Whale shark
Whale shark
Fishermen found two dead bodies of whale sharks, one of the endangered species, in a fishing net along the coastal areas of Yayphyu Township, Dawei district, Taninthayi region on May 13 and tugged them to Daminsake beach.

"The dead bodies arrived around 5:30 pm. The fishes got caught in the net and they couldn't escape. The fishermen could not free them in the sea and tugged them to the beach. We have found four dead whale sharks from April to May. We informed the authorities and they told me to bury them. So we dug a deep hole with a backhoe. They couldn't swim back to the deep sea after they arrived in shallow water," said a local Moe Naing.

Dead body of the whale shark in Daminsake beach
© Myoe MyoeDead body of the whale shark in Daminsake beach
All four whale sharks found between April and May in Daminsake beach were between 15 and 20 feet large. One of them was found when it washed ashore on the beach while the rest died in the fishing nets.

"The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) has spots in its body and mostly found in open waters. They are not a danger to human and eat small fish. They have no big teeth and is a rare species," said Assistant Director Myint Shwe from Fishery Department of the region.

The department banned whale shark hunting as it is an endangered species.