The fisherman above is named Cai Chengzh. When asked what he would do with his “booty”, Mr. Chengzh candidly said: “I hope to sell it for about 10,000-20,000 yuan.”
The whale shark that Mr. Chengzh caught. (Source: CCTV)
The whale shark is about 4.5m long. (Source: CCTV)
Whale sharks are rare animals and are not allowed to be sold in China. (Source: CCTV)
According to marine biologists, the “sea monster” that Mr. Chengzh caught could be a whale shark. If it is correctly identified as a whale shark, Mr. Chengzh will not be able to sell it because under Chinese law, whale sharks are on the list of animals that need to be protected.
Whale sharks are considered the gentlest of the shark family. They usually live deep in warm waters and eat only plankton.
In February 2012, fishermen in the fishing port of Karachi, Pakistan also discovered a whale shark more than 12m long and weighing 6-7 tons.
It was towed into the fishing port of Karachi after being found dead in the Arabian waters 10 days ago.
