In the warm, shimmering waters of Thailand swims Atlas the whale shark, a gentle giant who likes things just the way they are: quiet, calm, and solitary.

With a body the size of a school bus, a mouth wide enough to scoop up clouds of tiny food, and a slow, steady way of moving through the sea, Atlas spends his days drifting and thinking big thoughts.

But everything changes when a tiny, cheerful hitchhiker named Renea shows up … and refuses to leave.

At first, Atlas just wants his space back. But as he tries (and fails!) to shake his new companion, he begins to discover something surprising: sometimes the friend you didn’t ask for might be exactly the one you need.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they dive into the calm, curious, and captivating world of the ocean’s largest fish: the whale shark.

Kids will discover:

• How whale sharks eat using filter feeding (even with giant mouths!)
• Why these slow swimmers travel thousands of miles across the ocean
• What makes each whale shark’s spot pattern unique
• How animals can help each other through special relationships in nature

Keep exploring:

• Download a whale shark coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• Secrets of Whale Shark Migration Revealed (National Geographic)
• Whale Sharks Have Tiny Teeth on Their Eyeballs (Smithsonian Magazine)
• The Whale Shark (National Geographic Kids)
• 5 Interesting Facts About Whale Sharks (The World Wildlife Foundation)