<P> The whale shark is the largest non-cetacean animal in the world . The average size of adult whale sharks is estimated at 9.7 m ( 31.82 ft ) and 9 t ( 20,000 lb ) . Several specimens over 18 m ( 59.05 ft ) in length have been reported . The largest verified specimen was caught on 11 November 1947 , near Baba Island , in Karachi , Pakistan . It was 12.65 m ( 41.50 ft ) long , weighed about 21.5 t ( 47,000 lb ) , and had a girth of 7 m ( 23.0 ft ) . Stories exist of vastly larger specimens -- quoted lengths of 18 m ( 59 ft ) and 45.5 t ( 100,000 lb ) are common in the popular literature , but no scientific records support their existence . In 1868 , the Irish natural scientist Edward Perceval Wright obtained several small whale shark specimens in the Seychelles , but claimed to have observed specimens in excess of 15 m ( 49.2 ft ) , and tells of shark specimens surpassing 21 m ( 68.9 ft ) . </P>
how long is a whale shark in meters
9.7 m