This happened some years ago in western Australia, in Exmouth, where we were out on a Whale shark tour. The aim with the tour was to spot and with some luck also swim with a one. The luck was there! Our captain had a report of a small Whale shark (if you can call a fish 7,5m long, with a one meter wide mouth for small) in a area. We and some other boats headed there. The shark was feeding, slowly swimming and turning around on the same spot, angled to the surface, rotating around like the rim of a cocktail glass. We went into the water snorkeling on the surface. But not all of us, I wanted of course to dive down and have a closer encounter with this "huge" creature. See him in the eye! During one of the dives down I came to close, closer than the two meters the rules says. I start to swim away from it, but the shark turns the same way as I, with its big, big mouth, coming closer and closer. The moth is pulsing, seeking in water, plankton and almost my fins. It's mouth is so close to the tips of my fins that I can feel his breath on my legs. I increase my frequency and after four-five meters I head to the surface and come up with another fabulous memory. "I have been chased by a Whale shark, yippie yahoo"!
For those who doesn't know, I can inform that Exmouth is the top spot in the world for seeing and swimming/diving with Whale sharks. Peak period is around April/(May). The snorkeling is fantastic there, especially because you have access to the reef area from the shore. Just take the car to a nice place, 5 min walk and jump into a beautiful world. The diving is partly super, partly ordinary. The Navy pier dive is great if you don't have too much swell. The dive I had on Murion Isl was super, super, even under the bad weather conditions we had.
As a say, "To swim with Whale sharks is absolutely one of the things you must do in life". Try it, you don't regret it!
Its funny everyone's stories are about the movie, but when I was 3 years old my mom decided it would be a good idea to show me and my sisters Jaws. We started watching it and soon my father came home and saw what we were watching and got very angry.. havent seen it since but none of us are afraid of sharks.
/Quoi Alexander
When i grew up it was in new hampshire. my brother went to jaws when it first came out. after he had seen it we were swimming in a river and he told me it was quite the scary movie. so of course, i flop around in the water like i am getting bitten and disappear under the water. when i come back up my brother says 'if you ever do that again i will never swim with you again'. :)
/Julian Miller
When I was about 9 years old I told the entire "JAW"-film from beginning to end as well as I could remember to my friend Anne who was not let watch it. I believe my story lasted about half an hour, meanwhile we walked slowly a circular asphalt road round a small patch of grass and a few trees in front of the houses where we lived, at the Ivalo ... Read Moreairport of Lappland, Finland. Every now and then I had to put the story to a pause due to the army airplanes making their rehears low flights above. That's my only shark story!
Have a great trip around the world! I just read your blog and got dead-envious of your skydiving experience!
My boyfriend was staying at the Breezers resort in Zanzibar and decided to go freediving one day. He spoke to some guys that had a motorboat and they agreed to go outside the reef and out into open sea. Suddenly they stopped blank and said "dolphins, get in" so he did and was just floating on the surface with a snorkle. He could hear the doplhins talking but didn't see them around close, and the noise became weaker and teeterd out. Just the great blue expanse below him. Then he sees a tiny dark spot straight down - maybe 200 yards below in the otherwise empty, deep ocean. It was coming nearer in a straight flow and FAST. He froze, mind racing trying to come up with a plan - just paralyzed watching the supposed shark closing in on him. About 10 meters away when visibility was getting good enough, the animal stopped and turned to the side. It was a single doplhin, eyeing him upp, nodding and laughing at him - PHEW! They probably heard the boat stop and thought "let's play the shark game on them - your turn!"
Yeah great stories indeed! If you felt sorry for the shark, you'll LOVE my interview with shark biologist Terry Lilley. Coming up in the next few days.
My wife and I went to Langkawi a couple of years back and we took a snorkeling trip. After lunch they started throwing chicken leftovers in the ocean and all of a sudden there were sharks and barracuda in the water. They did convince us that it was OK to snorkel with the sharks as they were harmless reef sharks. But they were still like 1 1/2 to 2 meters long so it was a bit exiting to snorkel and see them glide underneath us. We also came close to a barracuda by the way and that looked really scary! There are some photos from the snorkeling in my Langkawi trip report http://gardkarlsen.com/Malaysia_Langkawi.htm
This happened some years ago in western Australia, in Exmouth, where we were out on a Whale shark tour. The aim with the tour was to spot and with some luck also swim with a one.
