Divernet News, dateline 20 December 2005
Whale shark tag tells sad tale
The tag attached to a whale shark suddenly ended up stationary and on land - most probably because the animal was caught and eaten.
The 7.5m whale shark had been tagged off Western Australia¹s Ningaloo Island and was being monitored by Australian scientists as it moved around. The satellite position signals eventually started coming from ashore on an island in Indonesia, reported ABC Online, and continued emitting from the same spot for the next three months.
It is thought that the whale shark was caught by fishermen and taken ashore to be eaten, the tag being removed and discarded. As a result of the incident, Western Australia's tourism minister has called for an "international treaty to protect them (whale sharks) and our tourism industry".
Diving with whale sharks or spotting them from boats is a major draw for marine-orientated visitors to the region.
Related links
Whale sharks are deep divers
Getting close to big animals
Whale sharks in Kenya
Whale shark sanctuary in Belize
Whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef
News Index Page
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Extended protection for Cornish wreck
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28 September 2006
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