The whale shark has the thickest skin of any living animal, reaching up to an astonishing 10 centimeters in thickness. This armor-like skin helps protect it from predators, parasites, and rough encounters in the open ocean. Beneath the surface, its skin is made of multiple dense layers reinforced with collagen, making it tougher than many terrestrial animals. Despite this extreme protection, the whale shark remains a gentle giant, feeding mostly on tiny plankton and small fish. Its massive size and near-impenetrable skin make it one of the ocean’s most resilient creatures.
