A 40-foot long whale shark was found dead near Karachi, Pakistan, the Express Tribune, a Pakistani newspaper reports. Mehmood Khan, the owner of the Charai Fishery, said the whale shark was spotted unconscious 10 days ago in waters about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the fishery.
Curious onlookers swarmed the pier while two cranes attempted to lift the shark, approximately 40 to 50-feet long and six-feet wide, out of the water. After failing to reel in the fish, more cranes, capable of lifting heavier weights, were called in for the task. The shark was finally lifted from the sea after several hours of efforts and sold for 1.7 million Rupees ($18,750).
The whale shark is found deep in warm oceans and munches primarily on plankton. The largest confirmed whale shark was 41 ft long.
The largest confirmed whaleshark was 41ft long but it is thought they can grow to considerably greater lengths.
The shark is found in tropical waters and lives for around 70 years. They feed mainly on plankton, microscopic plants and sometimes small fish.
It has a cavernous mouth that can be up to 5ft wide and contains between 300 and 350 rows of tiny teeth.
The whale shark, a gentle giant of the seas, does not pose a significant danger to humans - and in the past some have even allowed swimmers to hitch a ride on their fins.
