Fisherman lands giant whale shark
A rare 23-foot-long whale shark got entangled in a fishing net off Malaysia’s northwest coast and was towed to shore but died due to injuries, local media reported today.
Fisherman Key Chai Yang told the New Straits Times newspaper that it took two hours to tow the two-ton shark, known as a Rhincodon Typus, to land after it got entangled in his fishing net early yesterday.
He said the shark was still alive when it reached shore in northern Penang state in Malaysia’s northeast, but it died shortly after from the multiple cuts it suffered from the propeller blades under his boat.
“I have never seen such a gigantic shark in my 30 years as a fisherman,” Mr Key was quoted as saying.
A huge crowd turned up to see the carcass of the shark, which was later sent to the state fisheries department, the report said.
Fishery officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Rhincodon Typus, the largest fish in the world, can be found in warm tropical seas.
The leviathan, which has distinctive white spots over its dark grey body, can grow as long as 65 feet and live up to 70 years.
