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What is the Biggest Shark Species?

By Jennifer Kennedy, About.com

Scuba diver and a whale shark (<i>Rhincodon typus</i>) in the Indian Ocean, Ningaloo Reef, Australia.

Scuba diver and a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in the Indian Ocean, Ningaloo Reef, Australia.

Jeff Rotman / Getty Images
Question: What is the Biggest Shark Species?
Answer:

The whale shark holds the title of the world's biggest shark species. Growing to a length of about 65 feet (the length of about 1 1/2 school buses!) and weighing about 75,000 pounds, this streamlined fish is really a gentle giant.

Some areas frequented by these sharks, such as Ningaloo Reef, Australia, have become popular tourist destinations because of their swim-with-sharks programs.

The second-biggest shark species is the basking shark, which grows to about 40 feet.

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