Heading out for our first day on the boat and swim with the whale sharks was filled with anticipation. After getting to our boat we headed out to the reef for a snorkel with the smaller reef fish as a warm up for the big ones! The coral and variety of fish was amazing and the water beautiful and warm. Wet and ready for the real thing we were fixed our eyes on the deep blue in search of a shadow slowly moving in the depths.

Finally it was time, the rush was on and everyone scrambled to get the first glimpse of the shark. Hard to see at first a graceful giant lurked below and vanished just as fast. The fleeting glimpse didn’t satisfy our hunger to see more and we eagerly awaited the next swim. The sharks got bigger and friendlier and the second shark allowed us a great insight into the biggest fish in the sea. Cruising along with his mates, sucker fish and baby trevally the whale shark seemed to draw everything else to him. But there was no getting in there way, changing direction and demanding you back pedal (very hard to do in flippers!).

The day ended with our fourth whale shark displaying a great range of movement, not diving to the depths or seamlessly travelling along, this last shark did a full 360 on us, leaving all 8 of us back pedalling and repositioning to keep our distance and keep up with the shark and his crew of followers. Could it get better than today? Fingers crossed, but hard to beat! Bring on Tuesday and my next encounter with the Greats of the ocean.