Press Releases
Whale shark found near the waters of Round Island
Friday, June 6, 2008
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) received a report about 2pm today (June 6) that a live shark had been found near the waters of Round Island by a stern trawler.
The trawler brought the shark to the pier off the Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market for examination and identification.
The AFCD identified it as a whale shark measuring about 5 metres in length. The shark was released back to the waters of Round Island around 4.30pm.
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow, filter feeding shark that is the largest living fish species in the world. It feeds on small shrimps, fish and plankton. The shark is found in tropical and warm oceans and lives in the open sea. The species poses no danger to humans.
A department spokesman said sharks were part of the ecological system. People should respect the existence of sharks and not try to hunt them.
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