Researchers in the Gal\u00e1pagos have shared awe-inspiring footage of the many different animals that can be found travelling alongside whale sharks, the world\u2019s biggest fish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cScientists studying whale sharks in the Gal\u00e1pagos documented an entire community travelling with them,\u201d says the\u00a0Galapagos Whale Shark Project<\/a>\u00a0(GWSP) on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>. The entourage included \u201cremoras, jacks, tuna, even sharks,\u201d they add.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the footage, smaller sharks can be seen speeding towards the whale shark and rubbing their bodies on its tough skin \u2013 perhaps as a way of dislodging parasites<\/a> from their bodies.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are many different reasons that other animals like to hang out in this giant fish\u2019s entourage. \u201cSome hitch a ride. Some hunt in [the whale shark\u2019s] shadow. Some simply take advantage of the giant moving through the blue,\u201d says GWSP. Dolphins sometimes even bow ride on these enormous animals.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cA whale shark<\/a> isn\u2019t just a species. It\u2019s a living ecosystem<\/a>,\u201d they add.\u00a0<\/p>\n Footage shows the whale shark with its entourage of animals. Credit: Galapagos Whale Shark Project<\/p>\n According to a new study in\u00a0Biodiversity Data Journal<\/a>, several species are frequently associated with whale sharks in the Gal\u00e1pagos. <\/p>\n The associations were defined as other species seen within 10 metres of a whale shark, travelling in the same direction and often seen close to, or interacting with, the whale shark. This includes\u00a0bottlenose dolphins<\/a>, silky sharks,\u00a0Gal\u00e1pagos sharks<\/a>,\u00a0scalloped hammerheads<\/a>,\u00a0tiger sharks<\/a>,\u00a0remoras<\/a>, yellowfin tuna, almaco jacks and black jacks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Learning about the relationships between all these different animals is important if we are to find effective ways of protecting them from the threats they face. \u201cMoments like this reveal how deeply connected life in the ocean truly is,\u201d says GWSP\u2019s\u00a0Jenny Green<\/a>. \u201cWhen we protect species like whale sharks, we are safeguarding an entire ecosystem \u2014 and the countless unseen relationships that hold it together.\u201d<\/p>\n Top image: Galapagos Whale Shark Project<\/a><\/p>\n More amazing wildlife stories from around the world<\/p>\n