Anglers in New Taipei City treated to whale shark sighting

Anglers in New Taipei City treated to whale shark sighting

2026-08-26

A pair of whale sharks recently made an appearance at Bitou Cape! Fishermen at this fishing spot in New Taipei’s Ruifang District spotted a mother and calf frolicking by the rocky shore. After seeing footage of this rare encounter, some snorkelers rushed to the spot to try and see the pair for themselves, but they were already long gone.

From the deep blue, two massive shadows surface, kicking up waves as they swim slowly along the rocky shore. These gentle giants have distinctive spots along their bodies, exposing them as a pair of whale sharks.

Mr. Chen
Local business owner
Some fishers spotted two of them a little past noon—a mother and calf.

- Did you come by here because you saw someone post about whale sharks?
- Yeah.
- Did you see any?
- No, there was nothing!

About 40 anglers were fishing at this rocky outcropping along the Bitou coast in New Taipei’s Ruifang District, when they were surprised by a mother whale shark and her calf swimming by. Some snorkelers rushed over after seeing the footage online, hoping for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but they were long gone by the time they arrived. It’s unusual for whale sharks to come this close to shore.

Chen Li-shu
National Museum of Marine Science and Technology
Water temperatures this year have been a little odd, although it’s hard to say whether that’s what caused them to swim so close to the coast. But they really did swim remarkably close to the reef. It exposes them to injury, so it’s truly quite abnormal.

As whale sharks usually keep to the open water, it’s very rare to see them near the coast like this. Experts advised keeping a safe distance and not chasing after them if they happen to be treated to another encounter.

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#whaleshark #marinelife #NewTaipei #BitouCape #fishing #snorkeling #rareencounter

釣客赴新北瑞芳鼻頭角礁岩旁釣魚赫見母子鯨鯊游過

2026-08-26

新北瑞芳鼻頭角岸邊，竟然會出現鯨鯊，最近有釣客發現一對母子鯨鯊現身礁岩旁邊，立刻拿出手機拍下這難得一見的景像，影片一經流出，不少浮潛客慕名而來，想要親眼一睹，結果都撲空了。

蔚藍一片的海面中，一隻巨大身影浮出水面，緩緩游過礁岩旁，掀起大片水花。仔細看，這頭龐然大物，身上竟有著獨一無二的斑點，原來是兩頭鯨鯊。

[[附近業者陳先生]]
“大概12點多，釣客發現的。兩隻，母子。”

-請問一下，你會過來是因為看到網路有人發豆腐鯊嗎?
-對啊
然後有看到嗎?
-沒有什麼都沒有

新北瑞芳鼻頭一處礁岩附近，大約有40名釣客在海邊釣魚，沒想到一抬頭，驚見鯨鯊在身旁游過，還是一大一小的母子檔。畫面流出，許多浮潛客慕名而來，想親眼一睹這”有生之年系列”。可惜到了現場，卻是一無所獲。鯨鯊出現在岸邊，似乎很不尋常。

[[海科產學交流主任陳麗淑]]
“那今年當然水溫是有一點點奇怪了，可是這個大概很難解釋說，是不是因為水溫的關係造成牠比較靠岸。不過那隻鯨鯊真的游得太靠礁岸了，因為對鯨鯊來講，牠這樣是很容易受傷，的確是有點不太正常。”

鯨鯊平常多在外海活動，這次卻游得非常靠近岸邊，實在很罕見。專家提醒，民眾如果再次發現牠的蹤影，還是應保持距離、不要追逐。

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民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
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To ease congestion during rush hour, the Taipei MRT has redesigned some of its cars to optimize interior space. The new layout has done away with some seats and the central poles, and added a family zone to give people with strollers, wheelchairs, and luggage more room. But after these cars were rolled out, passengers began to complain. Some say the hanging straps are hard to use. Parents also say that while there may be more space for strollers, there’s now nowhere for them to sit.

The MRT is crammed with commuters every morning, crushed against each other during rush hour as more people hunt for gaps to board. To give more space, the Taipei Metro introduced a more spacious redesign that does away with some seating and the center poles. But after it was rolled out, many riders found it didn’t make things any easier.

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I want it to stay like it was. I don’t think it’s a good idea to remove the center pole.

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I don’t think it makes much of a difference if a few more people stand. I actually don’t like the hanging straps and prefer to hold onto the side rail.

Riders said the original center pole could be held by many people at once. But the new hanging straps are more difficult to use for shorter passengers who have to keep their arm raised, posing a danger if they lose their balance and fall.

Lin Yi-yun
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Some of the carriages now have these family zones. But riders have complained that this area that used to fit three standing and three sitting passengers now only fits three standing riders. It may better accommodate strollers, but there’s nowhere for the parents to sit.

