It was a beautiful winter day in the upper 20s (low 80s) and the water was 27.2c. You can do the conversion on that one. Anyways, we loaded onto the boat for a day long adventure. We started out with a 30 minute snorkeling stop so everyone could get used to snorkeling again and so the crew could teach any newbies. I made a rookie mistake and cleared my camera memory card minutes before jumping in and somehow locked it and I couldn't figure how to unlock it. So unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of this part which is a disappointment because we were snorkeling just feet above massive stingrays. I'm talking 6 feet across. Not those small ones you see at an aquarium. I'm just hoping the crew got a picture because they were massive. And knowing how Steve Irwin died makes you appreciate their docile nature even more.
That aside, I readjusted quite well and soon we were back on the boat heading out. Even before we left the reef to open water we could see Dugongs (similar to a manatee), pacific dolphins and way in the distance (this time) humpback wales breaching the surface. The crew was quick to point out these awesome things already just in case there was any let down later. Even though they've had a 100% sighting since the season opened mid March. It was after 10am now so the spotter planes were in the sky looking to direct the boats (there were 4 other companies on the water looking for the same experience and three planes).
If you didn't know what I was going for, I was hoping to have a close encounter with the largest fish in the ocean. The Whale Shark. Rumor has it they can grow to 20 plus meters (yes METERS - do the conversion) and reach ages up to around 80 years old. At the rate we were going I would have been happy with a juvenile. The crew complimented us on our patience as we watched the 3 adult humpback whales and one calf show off. That itself was pretty cool.
Then the crew it jumped into action after getting a message from a spotter plane. I was in group one which meant to had a put on my wetsuit as fast as I could and get to the back of the boat ready to go. And boy did I. The spotter Meg was the first one in and swimming fast. We held back until getting this signal to get in.
We got instruction on what to do in the water while I the boat, but honestly I didn't remember a thing once in. The one other crew in the water directed nine of us but I don't think it mattered because the last thing I remember hearing was FACES DOWN! I plunged my face down but didn't know where to look. Straight down? Everyone was on my right so I stared right, but nothing. I poked my head up to see where everyone else was but their faces were still down. Frustrated thinking I'm missing everything I put my face back down and look left, duh. And not 6 feet away was the mouth of a fucking whale shark. Like a deer in a set of head lights I froze, staring straight at a 5 meter long whale shark. Too panicked to try to take my first photo (I switched cards thankfully), I swam, turned and snapped.
Holy awesomeness. None of the photos I took had any sort of zoom. I was that close to the largest fish in the world. And I was free to swim next to it as long as I kept behind the fins (giving the shark 180 degrees of clear vision), 3 meters from the side and 4 meters from the tail. But my lack of preparedness when swimming to get out of the way of a shark got the better of me a few times and I was right next to these great fish. And boy are they something else when you're up close and personal.
After 5 minutes we had to retreat do the next group could go so we swam back to the boat, climbed on, took off our masks and fins only to be told to get back in, we were up again. I have more chills just writing about it again. And sure enough, the amazing crew lined us up perfectly and the shark popped up right in front of us.
The coolest experience was probably my fourth swim. We got burned on the third when we were in the water and the shark started to dive before we could see it. I was a little worried that the rest of the arvo was going to be like that. So with high hopes I got back in for the fourth trip after a bit of a break when they disappeared. We got the call so we jumped in only to see the back start to descend. Straining my eyes and sensing a bit of disappointment coming on, all of a sudden, the damn thing started to rise again. Right. At. Me. Again, I froze not knowing if I should go right or left. I got out of that way and swam next to it for our time just in complete awe at the grace and size. It was like there was no one else there but me.
That is an adult in the background to give you some size perspective.
We finished our swim and most of the other companies boats had left the area so we pulled up next to the tender boat who was always around us to make sure we always had help if needed. And with the 12 year olds and couple in their late 70s, it was used by some. Not me though, they had to pull me out (or shout at me to back off a bit).
So we were all just doggy paddling waiting for someone to tell us where to go when the spotter on the tender boat starts yelling. Loud. RIGHT. SWIM RIGHT. NOW. RIGHT. FACES DOWN. FACES DOWN!!! Unsure what was going on I followed direction. And what was maybe 15 meters away, underwater heading for the surface? The mother humpback whale and her calf. This was by far one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I was in such shock, I didn't even think to take a picture straight away. But I finally came to and snapped a few.
The mom is in the middle of the picture and you can just make out the white belly and left fin on the right side and the calf's white belly on the left. Purely amazing and such respect for these creatures. What I found out later is that it is illegal to swim with humpback whales, but I'd they swim up on you, you win. The guides with us who have been doing this for a few seasons said it was very rare. They could probably count these encounters on one hand, maybe starting the second. And I got to have one. I almost didn't car that I didn't win the loggers Thursday. Almost.
I got a total of 6 swims with the whale sharks and could have gone all day. Swimming next to one, feeling all alone gliding next to a whale shark in the open, no cage, nothing was an absolutely priceless and humbling experience.
I did get scolded once for not being 4 meters behind the tail (I almost got hit) but you get so involved it was hard not to.
Unfortunately we had to call it a day, but made one more snorkeling stop in the lagoon. Some great coral, fish, turtles and yes, more sharks. I was more scared by the leopard sharks than I was by the whale sharks. Especially when the bottom one swam away, by going directly at me.
(Turtle head)
You can barely see the calf I the upper left. I'll have to go through the pictures on a bigger screen to see if I got a better one.
I can't thank the crew of 3 Islands Whale Shark Diving enough. On all these tours I've taken in my two plus years here, I've been lucky to choose great companies whose employees want to make sure everyone has the best experience possible. And while this was largely up to chance, it was something I won't soon forget.
The Draw Card, our ship for the day.
Location:Exmouth, Western Australia
