Whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea, often reaching a length of 40 feet. While their babies are much smaller in size obviously, they are still a remarkable sight.
Recently photos of a baby whale shark started making the rounds online. The creature wasn’t in the ocean, but was instead swimming around a resort pool in the Maldives.
The images were troubling to conservation groups, as whale sharks shouldn’t be in captivity and are a protected species.
The one and a half foot shark had been captured earlier in the day by some fishermen. Its captors placed the creature in holding tanks and were supposed to release the shark back into the sea shortly thereafter.
However, later on that very same day, photos appeared online depicting the shark swimming in the saltwater pool at a neighboring resort. Whale sharks are known to migrate to the Maldives and they are a big tourist draw.
This case was no different, as the small creature wasn’t alone in the pool but was instead swimming with tourists. As for why the whale shark turned up at another resort, an investigation revealed its captors had attempted to sell it rather than releasing it back into the ocean.
The perspective buyer, however, wanted no part of the deal and demanded the creature be set free. The baby whale shark only spent about 10 minutes in the pool, before it was cataloged and released back into the sea.
