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The Conscious Traveller: How to swim with whale sharks without hurting them
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Western Australia is known as one of the best global spots to see the world’s largest fish in a natural setting.
PHOTOS: MOLLY ALTSCHWAGER, PIXABAY
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- Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia offers popular tours to swim with whale sharks, with operators like Three Islands reporting high sighting rates.
- Western Australia has strict protocols for operators, requiring accreditation and prohibiting artificial feeding, to protect whale sharks' natural behaviours and well-being.
- Travellers can choose eco-friendly tours, avoiding single-use plastics, using reef-safe sunscreen and respecting guidelines like keeping a safe distance from sharks.
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NINGALOO, Australia – “Here it comes! Let’s go!” shouts Ms Olivia Dixon, our guide from Three Islands Whale Shark Dive (whalesharkdive.com). We jump off the boat, kitted out in wetsuits, flippers and snorkels, as Ms Dixon lines us up in a row, ready to swim next to an incoming whale shark.
A rush of fear gives way to awe as I swim alongside the huge speckled grey shark, gliding languorously just beneath the surface of the ocean. Occasionally, it opens its mouth for planktonic feed.
