I thought that I would tell you what it’s like to spend a day swimming with whale sharks, just in case it’s on your bucket list.
Jacqui and I were in Exmouth, Western Australia in July 2019. We were doing a 10-day trip taking in both Exmouth and Coral Bay, and almost every day was spent in the water.
The whale shark season in this area is from March till early August, so we were right near the tail end. There’s always a chance of going out and not seeing a whale shark, but the companies have pretty good policies in place when this happens.
Anyway, whale sharks had been on our bucket list for quite a while, so this was our opportunity, and we took it. These tours are not cheap, however, at the end of this tour no one was disappointed. Jacqui even made an emotional speech at the end to thank the guides and crew, which got hugs all round.
How Do I Book?
There are several companies running whale shark tours between Exmouth and Coral Bay. Bookings can be made online or in person, usually up till a day or so before the tour starts. I don’t have any affiliations with the tour companies, but here’s some links for the ones I found online.
Exmouth Diving
Ningaloo Discovery
Whale Shark Tours
Ningaloo Blue
Kings Ningaloo Reef Tours
The Morning Of The Tour
In you’re in Exmouth, the tour company can collect you from your accommodation. If you’re in Coral Bay, you won’t be further than 400 metres from the tour office.
Once at the tour office it’s time to get kitted out. This means trying on your wetsuit. Jacqui and I had brought our own gear from home which was great. But watching everyone else trying to get into unfamiliar wetsuits was a real treat.
You will also be fitted up for mask, snorkel and fins. A word of caution here. Follow the instructions for fitting the mask carefully. Without the strap on you should be able to lightly breath in through your nose and hold the mask firmly in place.
When you put the mask on the strap shouldn’t be tight. Just done up enough to hold the mask at the front of your face. If you end up with a mark on your face when you take the mask off, then it’s too tight.
It mightn’t sound like a big issue, but this can cause discomfort, which into turn causes your heart rate to go up. This means that you breathe harder and run out of breath quicker. Much easier to have a relaxing day, instead of a stressful one.
Then it’s into a minibus and off to the marina. Once here you’ll be introduced to your captain, crew and guides.
On The Boat
The boat was moored just offshore, so we were into the tender for the short trip.
Once on the boat, grab a seat. There should be some space under your seat for storage but bear in mind that this area will get wet. Many boats also have an overhead shelf which is a good place to store gear that doesn’t like getting wet.
Hopefully, you’ve got a dry bag with you, which will keep your sanity in check for a lot longer. If you’re contemplating any of these types of water-based tours, then a dry bag is well worth the investment.
Two other things to remember at this stage are putting on your sunscreen and getting hydrated. Personally, I’m not great at either of those things. Luckily Jacqui reminds me.
People my age don’t naturally walk around with a water bottle. We’re used to spending our days drinking tea or coffee, (or beer, on a good day). So, drinking water must be a conscious decision.
It’s very easy to get dehydrated sitting out there surrounded by water, especially when you have some swimming to do. So, drink up.
The Photographer
There will be a photographer on board. Sometimes the photos are included, as other times you will need to pay for a package. Pay for the package. You will never get the footage that these professionals can get.
What amazes me is how fit they are. While there are 2 groups with 2 guides taking it in turns, the photographer swims with both and is still smiling and laughing at the end. I ran out of steam just swimming with one group.
The Test Snorkel
After crew introductions have been completed it’s time to get into the water and check you out. It’s marketed as a snorkel opportunity, but it’s a test.
The guides want to know who’s comfortable in the water and who’s not, before we see a huge whale shark. That’s not the time to find out that someone’s scared of water.
They take you to a picturesque spot that’s not too deep and we all splash around for about 30 minutes.
It’s also a good time to see if everyone’s gear fits or not. Luckily, they do carry spares on board.
The Briefing
Once back on board it’s time for the briefing. The briefing involves some very good knowledge on whale sharks themselves, as well as the procedure for the swim itself.
There are some strict rules in place to ensure that the animals do not get harmed or stressed, and one of those is that boats can’t be near the whale shark for more than about 45 minutes.
There are also rules for how far away from the animals you need to be while swimming. Obviously this is for the safety of the animal, but to be honest if it suddenly swung it’s tail at you, you’d know all about it.
The First Swim
And then suddenly it was all happening. The spotter plane had a 6-metre shark in sight, and we were only a few minutes away. Group 1 gears up and takes a seat on the ramp at the rear of the boat with their guide.
As the boat moves in front of the animal the guide goes into the water and the group follow in a line behind her. The guide will be the closest person to the head of the shark, and swims with one arm in the air so that we know where she is.
Waiting, waiting, what am I looking for. Is that it off in the distance. No, it’s not.
Suddenly the water in front of me gets darker and darker until a huge shape materialises. Oh crap, that’s close.
The animal is about 3 metres away and it is enormous. I know I said it was 6 metres long. But what really gets you is the girth.
Now you swim as fast as you can to try and stay alongside. While at the same time being mindful to give it some room.
While you’re swimming flat out, the animal is just moving so slowly and gently with incredible grace. A truly majestic sight.
Within a few minutes the group can’t keep up. The second group has already been dropped in place in front of the animal for their swim. We regroup next to the guide and the boat swings around to pick us up.
Over the next 40 minutes we have 2 more swims which are both equally incredible.
Lunch
With smiles all round we happily tuck into the provided buffet lunch. We were all together at the same time, and everyone has a different tale to tell. From their own perspective.
Morning tea and lunch, as well as drinks, are provided on all these tours and they cater well for most tastes and dietary needs.
The Second swim
The plane has called up to tell us that they’ve spotted another whale shark, which is much bigger than the first, so off we go. When we get close enough the captain confirms that this is a 9-metre whale shark. Yikes.
In no time we are back in the water and ready to go. Jacqui and I are at the end of the line, and this time something has gone wrong.
The animal is curious about the swimmers and has started to swim in a curve to the left. The puts Jacqui and I directly in its path. Again, we only see it when it is 3 metres away and coming straight at us. And we are stationary.
With a flurry of find and arms we frantically try to swim out of its path. But each time it seems to change course to follow us. I swear it was following Jacqui’s bright pink fins. Which were moving so fast she was almost cavitating.
We were exhausted. I desperately did not want to come into contact with this beautiful creature, but at the same time, I was rapidly running out of fuel.
Now Jacqui and I have a difference of opinion as to what happened next. She swears that I pushed her into the animal’s path and swam off into the distance. I didn’t. I swear.
It is true that we ended up on different sides of the animal and got to watch it glide gently past us as we tried to get our breath back.
That was it for the pair of us. While the boat dropped the other swimmers back and several more times, we were content to head up to the flybridge and watch the action from above. Thoroughly contented.
The Ride Home
So that was it. Dry off, swap stories and enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbly. The sense of shared jubilation is incredible among a group of people who know that they have just shared a truly life changing experience.
The next day we drop into the tour shop and a USB thumb drive is waiting for us, that contains all the video and photographs taken on the trip. This is where you are grateful that you made it clear at the start that you wanted to purchase the package.
While the photographer has tried to capture footage of everyone on board, she has heavily favoured those who wanted copies of it.
And the footage is top quality. Considering how much movement and splashing was going on, you could be forgiven for thinking she had a tripod with her.
So that was the run-down of our day spent swimming with whale sharks. Hopefully it gives you an insight into what you can expect for your trip.
There are several places around the world that run these tours, but if you are contemplating Exmouth or Coral Bay, here are a couple of links to posts that I have done for them.
Exmouth
Coral Bay
Cheers and happy travels