shark spotted in the summer of 2021. But when they’re just born? Baby whale sharks only measure a measly 25 inches – the same as the pillow you sleep with!

Just the whale shark’s mouth can be four feet wide. Unlike many sharks you may know well, such as the great white shark, whale sharks only eat small animals like plankton and shrimp thanks to their tiny teeth.

While its size is definitely impressive, it’s the whale shark’s weight that’s a mouthful. A single adult whale shark can weigh as much as 41,000 pounds, or about the same as three large African elephants.

Because it has a skeleton made out of cartilage instead of real bones, it can be hard to know exactly how long the whale sharks of the past were, even if only a few decades ago. However, if they’re anything like the whale sharks we see today, they were one of the biggest animals around too!

Human Vs. Whale Shark Size Comparison

If you’ve ever wanted to take an immersive trip underwater, imagine riding on the back of a whale shark. Not only are they harmless to humans, but their massive size means they could theoretically carry you and 71 of your friends on a deep-sea adventure!

At 32 feet long, the average whale shark is nearly 6 times the height of an adult human. The largest whale shark is more than ten times as large. Just one of the whale shark’s fins is nearly 5 feet tall—about the height of an average adult human.

While comparing a whale shark’s size to a human is impressive, it’s their weight that is truly astonishing. A single whale shark can weigh as much as 275 people. That’s roughly comparable to the population of Bombay Beach, California!

Basking Shark Vs. Whale Shark Size

The basking shark and the whale shark are similar in many respects. For one, they share a similar diet, with both eating more of the smaller animals of the sea than their top predator cousins. One other thing they have in common? Their size!

The largest basking shark was just over 40 feet long, which is still shorter than the largest whale sharks. However, it’s more common to find an adult basking shark measuring around 25 feet, which is still nearly neck and neck with the average whale shark.

However, while these two gentle sharks are similar in size, they differ significantly in weight. The average basking shark weighs around 11,000 pounds, which is about the same as some types of RVs. Compared to the whale shark, it could take nearly four basking sharks to equal the weight of a single very large adult whale shark. That’s what we call a shiver (the collective noun for a group of sharks)!

Great White Vs. Whale Shark Size

Largest predatory shark versus largest shark: it’s a tough competition, for sure. However, this time, it’s safe to say the whale shark wins – just by a fin.

Great white sharks didn’t earn their name for no reason. These top oceanic predators can grow to nearly 20 feet in length and can weigh as much as 4,400 pounds. That’s about twice the weight of a 10-foot shipping container you might see on a boat.

However, while they earned their place as largest predatory shark for sure, they don’t come close to the whale shark. In fact, while they’re not too far off in terms of length, it can take nearly 8 of the largest great white sharks to weigh the same as one large adult whale shark.

School Bus Vs. Whale Shark Size

When you see an animal as large as a whale shark, it’s hard to compare them to anything except for a bus. After all, buses are one of the few things most people are familiar with that can rival the whale shark’s massive size. However, just how accurate is this whale shark size comparison?

It turns out you’ll need a couple of buses to equal the length of a whale shark!

The average school bus is 40 feet long, though some can be as short as 20 feet. While this matches or slightly exceeds the length of the average whale shark, it’s still only a fraction of the weight of the largest whale shark ever recorded.

And, just like the great white, while a school bus may rival the average whale shark in size, it’s not even a competition when it comes to weight. The average school bus here in the United States weighs around 24,387 pounds, which is just over half the weight of a large whale shark. Even with 72 passengers on board, the school bus still can’t match the weight of a whale shark.