They believe the animal might have a form of kyphoscoliosis, making it the first whale shark with a spinal deformity ever recorded. The 6-meter (nearly 20-foot) long whale shark was first spotted in 2010 by researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Marine Fisheries Service during regular whale shark distribution monitoring in the north Gulf of Mexico. Despite its condition, the whale shark seemed to be doing remarkably well. Perhaps this slow, lumbering lifestyle was one of the reasons the whale shark with kyphoscoliosis was able to live largely unaffected by its disability. Likewise, it’s unclear why this whale shark had a twisted spine, although the researchers suspect the individual was born with it.