Saudi man takes a ride on an endangered whale shark, video goes viral

Saudia Arabia: A video of a man riding an endangered whale shark has left people on social media bewildered. The clip doing rounds on social media platforms has many in disbelief and astonishment.

The viral video begins with the man sitting on the edge of a boat, watching over a pair of sharks, while someone records him from behind. It then shows him jumping off the boat and landing on the back of the shark and grabbing its dorsal fin for support. The video was originally shared on Snapchat, before spreading across platforms.

The man who shared it on Twitter also gave more details. He wrote in a tweet, “The acrobat whale – is an endangered species of shark Its average length is 13 meters while its weight is 21 tons. It is one of the most common types of fish spread in the Red Sea, especially near the Saudi coast.

This shark does not pose any danger to humans, and no deaths or attacks on humans have been recorded (sic).”   In the video, the animal seems incredibly calm and doesn’t appear to get agitated despite the approaching boat.

The whale shark is considered to be the largest fish in the sea and is listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.