Whale sharks are giant in size and getting a glance at them can be an overwhelming experience, to say the least. In a video that has been gaining traction online, an expedition group filmed a whale shark going its way. The expedition crew spotted a whale shark moving with them in perfect sync. The video was shared by Schmidt Ocean on Instagram where people are going “wow” after seeing the clip.
“While performing safety drills during the Twilight Corals expedition, [the] Research Vessel Falkor crew caught sight of a whale shark passing by with a few ‘passengers’,” the caption read.
The video was shared on International Whale Shark Day, which is celebrated every year on August 30, and has been much loved by netizens. International Whale Shark Day’s objective is to increase awareness about sea-dwelling creatures. The population of whale sharks have declined over the years, and a need has arisen to protect the ocean life for a prosperous future for everyone.
International Whale Shark day came into existence in 2012 to spread information about this vulnerable water animal that has been hunted worldwide. Whale sharks are the biggest species of shark on earth and can grow up to 14 metres and weigh almost 12 tons. Despite being giant, their teeth measure only 6 mm in length.
They move slowly in the ocean and that too shallow depths of around 50m despite having the capability of diving up to 1000 metres. Due to these characteristics, they are always in danger of getting caught in fishing nets.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016 alarmed the governments worldwide when it removed whale sharks from the vulnerable category and put them into the zone of endangered species.
International Whale Shark Day is also a reminder to enforce stricter rules to protect ocean life.
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