WASHINGTON – This fish story isn’t about the one that got away.
Fishermen near Karachi, Pakistan on Tuesday reportedly spotted the giant carcass of a whale shark in the Arabian Sea and dragged it into a local harbor, where onlookers crowded around to get a look.
Other reports apparently say the carcass washed up dead near a pier. But whatever the fish tale, The Express Tribune says the whale shark — which prefers to eat plankton despite being the largest fish in the sea — was 35 feet in length and weighed seven tons. Two cranes were needed to pull it up from the water.
The largest whale shark ever measured was 40 feet long, according to National Geographic. (In what’s likely not a surprise to fishermen or those who love them, accounts of the size of the fish in Karachi vary — some say the whale shark measured 40 feet.)
The Tribune says the carcass was sold at auction and will be displayed for visitors — for a charge.
Check out video posted of the haul below:
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