On May 5, a Weibo account of an offshore drilling platform posted the image of a whale shark swimming in the sea near Weizhoudao Island in Beihai, south China's Guangxi.(Photo from Weibo)

A dead whale shark is sold at a Beihai port on May 7. (Photo/CNS)

On May 5, the Weibo account of an offshore drilling platform posted a video of a whale shark swimming in the sea near Weizhoudao Island in Beihai, south China’s Guangxi.

The post was shared by many netizens, who demanded that the creature be protected from hunters.

However, on May 7, news that a whale shark had been killed by fishermen in Beihai began to circulate. 

After two days of investigation, Beihai police tracked down the suspects, Liao and Huang. 

According to police, Liao bought a 370-kilogram whale shark at a Beihai port and resold it to Huang at the price of 5 yuan per kilogram. Huang made the fish meat into fertilizer and sold it at the market. 

The police cannot confirm whether the whale shark sold by Liao and Huang is in fact the same one filmed near Weizhoudao Island. 

Liao and Huang are currently in custody for illicitly purchasing an endangered animal.