Jersey Shore anglers got an unforgettable surprise from the ocean’s biggest fish

🐋 A massive whale shark made a rare appearance off the Jersey Shore during a weekend fishing trip.

🎣 The 125-foot Jamaica fishing boat spent about 45 minutes with the unexpected visitor in the waters off Brielle.

🌊 Whale sharks can grow up to 40 feet long and weigh around 20 tons, but these enormous fish are known as gentle giants.

BRIELLE — What was expected to be an ordinary fishing trip on a beautiful, sunny day,  turned out to be extraordinary for the crew aboard a fishing boat off the Jersey Shore over the weekend.

The 125-foot boat, the Jamaica, was on a tuna fishing trip in the Hudson Canyon, off the coast of Brielle Saturday afternoon, when a large whale shark began circling the vessel.

It hung out for about 45 minutes, cruising back and forth next to the boat in the canyon, according to a post on the boat’s Facebook page.

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“While we have seen them on a few occurrences, it is a rare sighing in our waters,” according to the Jamaica’s social media post.

Whale shark sighting is rare in New Jersey waters

The whale shark is actually not a whale species, but rather the largest known fish in the world.

While whale sharks are ginormous, growing up to 40 feet long and weighing around 20 tons, they are often called “gentle giants.

Why whale sharks are called gentle giants

Whale sharks, which have a broad, flat head, and a distinct dark gray or blue-gray skin covered in white or yellow spots and stripes, are considered docile, and typically non-aggressive toward humans. They are very popular with divers and snorkelers.

Despite having a mouth up to five feed wide, they mainly feed on tiny plankton, krill and small fish, by sucking in water, and straining the food through their gills.

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