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I don’t think it’s good. When your child gets fussy, it’s harder to handle them. And kids don’t have a way to keep themselves stable, so they end up swaying around.

The space-optimized carriages were introduced last October with their fewer central posts, adjusted seating, new stroller area, and more horizontal handrails. In response to the criticism, the Taipei Metro said that through train scheduling, station management, and space optimization, it aims to keep expanding capacity and enhancing service quality during peak hours. Some people prefer more standing room, while others need more handrails and seats. Finding common ground will remain a challenge as the metro seeks to keep improving for everyone.

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For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Water buffalo help dispose of agricultural waste

As peanuts in Yunlin enter the harvest season, farmers not only face losses from the heavy rains this year, they also need to deal with large amounts of vines from the crop that are left behind. After the rain stops and the sun comes out, bacteria easily breed in the fields. In the past, farmers would burn the agricultural waste before replanting, which caused air pollution. Lin Chia-liang, head of the Tuku Water Buffalo Shelter, has come up with a win-win solution: Using agricultural waste as feed for water buffalo, letting the animals to dispose of the agricultural waste.

From the air, one can see that this entire field has been set on fire. Another field nearby is shrouded in thick smoke. This is the result of farmers burning their agricultural waste. But they didn’t have to burn it like that. They could have simply gone to this guy for help.

Working under the blazing sun, Lin Chia-liang, who runs the Tuku Water Buffalo Shelter, is collecting dried peanut vines. They’ll be fed to water buffalo.

- Do buffalo like to eat this?
- Yes, they love dried vines.

In Yunlin, after the peanut harvest, farmers are always troubled by the large amounts of peanut vines that are left behind.

Mr. Chang
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It’s more convenient to burn it, but you might receive a fine. Plowing it into the soil takes time, and it might breed bacteria. Feeding it to water buffalo is better; you can adjust their diet accordingly.

- So how long does it take for them to eat all that?
- About an hour.
- They can finish all that in just an hour?!

Converting agricultural waste into feed can not only reduce air pollution but also cut down the expenses on feed. Sugarcane leaves, corn leaves, and other agricultural waste can all be used as feed for water buffalo.

Lin Chia-liang
Tuku Water Buffalo Shelter
Whether it’s sugarcane, corn, or peanuts, we can help farmers process their agricultural waste year-round. One water buffalo can eat about 60 kg a day, so three water buffalo can polish off 180 kg. This agricultural waste is just supplementary food for them. Hay is their staple.

To effectively address the issue of agricultural waste disposal, Lin plans to set up demonstration sites to show farmers an alternative way to dispose of agricultural waste. He believes that putting agricultural surplus to good use is putting circular agriculture and environmental sustainability into practice.

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2026-08-26

Minister of Sports calls on CTBA to follow conventional tourney rules

In a normal international sports tournament, a place in the semi-finals is earned by winning many more games than you lose, but at the 45th edition of the William Jones Cup, all Chinese Taipei Blue had to do was… well, be the host team. A new rule for this year’s tournament guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals to Chinese Taipei Blue, which lost five of its six group games, yet somehow it still ended up as the third place team in an eight-team tournament.

- If you aren’t even halfway through a 40-minute game and the other team already has 51 points, you really do have some issues on the defensive end.

It’s not even half-time, but Chinese Taipei Blue is being man-handled by Strong Group Athletics, a team from the Philippines that’s participating in Taiwan’s William Jones Cup. After suffering a 43-point defeat, Chinese Taipei Blue was at the bottom of its group, as it lost five of its six games, yet, it still advanced to the final four because of a tournament rule that guaranteed a semi-final place to Chinese Taipei Blue, the host team. This team from the Philippines was left fuming about not advancing to the semi-finals despite winning five of its six games at the group stage.

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Lee Yang
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I’ve been communicating back and forth with the CTBA for the past few days. As for what I think about the changing of the rules for this edition, well, I still would prefer to have the CTBA not go against established norms for an international invitational tournament like this one. We believe that the CTBA will, going forward, commit itself to progress.

Held for the first time in 1977, the William Jones Cup’s 45th edition had a new rule that guaranteed a semi-final spot to Chinese Taipei Blue. A magazine revealed the reason for the strange change was due to pressure involving ticket sales, as the CTBA is dealing with a deficit of NT$50 million.

Lee Yang
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When it comes to the funds of a few of our sports associations, I think that they all have room for improvement. Every association’s accounting practices need to be clearer and more accurate. I ask every association chairperson and secretary general to control the amount of debt they take on. The Ministry of Sports absolutely will commit itself to following up on these issues, and we’ll be providing guidance to each association.

