A short video clip making rounds on social media today shows a Saudi man riding a Whale Shark in the mighty red sea. The video shows the Saudi man on a boat watching whale sharks swim by, then he chooses a particular whale shark and makes and attempt to approach it. The next moment, the man then jumps on the whale and firmly holds its fin. The video further shows the man and the whale shark swimming together, the scene looks straight out of a movie and has attracted considerable attention on social media.
The viral video was captured in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia
These whale sharks are incredibly rare and are listed under endangered species of the world by the WWF. This scene was captured in the port city of Yanbu, located on the outskirts of Saudi Arabia. The man was seen holding on to the fin of the whale shark as they both swam across the sea. It seemed that the whale shark was enjoying the ride and did not even once attempt to hurt the man riding upon it.
While the other men on the yacht kept yelling words of caution like “Careful, it can swallow you”, the man riding the whale shark did not show any signs of fear and kept riding the whale shark as if he was a part of some fairy tale. Social media users were able to identify this man as “Zaki Al-sabahy”.
While some users have commended Al-sabahy on his bravery, others have expressed disappointment. Some users claim that this act amounted to reckless behavior if the whale shark had reacted angrily it could have easily swallowed Al-sabahy and his companions on the yacht. Since whale sharks swim around in packs, the entire pack can attack if provoked. Users also feel that this behavior is likely to encourage other people to act the same way and become exposed to potential danger
The Saudi authorities have made no comment on the video yet. It is likely that the video will die down after a few days when Al-sabahy’s moment of fame is over.
