Sammy, as the whale shark was dubbed, which had been held in captivity in the Atlantis, Palm Jumeirah aquarium for the past eighteen month, is freed. The release comes almost a year after a popular Gulf News led campaign had thousands of Dubai residents calling for the hotel to release Sammy. The female whale shark had been rescued after being found in distress in the Arabian Gulf in 2008. But animal rights activists said the Sammy had been kept by the Atlantis as a tourist attraction and campaigned for its release.

The campaign involved badges, bumper stickers, jingles and a Facebook group that attracted several thousand members. Atlantis issued a press release stating its fish husbandry team had worked towards Sammy’s release in accordance with international conventions on endangered species and she had been set free in the ocean.  Click here for full report…