By Michael Lee Simpson

Marine biologists have documented the first case of a whale shark surviving with a severe spinal deformity.

The finding centers on a 20-foot whale shark first encountered in 2010 at Ewing Bank, a known aggregation site off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico.

What makes this case extraordinary is not just the severity of the spinal curvature, but the animal's apparent ability to thrive despite the condition.

Although last seen eight years ago, a study published in November 2024 is now offering groundbreaking insights into how a whale shark with severe spinal deformities can survive.

"To see such a large animal surviving with a spinal deformity like that is extremely rare," said Eric Hoffmayer, 50, a research fisheries biologist with the National Marine

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