An environmental group has filmed remarkable footage of a whale shark sucking fish from a hole in a fishing net.
Conservation International posted footage of the giant fish using its vacuum cleaner-like mouth to pull silverside baitfish from a bagan fishing platform in Indonesia.
The group had been struggling to put satellite tags on the whale sharks until they discovered the opportunistic feeding practice at Cenderawasih Bay on the north side of Papua.
"The sharks frequently stay for hours at a time, gorging themselves on baitfish — and during this time they are incredibly easy to approach," ecologist Mark Erdmann wrote in a blog entry.
Dr Erdmann wrote that eager whale sharks have gotten stuck in the massive nets.
Fishermen are now considering designing the nets to prevent the whale sharks from getting in.
Despite the whale sharks eating their catch, the fishermen consider them to be good luck.
The biggest fish in the world, whale sharks are largely filter-feeders and are generally regarded as gentle giants.
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