What Wally the Whale Shark Wants

This week Zoey, our roving rodent reporter, and photographer Zeek talk with our second featured shark: Wally the whale shark. Food is on everyone’s lips—literally! And Zeek gets a little too close for comfort to the mammoth Rhincodon typus.

Zeek: Okay, today we’re supposed to be interviewing Wally the whale shark. Do you see him?

Zoey: I don’t see him. Let’s sit down and wait for him.

Zeek: Why can’t these sharks ever be on time? (Notices the ground is beginning to rumble.)

Zoey: What was that?

Zeek: Whoa! Zoey, the tank is moving!

Zoey: No, it isn’t—we are!

(Rumbling sounds continue)

Wally: Hey, hey, hey! Hello, you two! What are you doing on my back? That tickles!

Zoey: Hey! Hi there. Sorry, we didn’t see you.

Wally: Ho, ho, ho, ho! How could you miss me? I’m so immensely huuuuuuuuuge!

Zoey: You are indeed a whale of a shark.

Zeek: Or maybe a shark of a whale. (Laughs)

Zoey: (Taps foot) Didn’t you read my memo, Zeek? Whale sharks are not whales.

Zeek: Sometimes I wonder why I tell jokes anymore.

Wally: Hee, hee, hee. Stop tickling me. Why don’t you come down here so I can talk to you?

Zoey: Okay, we’ll be right down. C’mon, Zeek.

Zeek: Boy! You are the biggest fish I’ve ever seen at the zoo!

Wally: That’s right. I’m the biggest fish you’ll ever seeeeeeeeeeeeee anywhere!

Zoey: A rather unusual looking shark, you are. I love your spots and ridges.

Zeek: So what can you do, big guy?

Wally: What can I dooooooo? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! I eat! I love to eat. I eat in the morning. I eat at night. I eat in between morning and night.

Zeek: Hear that Zoey? He can eat. This shark has talent.

Zoey: Well..um…why don’t you show us how you eat, then?

Wally: My pleasure. Why, look—it’s feeeeeeeeeding time, too! (Opens his mouth really wide)

Zoey: Ooh! Good photo opportunity, Zeek. Get a picture of his mouth.

Zeek: Will do! Let’s see, if I take it from this angle I’ll get the right amount of light and shadow…

Wally: (Gurgles) I can fill my mouth all the way to the top!

Zeek: ...and taking into account the aperture of the lens and the shudder speed…

Zoey: Take the picture, Zeek! Take the picture!

Zeek: Okay, Wally: open wide and say, “Cheese!”

Wally: (Opening as wide as he can) Aren’t you supposed to say, “Ahhhhhhhhhhh?”

Zoey: It’s a photographer thing.

Wally: But I don’t like cheese. How about, “Plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaankton.”

Zeek: (Click) Perfect.

Zoey: Wow, Zeek—look how wide his mouth is! It must be five feet wide at least!

Wally: Mmmmmmmmmmmmm…… This is tasty. Nice and salty.

Zeek: (Looking inside) That is one whale-sized mouth. His teeth aren’t as long as most sharks’. That’s pretty neat!

Zoey: Don’t get too close, Zeek.

Wally: See, Zeek? This is how all my food gets into my tummy. It’s like I’m eating all the time just by opening my mouth. Mmmmm…ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Zeek: Ahh! Zoey! I’m being sucked in! Man the life raft!

Zoey: Wally! No! Don’t eat him!

Zeek: Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

Wally: And then I close my mouth when I’m ready to swallow it all. (Closes his mouth)

Zoey: Zeek!

Zeek: (Faintly from inside) Zoeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!

Wally: (With his mouth full) Now watch this! This is the cooooooooolest part. (Closes his mouth tightly and puffs up his cheeks)

Zoey: Hang on Zeek! I’m coming!

Wally: (Blasts a stream of water out of his five gills) See? Isn’t this cooooool? All the water is filtered out while the food stays inside!

Zoey: (Hangs onto a rock as water blasts her) Ah!!!! Wally! Stop!

Wally: And thennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn I just swallow all the goodies that are left in my mouth!

Zoey: Swallow?! No, no! Stop! Stop!!!!!!

Wally: MMMMMMmmmmmm, extra briny today. Got some shrimp in there and some mackerel and tons of plankton. Mmmmmmm, I loves me some plankton! (Licks lips and opens his mouth.)

Zoey: Zeek? Zeek? Oh dear! He’s gone.

Wally: What? Who’s gone?

Zoey: (Starts to cry) Oh, poor, poor Zeek! He was such a good mouse.

Wally: What’s the matter? Don’t you want to hear about all the things I just ate?

Zeek: Ermmm terggen rzzzt bbllkkgt!

Wally: What? Who said that?

Zeek: Rrrrrgl bzftttt grrrbt zfgtt!

Zoey: It’s Zeek! I see his tail! He’s stuck in your gill.

Wally: What?

Zoey: Hang on Zeek! (Pulls on Zeek’s tail)

Wally: Here, let me help! (Blows more water through his gills and Zeek and Zoey go flying)

Zoey and Zeek: Whoa!

Wally: Hey, little friend. What were you doing in there?

Zeek: (Panting) That’s the last time I go in for a close up. That was a little too close!

Zoey: Zeek, you’re all right!

Zeek: I smell like old minnows and I have plant plankton in my fur. I am not all right.

Wally: Plankton??? Are you gonna eat that?