Watch as local fishermen in Central Region jubilate over whale shark catch

A group of local fishermen in Ghana’s Central Region erupted in excitement after encountering a whale shark, a species listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In a video shared on social media platform X, about a dozen fishermen are seen struggling to pull the massive creature back into the sea. After several attempts, they successfully returned the whale shark to its natural habitat.

This positive outcome contrasts with a similar incident in September 2020, when fishermen in the Volta Region caught a humpback whale. Unfortunately, that creature was killed, with body parts including its tail and flippers removed.

About the Whale Shark

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and is the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual measured 18.8 meters (61.7 feet) in length. It holds multiple records for size among animals, particularly as the largest living non-cetacean species.

It is the only living member of the genus Rhincodon and the family Rhincodontidae, which falls under the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. Prior to 1984, it was classified under the genus Rhiniodon in the family Rhinodontidae.

Whale sharks inhabit the open waters of all tropical oceans and are rarely found in waters cooler than 21 °C (70 °F). Estimates suggest they can live between 80 and 130 years, based on studies of vertebral growth bands and free-swimming shark growth rates.

Despite their massive size and large mouths, whale sharks are harmless to humans. They are filter feeders—like the megamouth shark and the basking shark—feeding almost exclusively on plankton and small fish.

The species was first scientifically distinguished in April 1828, following the harpooning of a 4.6-meter (15-foot) specimen in Table Bay, South Africa. It was described the following year by Andrew Smith, a military doctor stationed in Cape Town. The name "whale shark" refers to its immense size and whale-like appearance, though it is a fish—not a mammal—and is not closely related to whales.

A group of local fishermen in the Central Region jubilate in excitement after catching a whale shark, an Endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). pic.twitter.com/M8oxdPVZ13

— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) April 16, 2025