Kollam: Sunday is World Whale Shark Day. Growing up to 18 metres in length and weighing as much as 21 tonnes, whale sharks are the world’s largest fish. The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has been involved in their conservation since 2017. Since then, 54 whale sharks have been saved from death along the Kerala coast, said Jithin Jose, field officer with the Wildlife Trust of India.

Along the Indian coast, whale sharks are most commonly spotted off Gujarat. Every November, they migrate from Gujarat towards Kanyakumari and return from March onwards. They travel alone, a fact established through satellite tagging.

Whale sharks often become trapped in fishing nets and die along the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram coasts, where stake nets are widely used in deeper waters. The Forest Department now provides fishermen who rescue whale sharks and release them back into the sea with ₹25,000 as compensation for damage to their nets.

Their distinctive features include spots on their bodies and their huge mouths. They feed by drawing in water and filtering out crabs, prawns, fish and other organisms. Whale sharks are classified among species requiring the highest level of protection. They are found in most seas except the Mediterranean and are particularly common in tropical waters. Countries such as the Maldives and the Philippines offer tourists opportunities to swim underwater alongside whale sharks. Such activities are not feasible in Kerala because of the poor visibility of its waters.

The Wildlife Trust of India, in association with the Forest Department, has been working to protect whale sharks along the Kerala coast, focusing on awareness programmes and strengthening the rescue network. Awareness efforts among fishermen were stepped up after a whale shark became entangled in a fishing net and died at Mukkatt, Kavanad, in Kollam. A nearly four-metre-long whale shark caught in a net at Paravur was successfully rescued and released into the sea. It was among the 54 whale sharks rescued so far.

Under the leadership of the Wildlife Trust of India, World Whale Shark Day celebrations will be held on Saturday in Goa, at IIT Gandhinagar in Gujarat, and at Fatima Mata National College in Kollam.