Whale Sharks in Palestinian Waters

A Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus, Smith 1828) rescued near the TanturaBeach, Carmel Coast, North Palestine: The First Record from thePalestinian Mediterranean Sea.*By: Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher Khalaf-Sakerfalke von Jaffa.Website:http://www.geocities.com/jaffacity/Whale_Shark_Palestine.html*Note: This article was published in "Gazelle: The PalestinianBiological Bulletin". Number 71, November 2007. pp. 22-23.Abstract:The rescuing of a Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus, Smith 1828) near theTantura Beach, Carmel Coast, North Palestine, in April 2006,confirms the existence of this marine fish species in thePalestinian coastal waters and the East Mediterranean Sea. This isthe first record for this fish species from the PalestinianMediterranean Coast.Near the Tantura (Dor / Nahsholim) Beach, Carmel Coast, NorthPalestine, volunteers from the rescue team for the Israeli MarineMammal Research and Assistance Center managed to rescue a 10-meter-long whale shark that had become entangled in fishing net onSaturday 01.04.2006.Representatives of the Fishing Division of the Agriculture Ministrywere also on the scene, as the shark, which is rare in the easternMediterranean, was untangled.Rescuers reported that the shark was exhausted from its ordeal, andthat they were still trying to aid it in leaving the coastal watersand swimming back out to the open seas.Whale sharks, despite their large size (the largest ever found was18 meters); have never been recorded as attacking a human. In fact,divers call them the "gentle giants". They are the world's largestliving fish and in many areas, are considered protected species (TheJerusalem Post, 01.04.2006).This is the first record for this marine fish species from thePalestinian Mediterranean Waters.