ReplyDeleteThe luck was there! Our captain had a report of a small Whale shark (if you can call a fish 7,5m long, with a one meter wide mouth for small) in a area. We and some other boats headed there.
The shark was feeding, slowly swimming and turning around on the same spot, angled to the surface, rotating around like the rim of a cocktail glass. We went into the water snorkeling on the surface. But not all of us, I wanted of course to dive down and have a closer encounter with this "huge" creature. See him in the eye!
During one of the dives down I came to close, closer than the two meters the rules says. I start to swim away from it, but the shark turns the same way as I, with its big, big mouth, coming closer and closer. The moth is pulsing, seeking in water, plankton and almost my fins. It's mouth is so close to the tips of my fins that I can feel his breath on my legs. I increase my frequency and after four-five meters I head to the surface and come up with another fabulous memory. "I have been chased by a Whale shark, yippie yahoo"!
For those who doesn't know, I can inform that Exmouth is the top spot in the world for seeing and swimming/diving with Whale sharks. Peak period is around April/(May).
The snorkeling is fantastic there, especially because you have access to the reef area from the shore. Just take the car to a nice place, 5 min walk and jump into a beautiful world.
The diving is partly super, partly ordinary. The Navy pier dive is great if you don't have too much swell. The dive I had on Murion Isl was super, super, even under the bad weather conditions we had.
As a say, "To swim with Whale sharks is absolutely one of the things you must do in life".
Try it, you don't regret it!
Anders Krüger
Sweden
Thank you Anders - that's brilliant! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm pasting in a few stories from Facebook here:
Its funny everyone's stories are about the movie, but when I was 3 years old my mom decided it would be a good idea to show me and my sisters Jaws. We started watching it and soon my father came home and saw what we were watching and got very angry.. havent seen it since but none of us are afraid of sharks.
/Quoi Alexander
When i grew up it was in new hampshire. my brother went to jaws when it first came out. after he had seen it we were swimming in a river and he told me it was quite the scary movie. so of course, i flop around in the water like i am getting bitten and disappear under the water. when i come back up my brother says 'if you ever do that again i will never swim with you again'. :)
/Julian Miller
When I was about 9 years old I told the entire "JAW"-film from beginning to end as well as I could remember to my friend Anne who was not let watch it. I believe my story lasted about half an hour, meanwhile we walked slowly a circular asphalt road round a small patch of grass and a few trees in front of the houses where we lived, at the Ivalo ... Read Moreairport of Lappland, Finland. Every now and then I had to put the story to a pause due to the army airplanes making their rehears low flights above. That's my only shark story!
Have a great trip around the world! I just read your blog and got dead-envious of your skydiving experience!
/Marja Mikkonen
I haven't even seen the film Jaw - am I the only one?
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend was staying at the Breezers resort in Zanzibar and decided to go freediving one day. He spoke to some guys that had a motorboat and they agreed to go outside the reef and out into open sea. Suddenly they stopped blank and said "dolphins, get in" so he did and was just floating on the surface with a snorkle. He could hear the doplhins talking but didn't see them around close, and the noise became weaker and teeterd out. Just the great blue expanse below him.
ReplyDeleteThen he sees a tiny dark spot straight down - maybe 200 yards below in the otherwise empty, deep ocean. It was coming nearer in a straight flow and FAST. He froze, mind racing trying to come up with a plan - just paralyzed watching the supposed shark closing in on him. About 10 meters away when visibility was getting good enough, the animal stopped and turned to the side. It was a single doplhin, eyeing him upp, nodding and laughing at him - PHEW! They probably heard the boat stop and thought "let's play the shark game on them - your turn!"
Great stories!
ReplyDeleteI think I was one of very few who when watching JAWS, I actually felt sorry when the shark was killed!
I actually think Sharks are awesome, amazing creatures- and I feel sorry for the bad press they get.
Yeah great stories indeed! If you felt sorry for the shark, you'll LOVE my interview with shark biologist Terry Lilley. Coming up in the next few days.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I went to Langkawi a couple of years back and we took a snorkeling trip. After lunch they started throwing chicken leftovers in the ocean and all of a sudden there were sharks and barracuda in the water. They did convince us that it was OK to snorkel with the sharks as they were harmless reef sharks. But they were still like 1 1/2 to 2 meters long so it was a bit exiting to snorkel and see them glide underneath us. We also came close to a barracuda by the way and that looked really scary! There are some photos from the snorkeling in my Langkawi trip report http://gardkarlsen.com/Malaysia_Langkawi.htm
ReplyDelete