It was a sad day in Pakistan after a 12 meter long Whale Shark was found floating off the coast of the port city of Karachi.
While the cause of death is not known, it has been estimated that whale sharks can live up to 70 years
Hundreds of onlookers assembled in the Karachi Harbour to watch local men pull the remains of the shark out of the water.
“It was dead when my men found it,” boat owner Muhammad Yousuf said.
Fisheries dealer Qasim Niazi bought the shark for 200,000 rupees (A$2000), and plans to charge viewers to see it at a local auction house.
The shark’s fins could then be sold in China, where they are considered a delicacy and shark liver oil is also used to make special medicines.
The gentle giants feed off of plankton and aren’t harmful to humans.
While stories exist of 18ft specimens, the largest verified whale shark was caught on 11 November 1947, near Baba Island, in Karachi, Pakistan. It was 12.65 metres (41.50 ft) long, weighed more than 21.5 tonnes (47,000 lb), and had a girth of 7 metres (23.0 ft)
