Whale Shark Rescue
When scuba divers in Koh Tao Thailand came across a whale shark in need they quickly sprung into action. Ropes and fishing nets can pose a major threat to wildlife. They can encircle an animals fins, or tail becoming nearly impossible for the animal to remove.
These synthetic fibers can slowly cut into an animal which can lead to infection, or restrict their ability to dive. When these nets are abandoned and left to drift in the ocean they are called ghost nets because they continue to kill long after they are lost.
But when divers found this whale shark in Thailand they discovered the rope around it’s tail was tied in a knot, which could only mean one thing—it was tied on by a human. We will never know how this animal escaped or if it was released but thankful it is now swimming free, with a fresh start on life.
Source: Roam The World At Wide and Roctopus Dive, Koh Tao Thailand
Source: Alyssa Grace
After our first dive, we noticed a second whale shark swimming close to the surface. When we jumped in with snorkels, I immediately saw a thick rope had been attached to this poor animal’s tail. The wound was raw and red; it had happened recently and it was obviously causing the shark pain. I hollered for a dive knife, but no one had one. I swam back to the dive boat and told a Divemaster what I had seen. Immediately, three Roctopus Dive instructors geared up, threw on their tanks, and grabbed knives.
What killed me was that this gentle giant had been tied up. Some tourist boat probably caught it, let tourists touch and poke and pet it as they took selfies, and then cut the rope with no regard for any pain on the animal’s part. Either that or the animal was tied up to be captured and was able to escape by breaking the rope.
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