Dead Whale Shark Washes Ashore in Pakistan: At Risk Species Fetches Big Bucks

A giant whale shark washed ashore in Karachi, Pakistan. Fishermen reeled in the 40-foot sea creature with five large cranes. Initially, the group used two cranes to bring the animal to shore, but it weighed between 6 and 7 tons, so they had to bring in more help.

Earlier in the week, fishermen found the whale shark fairly close to the shore. The fish was unconscious, and they had hoped to capture the creature, but it was too late. The 40-foot shark had died, but that did not stop a local fishery from selling it for an astonishing $18,000.

It is disappointing that this creature, which is the biggest fish in the sea, died. In fact, whale sharks are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list for endangered species, which means it is vulnerable, so losing one is a great loss. It is illegal to hunt these fish.

Although it is the largest fish in the sea, this creature is actually quite gentle and generally does not pose a threat. The video below shows the cranes struggling to lift the whale shark out of the ocean.