Whale sharks are the world's largest fish and keeping them in captivity raises profound ethical and welfare questions that the aquarium industry continues to debate.
Whale sharks present perhaps the clearest case for limiting which species are appropriate for captive display. Their enormous size, migratory behavior, and documented poor survival in captivity combine to make their captive welfare deeply problematic. The debate around whale shark display forces important questions about the purpose and limits of modern aquariums as welfare-conscious institutions.