Unusual Occurrence: Whale Sharks Off Alabama Coast

Whale sharks, the largest of all fish, are rarely spotted and when they are — it is in deep water.  So what brings them to Alabama?

Ben Raines at AL.com reports:

“But for the last two weeks, the Alabama coast has been one of the best places in the world to see the ocean’s largest fish, with dozens of sightings reported to a whale shark Web site by fishermen, scuba divers and pilots. The gigantic plankton-eating sharks have been seen as far east as Panama City and as far west as Petit Bois Island off Mississippi. But the bulk of the reports have come from the area between Orange Beach and Pensacola, with one sighting just two miles off the beach.”  

See full article: Includes video: of biologist discussing sightings.