Beach closed temporarily after whale shark spotted
abu dhabi — Swimmers were barred from Al Bahar beach on the Abu Dhabi Corniche after a whale shark has been spotted in the capital’s waters.
The beach temporarily shut on Wednesday will re-open for swimming today, according to the management of the newly-opened leisure destination in Abu Dhabi.
The beach was closed following an announcement by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) that an endangered whale shark was spotted in the Kasr Al Amwaj area of the emirate.
“A whale shark has been spotted by Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi in the Kasr Al Amwaj area. While they’re quite safe creatures, the EAD still sent out a beach warning to steer clear of the waters for health and safety reasons,” read a statement on the Facebook page of Al Bahar beach.
The EAD has assured residents that the shark is not harmful.
“EAD is monitoring a whale shark that has been spotted in Kasr Al Amwaj area in Abu Dhabi,” tweeted the agency. “If you come across a whale shark, we urge you to not approach it and for boat drivers to keep a safe distance.”
Considered endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of endangered species, whale sharks appear occasionally in the marinas and waterways of Abu Dhabi during this time of year, said the EAD in its tweet.
Public can alert EAD on 800555 if they sight the shark.