A whale shark believed to have strayed into a river in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, has been found dead.
A resident of Kotoura Town found the 5-meter-long shark near the mouth of the Katsutagawa River on Saturday. It reportedly had scars on its tail fin.
Local officials and nearby residents tried to move the shark back to the sea, but their efforts were hindered by high waves.
The shark was found dead on the river bed.
Whale sharks mainly live in tropical waters. One got caught in a fixed net off Tottori 3 years ago.
An official at the prefecture's fishery department says the shark may have entered the Sea of Japan and traveled north with the Tsushima Current while chasing plankton.
Source: ANNnewsCH
