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Rejoice! Sammy the Shark No Longer a Prisoner of Atlantis Dubai

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
October 27, 2008 at 11:55 AM | by Jenna | 4 Comments

Sweet freedom for Sammy! The 13-foot whale shark controversially captured by Atlantis Dubai (the hotel originally tried to spin it as a "rescue" for the "distressed" whale shark) will be freed after the Atlantis received surprise government orders to liberate her from the huge lobby tank on the Palm Jumeirah property last week.

Environmentalists and activists were pissed that the whale shark -- a juvenile and a protected species -- was being kept in a cramped tank as a ploy to attract tourists to the hotel. The story grabbed headlines around the world; children walked around with "Free Sammy" buttons and the "Free Sammy The Whale Shark" Facebook group climbed to 11,500 members (versus a group called "Lets Eat Sammy the Whale Shark," which suggested people should take some time to "decide whether Sammy prefers to swim free or become a main course in a Ramsay or Jamie Oliver restaurant," and only had five members last time we checked).

On Friday, the Times UK reported that the Government of the United Arab Emirates issued an order to free Sammy. As for what to expect in the deep blue sea after her release: while she may be pissed about this whole captivity snafu, her species only eats plankton and small fish and doesn't find humans particularly tasty. Although if we were a 13-foot shark being stared at by tourists in Gucci fanny packs all day, we're not sure we'd be too friendly to any humans we encountered afterward.

Unfortunately for her, Sammy's release means she's going to miss out on the absurd, ridiculous $35 million November 20th party the hotel is throwing in honor of its grand opening. Hopefully the bash will at least generate some positive PR for the hotel, which has been taking a beating in the media for the staggering number of guest complaints and reported issues -- craptastic service and water outages among them -- since its September opening.

4 Comments

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Return to » Rejoice! Sammy the Shark No Longer a Prisoner of Atlantis Dubai

  1. juliana

    HotelChatter Editor

    yay for sammy!

    too bad he is going to miss the opening. maybe they bring him back for a one-night-only engagement? kidding!
    October 27, 2008 at 11:57 AM
    #Permalink

  1. stevenfrost

    HotelChatter Member

    strange

    I'm glad the Government of the United Arab Emirates allows sharks to be free. I wish they gave women that much respect.
    October 28, 2008 at 3:54 PM
    #Permalink

  1. iaindxb

    HotelChatter Member

    not so yay for sammy!

    Unfortunately the Whale Shark has not been released and it seems that it is unlikely to be released in the near future.  Any reports of it being released have seemingly been false and the poor shark remains swimming in circles in her small tank!  

    Please join the Facebook group Set The Whale Shark Free From The Atlantis Aquarium Dubai.  And help spread the word that the Shark needs to be freed.

    Iain

    November 30, 2008 at 3:47 AM
    #Permalink

  1. N82

    HotelChatter Member

    How Sad

    I truly feel sorry for people with narrow minds like you. The world out there is constantly updated with the latest happenings, yet your like remain ignorant and stick to generalized headlines picked up or written by sleazebags.  I am an Emirati women, and enjoy all the freedom and respect as is the case with most of us.  If you pick up a simple newspaper, you'll find how active our role is in the society, and how much we are respected in ALL areas of life. Please do not speak when you don't have the necessary background other than comparing women to a whale shark. Now THAT is disrespectful.
    March 30, 2009 at 4:32 AM
    Parent #Permalink

Return to » Rejoice! Sammy the Shark No Longer a Prisoner of Atlantis Dubai

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