Whale Sharks in Palestinian Waters

The rescuing of a Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus, Smith 1828) near the Tantura Beach, Carmel Coast, North Palestine, in April 2006, confirms the existence of this marine fish species in the Palestinian coastal waters and the East Mediterranean Sea. This is the first record for this fish species from the Palestinian Mediterranean Coast.Near the Tantura (Dor / Nahsholim) Beach, Carmel Coast, North Palestine, volunteers from the rescue team for the Israeli Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center managed to rescue a 10-meter-long whale shark that had become entangled in fishing net on Saturday 01.04.2006.Representatives of the Fishing Division of the Agriculture Ministry were also on the scene, as the shark, which is rare in the eastern Mediterranean, was untangled.Rescuers reported that the shark was exhausted from its ordeal, and that they were still trying to aid it in leaving the coastal waters and swimming back out to the open seas. Whale sharks, despite their large size (the largest ever found was 18 meters); have never been recorded as attacking a human. In fact, divers call them the "gentle giants". They are the world's largest living fish and in many areas, are considered protected species (The Jerusalem Post, 01.04.2006).This is the first record for this marine fish species from the Palestinian Mediterranean Waters.Whale Sharks in Palestinian Waters:Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus, Smith 1828) near Um Al-Rashrash (Eilat) Beach, Gulf of Aqaba, South Palestine: First Records from the Palestinian Red Sea Coast.*By: Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Ali Taher Khalaf-Sakerfalke von Jaffa.*Note: This article was published in "Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin". Number 71, November 2007. pp. 23-26.