Pakistani fishermen use cranes to pull the carcass of a whale shark from the waters at a fish harbor in Karachi. The 40-foot fish, weighing 6 to 7 tons, was reportedly found dead in shallow water in the Arabian Sea.

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Massive whale shark in Pakistan

Pakistani fishermen use cranes to pull the carcass of a whale shark from the waters at a fish harbor in Karachi. The 40-foot fish, weighing 6 to 7 tons, was reportedly found dead in shallow water in the Arabian Sea. (Asif Hassan / AFP/Getty Images)

Onlookers crowd around the carcass of a whale shark at a fish harbor in Karachi, Pakistan. A fisheries dealer reportedly bought the carcass and will charge visitors who want a glimpse of the beast. (Asif Hassan / AFP/Getty Images)

People surround a carcass of a whale shark in Karachi, Pakistan. Whale sharks are docile, even allowing swimmers to hitch a ride. National Geographic says the whale shark is currently listed as a vulnerable species and continues to be hunted. (Shakil Adil / Associated Press)

A man lifts a child to look at the carcass of a whale shark covered by a tent in Karachi, Pakistan. Fish stories abounded among those at the harbor, according to the news site, with one elderly fisherman saying that whale sharks “had tried to swallow him twice.” That’s unlikely for the simple reason that the whale shark’s favorite meal is plankton. (Shakil Adil / Associated Press)