Watch Curious Whale Shark Sidle Up To Divers In Thailand

A group of divers got an unsuspected visitor while doing a safety stop -- a three to five minute period during the ascent of a dive to avoid decompression sickness. As the divers clung to a rope adjusting to the pressure, a friendly whale shark approached them, paused for a moment to survey the scene, and then went on his way. Luckily for the divers, whale sharks -- unlike other sharks -- eat only small fish and krill.

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The population of whale sharks, the largest fishes in the world, is unknown, but they are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The species is threatened by hunting for their valuable livers and oil -- in January, a factory that processes approximately 600 endangered whale sharks each year was uncovered in China, sparking international outrage and demands that the factory be shut down.