A whale shark that captivated Israelis in recent weeks after being spotted off the country’s Mediterranean coast appears to have met a grim end in Gaza. Video circulating on social media Thursday showed crowds in Khan Younis pulling the enormous fish ashore and reportedly butchering it for food.
The whale shark—classified as an endangered species and protected under Israeli law—had been seen earlier this month off the coasts of Netanya, Ashdod and Ashkelon. Marine researchers had tracked its movements as it swam north and south along Israel’s shoreline.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Adi Barash, CEO of Sharks in Israel, a nonprofit dedicated to shark conservation. “There’s no ecological impact since it was a solitary individual, but it’s still deeply saddening.”
Whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea, can grow up to 14 meters (46 feet) long and live more than a century. They feed on plankton and small fish and pose no danger to humans.