Loading ...Whale Sharks: The World's Largest Fish in the Persian Gulf
By: Leyelle Mosallam / Arab America Contributing Writer
The Middle East is often overwhelmingly stereotyped as just deserts. One would be surprised by how diverse the Middle East environment and ecosystem actually are. While the desert offers great tourist attractions such as camel rides, dune bashing, and quad biking, the Middle East is beginning to offer its guest unique activities to experience the diversity of the Persian Gulf which surrounds the region. The Middle East’s marine biodiversity is the second highest in the world, and today, people can experience the Middle East’s marine life with the world’s largest fish, Whale Sharks.
The Spotting of Whale Sharks in Qatar
In approximately 90km, just northeast off of Qatar’s border, workers in the offshore oil rigs of Al Shaheen, Qatar’s largest oil field, spotted whale sharks aggregating around the platform. When workers reported the siting of whale sharks, Qatar’s Ministry of Environment decided to collaborate with researcher David Robinson, to create the Qatar Whale Shark Research Project to study the ecology of whale sharks in Qatar and the wider Persian Gulf. The research started in May 2010, and it began by attaching tracking devices to the whale sharks in order to monitor their behavior and habitat. In 2020, the president of Qatar’s Whale Shark Research Project, Mohammed Al Jaidah, claimed that 600 individual whale sharks have been identified in the region, making it the largest aggregation of Whale Sharks in the world.
Whale Sharks are the largest fish in the world. They can grow as long as 40 feet (12 meters). They are called whale sharks because of their shared features with whales. The whale shark and whale, are both large-bodied fish, that share the same size and diet. Whale sharks are filter eaters, meaning they suction water into their mouths while feeding on their prey. Whale sharks eat shrimp, algae, and fish eggs but plankton is their main source of food. Unlike most sharks, which are known to attack their prey, and often humans, whale sharks are very gentle making it easy for scuba divers and snorkelers to swim alongside whale sharks in open water.
The Qatar Whale Shark Research Project discovered that the Persian Gulf is a favorable habitat for Whale Sharks because of its warm and shallow waters. When Robinson was conducting his research on the Whale Sharks, he discovered that Whale Sharks appeared in the months of April through October, and June and August were the peak months for whale shark sighting, which are Qatar’s warmest months. Whale sharks are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list for vulnerable and endangered species. Robinson believed the ability of Whale Sharks to tolerate these naturally extreme weather conditions, and how it influences their ecology, is important for global climate change and protecting whale shark species.
Qatar’s Exhibition Cruise
In December 2020, Discover Qatar, which partners with Qatar Airways, launched an exhibition cruise package for those who wish to snorkel or scuba dive with whale sharks. The exhibition cruise offers to take its guest to Khor Al Udaid (Inland sea), for a nine-day all-inclusive package onboard Ponant’s Le Champlain expedition vessel, with an opportunity to extend the trip experience to an 11-day package for three nights in Doha. The cruise offers a spa, two restaurants, a fitness center, lectures by experts, an infinity pool, and an underwater lounge with large observation windows. The Khor Al Udaid is one of the few places on the planet where the desert meets the sea and the exhibition will give tourists a chance to see Qatar’s marine life and rich biodiversity. The exhibition cruise is being scheduled to start in 2022.
Importance of Whale Sharks and Climate Change
Climate Change is already affecting the Arab World in the direst ways. Experts have claimed that climate change will hit the Middle East the hardest due to an expected increase in temperatures across the region. Heat waves, desertification, and droughts will make parts of the Middle East almost inhabitable for many species. Qatar’s Whale Shark Research Project has worked to protect the Whale Sharks from climate change by documenting the shark’s movements, physical features, and location, which also examines the ranges of water temperature which sharks prefer to locate themselves.
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