Chennai: A massive 19-foot long critically endangered whale shark was washed ashore on Friday at Kasimedu fishing harbour. The fishermen who noticed the carcass informed the fisheries and the forest department on the stranded marine mammal. The whale was massive, measuring 3.5 metres and had serious injuries in its fin and tail areas. The fish has suffered injuries due to a propeller and the carcass was buried in the shore, said Chennai wildlife headquarters ranger David Raj.
“This is the fourth recorded case of a whale shark washing ashore along Chennai coast since 2013 and not many documentation is done on the whale sharks”, said marine biologist Supraja Dharini of Tree Foundation. Chennai coast continues to be danger zone for marine mammals and there is a need for regulations with our fishing practices, she noted.
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), is a slow-moving filter feeding shark and the largest extant fish species enjoying protection status similar to that of a Tiger, said a biologist associated with forest department adding that the adults can weigh up to 20 tonnes. Pointing out the marine resources are depleting in Indian ocean due to trawling and over-fishing, the biologist said that the ban on protected marine species continue to be a mirage as such murders in mid-sea often goes unnoticed.
The whale shark lives in tropical and warm open oceans with a lifespan of about 70 years and the marine scientists recently kick- started the first in India whale shark tagging project off the Gujarat Coast in 2012.