The Ministry of Sports stated that it had already begun investigating the issue, yet the tournament is just one problem of the CTBA, which is embroiled in controversy.

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CEC Chair warns against putting all referendums on a single ballot

The Nov. 28 local elections are just three months away, but KMT and TPP lawmakers are poised to make last minute changes that could complicate the entire voting process. Previously, opposition politicians pushed for holding the national referendums on the same day as the local elections this year. And now they also want the three referendums to be placed on the same ballot. Chairman of the Central Election Commission You Ying-Lung worries that these last-minute changes could lead to ballots being counted well past midnight.

You Ying-Lung
Chairman of Central Election Commission
There’s less than 100 days to the election, and now you’re going to push forward these amendments to the Referendum Act. What on Earth is the meaning of this?

You Ying-Lung, Chairman of the Central Election Commission, is shaking his head and sighing, all because of amendments to the Referendum Act that are the brainchildren of KMT and TPP politicians, who also pushed to have the referendum vote occur on the same day as the Nov. 28 local elections. Saving time is the primary goal of having the national referendum take place on Nov. 28 as well as having three referendums on a single ballot, yet You warned these changes will be counterproductive.

You Ying-Lung
Chairman of Central Election Commission
When pushing for these amendments, there’s no need to deliberate carefully; so being impulsive like this is the way to go? It sounds as if it’s just a change to the voting method, but, in reality, it’s completely revamping the voting system. The idea is to put all the referendums on a single ballot, but if we use our imaginations the advantages are hollow, yet the resulting disadvantages will be palpable; the bad will outweigh the good. Under no circumstances should we, in such a rush, implement these changes, as the repercussions could be disastrous.

Along with other lawmakers who proposed the amendments, KMT legislator Lai Shyh-bao believes that placing all the referendums on a single ballot would simplify the voting process, lower election costs, and speed up vote counting. The CEC has warned multiple times that the proposed changes to Taiwan’s voting system would need to be complemented by additional measures, because, currently, elections involve paper ballots that are filled out by hand and then later on votes are read out loud and tallied. If new measures are introduced, vote counting might not wrap up until late into the night, possibly even later than the 2018 election, which ended at 3 am.

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You Ying-Lung
Chairman of Central Election Commission
Putting all the referendums on a single ballot doesn’t settle the issue, and this is not just a technical issue. During counting, a single ballot can’t be sorted into two piles at the same time, so that means the ballot will need to be counted multiple times, which damages the transparency of our ballot monitoring system. We can’t just do whatever you legislators think is fit, because the voters are the core purpose of an election.

The proposed amendments have already been advanced to a second reading. On Aug. 27 or Aug. 28 the KMT and TPP can use their majority to pass these voting process changes, which means the Nov. 28 local elections might not be settled until the morning of Nov. 29.

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Man in flip-flops climbs Penghu Great Bridge arch in reckless stunt

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A man bent double crawls up the side of the big arch at the entrance to the Penghu Great Bridge.

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He lets his feet hang from the side of the arch; it turns out he climbed up wearing just flip-fops. Acting as if his reckless stunt were nothing, he’s all smiles as he poses for the camera, flashing the peace sign. But at two-stories above the ground and with strong winds blowing, the people down below were alarmed to say the least.

Member of public
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Member of public
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It’s so dangerous. Plus, it’s a landmark, so you could damage public property. He was wrong to do that, it’s crazy.

The Penghu Great Bridge arch is a must-see for many tourists in Penghu, who come in droves to take a picture under the landmark. But it’s more than just a photo backdrop. In 2003, it was listed as a historic site.

Hung Chin-ye
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By law, his actions are punishable with a fine of between NT$300,000 and NT$2 million. We hope all tourists will respect our culture and heritage.

An investigation is underway to track down the perpetrator. With the summer holidays drawing to a close, don’t spoil it all in the last moment by taking a picture for the Instagram likes. Stunts like that could result in serious injury or death, or worse, a fine of up to NT$2 million.

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Voice of public servant
District Office in Changhua
If people come and tell us that there are taboos that must be observed during the Ghost Month, we must respect them. Otherwise bad things could happen.

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Wu Wei-ta
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We respect people having their own superstitions and taboos, but the tall weeds should be dealt with proactively.

Lin Shih-hsien
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I think it’s highly inappropriate. We will take disciplinary action against those responsible. Who ever heard of such a thing? They made it up. Someone should be dispatched to clear the weeds immediately.

So who’s right and who’s wrong? Is removing weeds from an overgrown field on the long list of Ghost Month taboos? A folklore expert did not provide a conclusive answer, but advised against removing weeds in case it disturbs the wandering ghosts that roam the earth during this period. The Mayor of Changhua is having none of it. He says that the parking lot must be weeded regardless, and that government workers should do their job.

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