We tried diving with whale sharks, and this is what it's like
Would you ever take a dip with some whale sharks?
In honor of "Shark Week," ABC News' chief meteorologist Ginger Zee swam live on "Good Morning America" alongside the largest fish species in the sea: whale sharks!
The average length of a whale shark is between 18 and 32.8 feet, and their mouths alone can reach up to 4 feet wide, according to the Georgia Aquarium, where Zee swam in the tank with the sharks.
Whale sharks, however, are often dubbed the "gentle giants" of the ocean and mostly feed on plankton, shrimp and other small prey because their throats are extremely narrow -- about the size of a quarter -- according to the zoologists at the aquarium.
"The whale shark eats plankton -- it is not a predator of that nature," Zee explained from inside the tank, as a massive whale shark hovered just over her head. "So, actually, this is a safer dive than I've done in the past."
"Not that I'm planning on getting close to their mouth -- even if I were too, first of all, I smell terrible to them," Zee added. "But what they ingest is actually very small, about the size of a golf ball, so don't worry, I'm good down here."
Want to see more of Zee with the sharks? Check out a behind-the-scenes look at her rehearsal below.
