The Dubai Creek had an unexpected visitor over the weekend when a whale shark got lost. The 3-meter long young shark ended up in Dubai Creek on Thursday, prompting a team of expert divers to rush to its aid. Taking into consideration that the shark was under a lot of stress and was scared, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment Rescues’ Biodiversity Department devised a strategy to help put the shark at ease and lead it to safety. The rescue took five hours but the team eventually managed to lift the shark onto a stretcher, which was led by boat, out to sea.
Lieutenant Colonel Rashid Thani Al Ayel, Head of the Maritime Security Section at the Port Police Station said: “Under the directives of Major General Pilot Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, Acting Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, we participated in this rescue operation. Transporting the juvenile whale shark across a distance of 13-kilometers from Dubai Creek to the Arabian Gulf was a highly delicate and strenuous process, and everyone involved was incredibly patient. Seeing the shark safely back in its natural habitat was worth all the trouble.”