Environment authorities released a video detailing the dramatic rescue of a whale shark in Abu Dhabi.
The six-metre fish was first spotted farther down the coast with a smaller juvenile in September, after following a plankton bloom into canals at Raha Beach.
It hung around for several weeks before in early November heading a few miles north up to the waters off Al Bahiyah, where it became stuck, swimming in circles in a man-made lagoon.
Authorities decided to step in after it became clear the fish was trapped and could not feed.
The whale shark, the largest living species of shark, can grow up to 12 metres and weigh as much as 40 tonnes.
“We were hoping we would not need to intervene and he would leave with the tide,” said Maitha Al Hameli, lead specialist for Marine Threatened Species and Habitats at Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
“It’s better not to intervene when it comes to wildlife. We don’t want to stress them out.
“But when we saw that he was not going out when the tide was going out, and he was dependent on anything that came into the lagoon, we decided to come up with a plan to move him out with the National Aquarium.”
Experts first tagged the whale shark, to monitor its movements, before placing it in a water transport bag.
Jet skis then towed the big fish through the narrow entrance of the channel and 20 kilometres out into the Arabian Gulf, as free divers swam alongside to monitor it.
Data collected by the tag, which was provided by King Fahd University in Saudi Arabia, showed the whale shark had travelled 232km into the Arabian Gulf in the first five days after the rescue on November 12.
Experts said it was a good sign and showed the whale shark, which had been swimming in narrow canals in Al Raha and Al Bahiyah for three months, was healthy.
Experts said the juvenile four-metre whale shark that originally accompanied him when they first arrived in September stayed in the Al Raha area until about the same time in November, when it left abruptly.
The EAD was monitoring both whale sharks, and stepped in several times to supplement the juvenile’s diet with krill and remove fish hooks that became caught in its fins.
It also imposed a temporary ban on marine traffic in the area to protect the fish.
Abu Dhabi is typically visited by whale sharks a couple of times a year, but to have two stay for months is unprecedented.
They were both believed to have become disorientated and unable to find their way out into the Arabian Gulf.
It is not known where the juvenile is now, but experts believe it is now also back out in the open sea.
Whale sharks have a broad, flattened head with stripes and spots on their bodies and rows of more than 300 tiny teeth.
They are, however, gentle giants and filter feeders, existing on krill and plankton.
They are believed to live as long as 130 years and are found in all warm waters of the world. There are thought to be about 7,000 left in the wild.
Despite their size, some have been captured and displayed in aquariums.
A female whale shark with extensive abrasions, which was rescued from shallow waters in 2008, was briefly kept in Dubai’s Atlantis The Palm hotel. But the aquarium released it in 2010, after 19 months in captivity.
A tracker monitoring her movements fell off after 33 days, when she was in the waters off the coast of Qatar.
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
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CREW
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
MATCH INFO
Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')
Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')
Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Essentials
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
Allardyce's management career
Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)
Countries (1) - England (2016)
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
