* Plankton: This includes tiny organisms like copepods, krill, and phytoplankton.
* Small fish: They often gulp down schools of small fish like sardines, anchovies, and herring.
* Squid: They also consume small squid and other cephalopods.
* Jellyfish: They sometimes eat jellyfish, though these can be difficult to digest due to their gelatinous nature.
Whale sharks use their massive mouths and specialized gill rakers to filter out these small organisms from the water. They swim with their mouths open, and the water passes through their gills, where the rakers trap their prey.
It's important to note that whale sharks are not considered to be predators in the traditional sense. They don't actively hunt down prey, but rather feed on the abundant plankton and small organisms found in their environment.