Stranded whale shark dies
11-02-2010 By Benita Enoch, East Coast Radio Durban, South Africa
A seven-metre-long whale shark has died on the Scottburgh beach after becoming stranded on the rocks. The KZN Sharks Board's Geremy Cliff says the shark beached on Tuesday night just in front of the caravan park.
A post mortem - carried out yesterday - shows it was in an otherwise healthy condition.
"The shark just had a few superficial scratches from being washed over the rocks. We did a small incision and we found that the stomach was full of very very small shrimp like animals. The stomach-full of food suggests that it was in a healthy condition."
And Cliff says this species of shark isn't a threat to swimmers.
"Whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean, growing up to 18-metres in length, but they are in fact gentle giants of the sea in that they are plankton feeders and they pose absolutely no threat to human safety at all."
(Bron: http://www.ecr.co.za/)
(Bron foto: East Coast Radio)
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