Trinidad: Rare 15-foot whale shark stuns onlookers at Peake’s Marina

Trinidad and Tobago: A majestic whale shark, around 15 feet long, was seen swimming right up to the shoreline at Peake’s Marina, Chaguaramas in Trinidad. According to the information, the whale splashed around in the shallows for around 30 minutes before returning to the open sea. 

The employees and patrons at the Peake Yacht Services Marina in Chaguaramas reported encountering this species also known as the world’s largest fish around 8:15 on Saturday morning. 

It is being said that this rare but harmless encounter likely occurred because the shark was ‘feeding on plankton or tiny fish’ which may have been abundant near the shore. Whale sharks are gentle giants, filter-feeders, and not dangerous to humans. 

Videos circulating online showcase the animal struggling briefly in the shallow water, but it eventually swam away and no rescue by officials was required.  

Eyewitnesses at the site reported the sighting to be amazing with Peake Yacht Services employee Christopher Allard noting that, “I saw in the water, I see this big fish, It is amazing because the last 30 years I have been working here, I have never seen a whale.” 

Another employee of the same facility Leslieann Sambrano noted that she was cleaning the grill when she heard a huge splashing sound in the water behind her. She said that when she turned around, she saw a big whale and she was like she has to capture this moment and noted that it was one of the greatest moments in the short space of time she has been living on earth. 

Meanwhile, Environmentalist Ricardo Meade lauded the people who were present for their handling of the situation and outlined that Kudos to the people who stood there and took the videos. He further described the whale shark as one of the largest species of fish in the world and said that despite the size, it is a gentle, slow moving filter feeder which eats tiny plankton and small fish.  

Experts say that Whale Sharks live in a warm tropical ocean and can grow more than 40 feet long.