Sammy the whale shark is free...

Sammy the whale shark is free…

The Atlantis hotel on Dubai's Palm development releases shark into the Arabian Gulf. So don't go swimming...

March 18, 2010 2:54 by Ben Flanagan

After her 18-month stay at a five star hotel in Dubai, Sammy is free.

‘Sammy’, the female whale shark captured – or rather, ‘rescued’ – by the Atlantis hotel on the lavish The Palm development has been released into the waters of the Arabian Gulf, the hotel said today.

“Several months of planning” went into Sammy’s release, according to a statement issued by The Atlantis.

“The Atlantis Fish Husbandry Team utilized their experience and skill to save the animal in compliance with all CITIES regulations when she was found off the coast in distress and has been preparing the animal for return to the ocean,” said the statement.

Given that there is now a whale shark roaming the waters of the Arabian Gulf, should swimmers beware? Probably not, as the sharks “do not pose significant danger to humans”. That’s Wikipedia’s take on it, at least…

Tags: Sammy, Sammy the shark, The Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah

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4 Comments

Jaime on March 19, 2010 10:42 am

This is worth celebrating! This next few weeks will be tough for Sammy as she gets used to being on her own. By symbolically adopting her (http://bit.ly/adoptafish) you join us in sending a current of good vibes for her to ride on.
Bill McCabe on March 19, 2010 1:12 pm

Wikipedia is absolutely right, whale sharks pose no threat to humans. They do not have teeth and they feed on plankton. Swimming with whale sharks in the wild is a sought-after eco-tourism experience in many parts of the world.
charbel Bousraih on March 20, 2010 8:27 am

Whale Sharks are the most amazing and harmless creatures. The thought of Sammy roaming our waters is exciting. Am an advanced diver and just late last year we were a group of 7 divers exploring the depth off the coast of Fujairah, just 200 meters away from the coast at 20 meters depth we encounter a 12 meter long Whale Shark. we were so excited all of us started swimming with it, circling about 4 times. Just placing my hands on this animal was an experience I will never forget, let alone encountering it in its natural habitat. One of the UAE Newspapers reported this encounter at the time. Go Sammy!!!
Andrew on March 21, 2010 8:24 pm

Thems good eating y’hear?