VIDEO: Saudi takes a ride on whale shark in the Red Sea

Gulf Today Report

A video clip is doing the rounds on social media platforms of a Saudi man taking a ride on a whale shark.

The video shows the person in the Saudi region of Yanbu, jumping on a whale shark.

It is considered an endangered huge fish, which is rare in the Red Sea.

These slow-growing fish represent a major tourist attraction when they appear in some marine areas.

The video shows the person on board a boat trying to approach the whale. The person then jumps on it. The whale then moves with the person and they continue to swim together.

This whale is characterised by the enormity of its size, which reaches about 19 metres, in addition to its slow movement in the water.

There is currently no robust estimate of the global whale shark population. The species is considered endangered by the IUCN due to the impacts of fisheries, by-catch losses, and vessel strikes, combined with its long lifespan and late maturation.