Free Whale Shark Into The Wild

The female whale shark swam into the shallow bay waters near the Atlantis hotel, after which it was kept in a large aquarium.

Animal activists and environmental protection enthusiasts have warned the Dubai Atlantis Hotel to release a whale shark into the wild, which they are keeping in a large aquarium inside the sea-themed hotel. The whale shark swam into the shallow bay waters near the Atlantis hotel, after which it was kept in a large aquarium, the Guardian writes.

Its life and the lives of its offspring threatened

The activists claim that the Atlantis hotel managers are threatening the shark`s life, which is otherwise enlisted as an endangered species, by keeping the whale shark in the same aquarium as other shark creatures. They believe that keeping the four-metre animal threatens its chances for surviving in the open sea and condemn keeping the animal as a pet.

- Taking a potential breeder ... from the wild, takes not only one whale shark from an already weakened whale shark population, but also the possible offspring she could produce – the activists wrote in their letter of protest.

Activists also protested in 2001 because of the ideas the luxury Dubai hotels had. One of them wanted to get dolphins from the Solomon Islands, transport them for 30 hours in a plane and shift to an artificial lagoon, where their guest could swim with them.

Whale sharks can live to be 100 years old and grow up to 14 metres. They are mostly found in parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.