A nearly 6-meter-long whale shark was stranded twice on Kincie beach and died on May 25 despite rescue efforts.
The whale shark died after stranding on the beach in Indonesia. (Video: Reuters)
Drone footage taken on May 25 shows a crowd of curious onlookers gathering at Kincie beach, behind the Salido Community Health Center in the South Pesisir district of West Sumatra, Indonesia, to witness and photograph the rare whale shark carcass.
According to Newsflare, fishermen first spotted the creature washed ashore on May 24 and immediately attempted to pull it back into the sea, as whale sharks are a protected species. However, it stranded again the next day and died. “At first, it was still alive and moving,” said Evilindo, a leader from the Salido community.
Whale sharks are a protected species.
The head of the Padang Marine and Coastal Resource Management Center, Mudatstsir, told the media that the removal of the 5.8-meter-long and 1.8-ton carcass was hindered due to limited equipment.
“We and the local residents tried to handle it according to standard procedures using ropes, but it was unsuccessful. Therefore, the removal of the whale shark carcass must be done by cutting it into several pieces,” Mudatstsir stated.
According to Mudatstsir, there are two common reasons why whale sharks strand: they may be chasing prey into shallow waters without realizing the danger, or they may be swept there by strong waves.
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest living species of fish. Adult individuals can grow to lengths of 8 to 14.5 meters. They are currently classified as “vulnerable” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
