Safe release of baby whale shark back into the ocean-(WWF)

Once freed from the net, the pup started to move slightly, so assuming that it was alive and may survive, the captain immediately instructed the crew to release it back into the water. PHOTO: WWF-Pakistan

By Naeem Khan

KARACHI: Quick thinking by fishermen, trained by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Pakistan, helped them to rescue a 7.5-foot-long juvenile whale shark trapped in a gill-net and release it back into the ocean.

The fishermen, led by Captain Ali Akbar, came across the pup while they were fishing for tunas about 2 kilometres north of Churna Island in Balochistan on Thursday.

According to Akbar, the baby whale shark was entangled in the net they had placed for catching fish. At first, the crew tried to disentangle the pup while the net was in the water, but when it did not show any body movement they heaved the net on board assuming that the pup had died.

However as the pup was freed from the net, while it was on board, it started to show some movement. After seeing the pup move, the captain quickly realized that the animal may survive and immediately instructed the crew to safely release it back in the waters. goo.gl/MHRxnG

Photo: Courtesy By (WWF)-Pakistan & THE EXPRESS/Tribune.