Julia Wheeler, BBC News 19 Oct 08;
Pressure is growing on Dubai's newest and largest hotel resort to free a whale shark from its aquarium.
The Atlantis Hotel, on the iconic Palm Jumeirah island, originally said it had "rescued" the animal, which is recognised as an endangered species.
The hotel is now refusing to say if or when the whale shark will be released.
Environmentalists and Dubai residents are now demanding that the shark - nicknamed Sammy by one paper - should be released into its natural habitat.
The Atlantis hotel, which opened last month, was billed as the biggest and one of the best resorts in Dubai.
But it has already witnessed some major setbacks. A fire billowed smoke through the lobby three weeks before the opening.
Then, a week after opening, one of its main water valves ruptured, resulting in no water in much of the hotel.
Now the focus is on the 4m (13ft) whale shark that circles the hotel's aquarium - a tank built to invoke the ruins of Atlantis, the so-called Lost City.
Mobilisation
The shark, who could grow up to 12m (39ft), was caught off the coast of Dubai six weeks ago.
The management talk of "rescuing" an animal, who was in distress, but former employees have told the local press that capturing a whale shark was always part of the hotel's plan to provide an added tourist attraction.
An independent survey has shown more than a third of those questioned would be more likely to visit the resort to see it, but there is a growing swell of public opinion that the animal should be released and tagged.
Whale sharks are protected under the Cites convention and the plight of this member of an endangered species has captured the imagination of the public.
One popular newspaper has launched a freedom campaign.
Children are talking about it in school assemblies and local environmentalists are strongly urging its release.
Dubai hotel 'must free' whale shark from aquarium
Environmentalists are calling for a hotel resort in Dubai to free a whale shark from its aquarium.
Urmee Khan, The Telegraph 20 Oct 08;
The Atlantis hotel, which opened last month, has been billed as the biggest and one of the best resorts in the country.
The 4m (13ft) whale shark can be seen circling the hotel's aquarium - a tank built to invoke the ruins of Atlantis, the mythical Lost City.
The hotel, on the Palm Jumeirah island, originally said it had "rescued" the shark, which is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
Campaigners and residents say the whale shark - named Sammy - should be released into its natural habitat.
The shark, which could grow up to 12m (39ft), was caught off the coast of Dubai six weeks ago.
The management of the hotel said they had "rescued" an animal, who was in distress, but former employees have told the local press that capturing a whale shark had always been planned as a tourist attraction.
An independent survey has shown more than a third of those questioned would be more likely to visit the resort to see it, but there is a growing swell of public opinion that the animal should be released and tagged.
The hotel has refused to comment on whether Sammy will be released.
The hotel was the first to open on The Palm, a man-made island off the coast of the United Arab Emirates that is shaped like a palm tree. It was touted as one of the emirate's most extravagant hotels to date, featuring a water park, aquarium, 1,500 guest rooms and 16 restaurants.
The publicity surrounding Sammy is the latest in a string of problems faced by the hotel. Three weeks before the opening, a fire billowed smoke through the lobby and a week after its opening, one of its main water valves ruptured, cutting off the water supply in the hotel.
