The Dorsal Fin

Tracking data from “Sammy” the female whale shark that was reportedly released from Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm on March 18 has been retrieved by Mote Marine Laboratory, according to a gulfnews.com article. The whale shark was tagged with a pop-up satellite tracking tag upon her release. The tag was expected to record data for approximately 3 months, but it popped up after one month. It is unknown why the tag detached early, but data retrieved from the tracking tag indicated what Dr. Robert Hueter, Director of Mote’s Center for Shark Research described as “normal behavior similar to what we’ve observed in other whale sharks.”

Not long after the reported release of the whale shark, some animal rights groups were requesting evidence that the shark had actually been released, calling into question the “secretive” nature of The Palm’s release of “Sammy” back into the wild. The data retrieved by Mote Marine Laboratory provides scientific evidence that the whale was not only released but exhibited normal behavior for at least 33 days after her release.

Mote has posted a map of the released whale shark’s tracking data.

Sammy, a young whale shark (Rhincodon typus) like the one in this photo, was reportedly released from captivity last week by the Atlantis hotel in Dubai.

A report form Dubai newspaper 7Days is questioning the release of “Sammy” the whale shark from Dubai’s Atlantis hotel. The article states that 7Days had been informed by a representative from the Atlantis that the whale shark was in “good health.” However, the Atlantis has refused to comment or answer questions regarding the lack of photos or video footage of the animal’s release to the wild. In addition, 7Days reports that the Atlantis also removed all posts on its Facebook page regarding the whale shark, including a series of questions posted there by 7Days.

The whale shark was reportedly tagged with a satellite tracking tag, which is expected to begin transmitting data in 3 months.

The AP is reporting that “Sammy,” a 4.2m (13.8′) female whale shark, has been released back into the wild by the Atlantis hotel. The whale shark had been living in the Dubai hotel’s aquarium since being “rescued” from the wild in September of 2008.

Al Bawaba is reporting that Sammy will be tracked by the Atlantis hotel’s Marine and Science Engineering department using a tagging program co-developed by the Mote Marine Laboratory.

Sammy’s presence at the aquarium had drawn criticism from environmentalists and activists, both locally and internationally, since her capture in 2008. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a migratory species and is classified as “vulnerable” by the IUCN.

Hopefully, Sammy will be able to adjust appropriately to being returned to her natural habitat.