Whale shark stranded on UAE beach saved by fishermen

About 10 men helped the animal back into the water after it was caught in fishing nets

A group of fishermen are seen in a screengrab pushing the whale back into the water after it was caught in their nets.

Fishermen in Sharjah have rescued a whale shark after it became stranded on a beach.

Videos shared on social media show the whale shark, which measured about six metres in length, near Luluyah Beach in the exclave of Khor Fakkan.

The whale shark became beached after it was caught in the fishing nets, with about 10 men pushing it back into the safety of the water.

Docile in nature, whale sharks are the largest living shark species. They can grow up to 12 metres and weigh as much as 40 tonnes.

They have a broad, flattened heads with stripes and spots on their bodies, and rows of more than 300 tiny teeth.

They are slow-moving filter feeders and mainly feed on planktonic crustaceans and fish eggs. Their distinctive pattern of white spots can be used to identify each one, much in the same way as a human fingerprint.

Whale sharks are believed to live as long as 130 years and are found in all warm waters of the world, although there are only thought to be about 7,000 left in the wild.

They becoming more commonly seen in UAE waters, with reported sightings in recent years in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah.