<p>"After several months of planning, Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai has returned a female whale shark to the waters of the Arabian Gulf from where she was rescued. The Atlantis Fish Husbandry Team utilised their experience and skill to save the animal in compliance with all CITIES regulations," Atlantis resort said in a statement yesterday.<br /><br />The news has been hailed by environmentalists and the public who launched a campaign to free the shark.<br /><br />The announcement came as a UAE delegation was attending the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference currently taking place in Doha.<br /><br />Ali Bin Saqr Al Suwaidi, president and founder of the Emirates Marine Environment Group [EMEG], confirmed that the whale shark was set to be released.<br /><br />"An animal of this size cannot be kept in captivity for such a long time," he said.<br />According to Atlantis, the hotel had been "preparing the animal for return to the ocean" during the time that it was being held. <br /><br />The release comes almost a year after a media campaign was launched to free Sammy including a Facebook group that attracted several thousand members.<br />Whale sharks are categorized as "vulnerable" under the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list of threatened species.<br />The four-metre long female shark was on display to visitors to the Atlantis resort’s aquarium on the Palm Jumeirah since its capture.<br /><br />The detainment of the whale shark prompted uproar from animal rights groups, including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).</p>
<p>"After several months of planning, Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai has returned a female whale shark to the waters of the Arabian Gulf from where she was rescued. The Atlantis Fish Husbandry Team utilised their experience and skill to save the animal in compliance with all CITIES regulations," Atlantis resort said in a statement yesterday.<br /><br />The news has been hailed by environmentalists and the public who launched a campaign to free the shark.<br /><br />The announcement came as a UAE delegation was attending the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference currently taking place in Doha.<br /><br />Ali Bin Saqr Al Suwaidi, president and founder of the Emirates Marine Environment Group [EMEG], confirmed that the whale shark was set to be released.<br /><br />"An animal of this size cannot be kept in captivity for such a long time," he said.<br />According to Atlantis, the hotel had been "preparing the animal for return to the ocean" during the time that it was being held. <br /><br />The release comes almost a year after a media campaign was launched to free Sammy including a Facebook group that attracted several thousand members.<br />Whale sharks are categorized as "vulnerable" under the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list of threatened species.<br />The four-metre long female shark was on display to visitors to the Atlantis resort’s aquarium on the Palm Jumeirah since its capture.<br /><br />The detainment of the whale shark prompted uproar from animal rights groups, including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).</p>