Quick Check: Did a fisherman's boat split into two after a whale shark encounter in Langkawi?

THE presence of a whale shark in waters and in close proximity to us can be quite intimidating but in reality these mammals pose no serious threat and have been known for being not aggressive until or unless provoked, of course.

Stil, their presence itself, if nearby, must be taken with caution.

Recently, five fishermen in Langkawi made a claim of their direct encounter with a shiver of whale sharks, whereby their fishing boat had split into half after being knocked by the whale sharks. Is this true?

VERDICT

TRUE

This was confirmed by Kedah and Perlis State Maritime director, First Admiral of the Maritimes, Romli Mustafa, saying that the maritime had mobilised Lightning Boat 6 which was placed as a special Carilamat boat to track the boat involved after receiving a distress call on the MERS999 by a member of the public upon receiving a call by one of the fishermen on board the boat.

The shipwreck had caused the fishermen to panic. Fortunately, all five men aged between 23 to 58 were rescued unharmed by a nearby fisherman’s boat, said Romli in a statement on Thursday (Jan 4).

Romli also advised the Maritime community to always carry and wear a life jacket when at sea and encouraged them to carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) as a safety device in the event of an emergency.

He added should there be any report of criminal activity or emergency at sea, to immediately contact the Kedah and Perlis State Maritime Operations Centre hotline [phone]) or the MERS emergency line at 999.

https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/642621/berita/semasa/lima-nelayan-cemas-bot-terbelah-dua-dilanggar-paus-jerung