FUJAIRAH // An endangered female whale shark caught by mistake has been sent back to the sea by Fujairah fishermen.
The shark was brought ashore on Thursday morning.
Whale sharks are no stranger to the country's shores.In January, a whale shark between three and four metres long was spotted swimming in the marina at the InterContinental hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Dr Rima Jabado, a scientist with the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, said whale sharks were harmless to people because they feed on plankton. While it is common for them to swim into local marinas, it is unclear why they do so.
“We’re not sure why. They might come in to feed, they might come in because they are just swimming and end up there, so we don’t really know, but they usually stay a couple of days then continue on their way,” Dr Jabado said.
In December last year, Fujairah fishermen working off the east coast accidentally caught a baby whale shark in their nets.
The fishermen pulled it from the net and dragged it back out to sea.
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› Learn more about whale sharks: A look at marine animals in the UAE: whale sharks
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