Berhampur: An enormous whale shark, around 15-foot long was caught in fishermen’s net on Sunday. It passed away before it could be freed back into waters.
The shark which weighed approximately two quintals was brought to Sunapur beach of Ganjam. The news spread like wildfire and soon there was a huge crowd to catch a rare glimpse of the whale.
The fishermen, in whose net the huge fish was caught, attempted to free it but failed and the whale shark died. Meanwhile, a post-mortem of the shark will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death. The carcass will be buried after the post-mortem, informed a fishery official.
Experts said whale sharks are the largest in the shark species.
The shark might have deviated from its migratory route, getting caught in strong waves and trapped in the shallow waters of the coastal area, the official added.