Swim with whale sharks, Ningaloo's gentle giants
Imagine swimming alongside a white-spotted, seven-metre-long fish, propelling yourself forward as fast as you can to keep up with the gentle behemoth, all the while witnessing its overwhelming beauty and graceful, effortless movements in awe.
The world’s biggest fish, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), has returned to World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, and whale shark swimming/interaction tours with a number of eco-tourism operators have commenced from Exmouth and Coral Bay. These harmless filter feeders migrate to the Ningaloo area between March and July each year to feed on plankton and krill; tours run until late June out of Coral Bay and late July out of Exmouth.
The following video features a whale shark swimming experience I had out of Exmouth in 2013.
If you take photos or video on the tour, you can assist with whale shark research by submitting your photos and/or footage and sighting data to the Wildbook for Whale Sharks photo-identification library.
For more information on the whale shark swimming experience, visit westernaustralia.com, the Ningaloo Visitor Centre, and australiascoralcoast.com.
More stories on Australia's underwater adventures:
Where to snorkel near sea turtles in Australia