“And people say animals don’t have feelings”: Georgia Aquarium visitor captures footage of fish swimming together after shark passes away

A touching scene at the Georgia Aquarium has gone viral, capturing millions of hearts online.

Beloved shark accompanied by fish friends

A wildly viral video with more than 10.4 million views shows a scene between ocean life that has left many people deeply moved.

In the video, Kimberly (@kimmberrrrly) was on a visit to the Georgia Aquarium when she noticed something unique going on in one of the ceiling-length tanks.

Taroko, a popular whale shark, was gently swimming, and several fish were right alongside him, seemingly accompanying him.

“Realizing they were all swimming around him yesterday because Taroko passed away that morning,” Kimberly said in the text overlay on the video.

“Was amazed at how the fish never left his side. Today I found out Taroko, the other whale shark, passed away yesterday morning. Rest in Peace, Gentle Giant Taroko,” Kimberly said in the caption.

Now, it’s unclear if this is what was actually happening, or if Kimberly was assigning human emotion and ritual to animal behavior.

A marine biologist in the comment section stated that fish often swim beside whale sharks to conserve energy, taking advantage of the current that the massive animals create. “It’s like the whale shark express,” they said.

Did the shark really die?

Yes, in an Instagram post, the Georgia Aquarium confirmed that Taroko, their male whale shark, has died.

The aquarium staff noticed changes in his appetite and behavior, and despite all veterinary interventions, his condition continued to decline. Last week, the team made the humane decision to euthanize him.

Taroko spent nearly two decades at the aquarium, where he introduced more than 43 million visitors to his species and contributed valuable data on whale shark biology, health, and behavior.

He originally came to Atlanta in 2007 after being rescued from a seafood market in Taiwan.

A necropsy will be performed to better understand his health issues, the aquarium said. Their other male whale shark, Yushan, is doing well.

@kimmberrrrly Visited the Georgia Aquarium yesterday and was amazed at how the fish never left his side. Today I found out Taroko, the other whale shark, passed away yesterday morning. Rest in Peace Gentle Giant Taroko. #georgiaaquarium #taroko #whaleshark #atlantageorgia #gentlegiant ♬ original sound – AntiNightcore

Taroko was named after Taiwan’s Taroko National Park — “beautiful and larger than life” — a description the aquarium said will always apply to him.

“Caring for whale sharks is an immense honor and undertaking – we were privileged to know Taroko for so long and share him with all of you,” the post read.

“If it makes you feel better, whale sharks are solitary; the relationship they had is best explained like that person you always see at the grocery store and wave to,” a top comment with more than 279,000 likes read. (Oceana confirmed that whale sharks are usually solitary creatures.)

“Dude, it reminds me of when you carry the casket at a funeral. Bye, I have to lay down for a while,” another lamented.

“And people say animals don’t have feelings,” said another.

Meanwhile, regular visitors to the aquarium shared their fond memories of Taroko.

“He watched me and my sisters grow up,” a person shared.

“He was sooo pretty when I saw him,” said another. Another visitor adds, “Everyone always waited for him to come around to take a picture.”

“Saw him right before he died,” adds another commenter.

The Daily Dot reached out to Kimberly for comment via TikTok direct message and comment.