Whale shark spotted swimming in central coast of Vietnam
VOV.VN - A large whale shark suddenly appeared in the sea near Ky Co tourist area in Quy Nhon city of Binh Dinh province, central Vietnam, right in front of a group of tourists aboard a tourist boat on July 20.
A video clip shot by Nhat Phong, a tour guide, shows the big shark was swimming and hunting for food close to the boat in front of the tourists.
Phong said the video clip was recorded at around 11:45am when the boat was taking the tourists from Ky Co tourist area to see the coral at Bai Dua beach.
When the boat approached, the shark appeared to be quite friendly, swimming slowly, said the tour guide, adding many tourists and he recorded the fish.
The fish is more than 4m long, with white spots on the head and back.
According to Dr. Vo Van Quang, head of Marine Vertebrates Department of the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, the fish in the video is the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species.
This is a rare fish species, widely distributed in tropical and warm temperate seas of the world. The fish has appeared in many localities in Vietnam, including in Binh Dinh in 2010.