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30 August: what is celebrated today
30 August invites us to look in two different yet profoundly human directions: towards the ocean, to protect the majestic whale shark, and towards our own history, to honour all victims of enforced disappearances around the world. Two commemorations that, though different, share one message: life, in all its expressions, must be cared for, defended and never forgotten.
International Whale Shark Day: the silent guardian of the oceans
Every 30 August, the whole world turns its gaze towards the whale shark, that gentle giant that crosses the seas with the serenity of one who knows it belongs to a time older than ours. Since 2008, this date has reminded us that even the most imposing living creature can be in danger if we do not learn to coexist with nature instead of ravaging it.
The idea was born at the 2nd International Whale Shark Conference in Mexico, where more than 40 countries promised to protect this species from the threats closing in on it: illegal fishing, pollution, vessel traffic and uncontrolled tourism that forgets that the ocean is not a theme park, but a living ecosystem.
At 20 metres long and 34 tonnes in weight, the whale shark may appear to be an invincible titan, but its slow reproduction and human activity have made it fragile. It feeds only on plankton, filtering tiny life with the patience of one who has inhabited the planet's waters for more than a century. Today, its greatest predator is not another animal, but our indifference.
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances: let no one be forgotten
On that same day, but since 2011, the UN commemorates the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. Its aim is to make visible a crime that, in many places, continues to occur in silence: people arrested or abducted against their will, whose whereabouts are concealed by governments, armed groups or political actors, leaving them beyond the reach of the law and their families.
Countries such as Spain, with more than 114,000 people disappeared under the Franco regime, or Cambodia, with close to one million victims, are painful reminders that this is a global problem that transcends borders and eras.
Commemorating this day is an act of memory and justice, a way of demanding that governments stop these human rights violations and of paying tribute to those still waiting for answers.