Kota Kinabalu: A pair of grayish blue whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) or basking sharks have been spotted off Police Bay, off here, since Sunday afternoon. It is believed they have been in the waters over the last two weeks.
Boatmen from the Gayana Eco Resort and Resort Representative Gillian Tan sighted the world's largest fish, feeding on schooling shrimps on Sunday afternoon while they were travelling back to Kota Kinabalu from the resort between 3pm and 4pm. The resort is sited on the bay.
"The whale sharks were pretty friendly. They came close to our boat about two feet away. There are two of them in the bay approximately 100 metres from the shore. It is estimated that they are about 20 feet in length."We are told by marine biologists that they are in the area to feed on the schools of little shrimps, en route to their annual migration destination. We spotted them again today (Tuesday)," Tan told Daily Express.
Going by their migratory behaviour, she said it is well-timed with local productivity of shrimps (in those waters), which form a component of the whale shark's diet. They are known to feed on small crustaceans, schooling fishes, tuna and squids.
"Locally, their presence seems to be predictable as they were also seen in the same area around the same time last year (between January and February)."
Tan e-mailed photos of the whale sharks to the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Environment, Datuk Suzannah Liaw.
Meanwhile, Liaw called on local fishermen to spare the whale sharks if they happened to encounter the marine creatures which normally surface to feed.
"While they are generally considered harmless, it is best not to provoke them," she said.
Whale sharks are found in tropical and warm temperate seas all around the world with the exception of the Mediterranean. Studies reveal that this shark prefers warm waters, marked by high productivity of plankton.
Anatomically, they can grow up to a length of 40 feet and weigh up to 14 tonnes.
Fishing for this shark occurs in Taiwan and the Philippines, among other countries. The whale shark meat fetches a high price in Taiwan. Whale shark fins are sold in the Orient, especially in Hong Kong.