It’s not the extinct white dolphin or something you might see at one of those incredible hotspots for whale watching, it’s the world’s largest shark, the whale shark. Researchers down under, that’s down under (Australia) and down under (underwater) attached devices for observation to eight sharks 8 meters (26′) long off Ningaloo. The devices which are designed to release from the sharks on command, track every move the giant fish makes over several hours.

The whale shark dives like a hawk, then soars like an eagle, using momentum and gravity to conserve energy. Momentum and gravity for conservation of energy? Is there something we landlubbers can learn here because to be honest the whale shark is as big as a bus!

Image by Rob Hughes

Image by Fiona Ayerst

The study was done under pretenses of protecting the whale sharks against whom or who? People who might stick devices to them maybe?

The devices are supposed to reveal where the sharks feed and breed so that we humans can know where and when to leave them alone. How about we just leave them alone. But, then if we aren’t careful, hunters will find them. And if the hunters don’t get them, pollution might.

So, do we study animals or should we leave them alone? What do you think?

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Six years ago scientists from China, Japan, Britain, and the United States all but determined that the white dolphin, also known as baiji, which makes it home in the Yangtze river, was extinct.

Rcently, a white dolphin cub (70-80cms long) with a long tooth filled snout was sighted in the Anhui province. The bad thing however is that it was found dead so I suppose if they aren’t extinct, Yangtze river pollution will surely kill them.

Some say this particular species of dolphin lived as long as 20 million years ago.

Baiji’s cousin, the bottlenose dolphin and that species is also on the endangered species list.