Monster of the Deep

Dah dmp … Dah dmp … Dah dmp … dah dah dah dah dah dah dah. The theme to jaws was sounding in our ears and we were about to come face to face with a monster of the deep. In fact this shark was even bigger than the great white and it was coming straight for us. And we were glad because we had traveled many hours across rough seas for our chance to swim with the plankton eating whale shark.

Our whale shark was estimated at 7-8 metres long and was accompanied by a flotilla of smaller fish. It swam along gracefully while we panted and puffed to keep up with it for our turn in the water. It was a regimented operation: slide off the back of the boat; follow the swim leader; get out of the way of the shark as he swims toward you; turn and swim like hell to keep up with the whale shark; huddle up while the boat comes to collect you; back on the boat and repeat the process.

On our way out to the shark zone we practiced the

process with a guided snorkel over the Ningaloo Reef and a chance to view the corals and many multi-coloured fish. Whilst the swim with the whale shark was the highlight of our 5 days at Coral Bay, snorkeling off the beach also provided some memorable moments. (Today’s photos are provided by the professional photographer who accompanied us on the shark trip).