Al Bahar beach in Abu Dhabi was closed to swimmers after a whale shark was spotted in the capital's waters.

Based in the city's Corniche, the beach will be a no-go area for swimmers until Friday, management at the leisure spot announced.

The move follows an announcement by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) that an endangered whale shark was spotted in the Kasr Al Amwaj area of the emirate.

"A whale shark has been spotted by Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi in the Kasr Al Amwaj area," said a statement on the Al Bahar Abu Dhabi Facebook page.

"While they’re quite safe creatures, the EAD still sent out a beach warning to steer clear of the waters for health and safety reasons.

"The beach will re-open for swimming this Friday."

Whale sharks can weigh more than 20 tonnes and grow to more than 30 feet in length.

The EAD said the sea creature is not harmful and that members of the species can be often found in the marinas and waterways of Abu Dhabi.

The authority urged members of the public who encounter the whale shark to alert them and called on boat drivers to keep their distance.

EAD is monitoring a whale shark that has been spotted in Kasr Al Amwaj area in Abu Dhabi Considered Endangered on the IUCN Red List of threatened species, #WhaleSharks appear occasionally in the marinas and waterways of Abu Dhabi during this time of year and are not harmful. pic.twitter.com/pBP9aTI3ro

— EAD (@EADTweets) October 4, 2018

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