Animal Profile - Whale Sharks
Between 700,000 and 1 million species of animals live in the world’s oceans, with over 9 million thought to be undiscovered. So, who is the whale shark and why is it so important in a world of vast splendour?

















Between 700,000 and 1 million species of animals live in the world’s oceans, with over 9 million thought to be undiscovered. So, who is the whale shark and why is it so important in a world of vast splendour?
Some of the lengths animals go to to find a partner put human dating efforts to shame, with millions of species singing, dancing, building and even gardening to win another's affections. Here are 5 of the most impressive courtship rituals:
Cetaceans are extremely dependent on their highly-developed auditory system which lets them hear, produce sound and echolocation (also called bio-sonar), all of which allows them to sense, interpret and respond to their environment.
Why do some people turn into leaders while others prefer to take orders? While human-beings have asked themselves this question for decades, monkeys could turn out to be the ones holding the key. A recent study from Oxford University now reveals that monkeys have specialised brains reflecting their position in the social hierarchy.
The best natural asset us humans have is arguably our intellect, and it has allowed us to create many tools and objects that have helped our lives significantly. Biomimetics is the study of natural systems and elements with the intention of imitating them to solve our problems. Here are some examples of where nature ‘one-upped’ us, and where we need to pay attention!
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The Gap Year Blog is maintained by Frontier, who organise marine conservation, wildlife conservation, teaching and community development volunteer projects worldwide.