Swimming with whale sharks is a transformative adventure that will change your worldview. They’re gentle but strong, large but timid, but, most of all, absolutely beautiful.
We had an opportunity to visit Kitu Kiblu, the leading whale shark research facility that offers ethical marine encounters on Mafia Island, Tanzania. We did a three-day deep dive (pun intended) with their scientists and interns to learn more about these gentle giants and are sharing their experiences about where, how, and when you can swim with whale sharks.
What Is a Whale Shark?
Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.
The whale sharks (rhincodon typus) are the world’s largest fish, not mammals. The moniker, whale, comes from their size and diet of plankton. A mature whale shark can be more than 65 feet in length, so their only predators are orcas, great white sharks, and, unfortunately, humans.
Whale sharks reach sexual maturity at about 20-25 feet in length between the ages of 20 to 30. They lay eggs but hold them internally until they mature and live pups are “born.” A single female may have more than 300 eggs at various stages of development, which is important because whale sharks generally live solitary lives at great depths except for a few whale shark aggregations around the globe.
Where Can You Find Whale Sharks?
Photo Credit: Deposit Photos.
Whale sharks can be seen in tropical or subtropical regions around the world. However, the Wildbook for Whale Sharks, a scientific whale shark identification repository, reports that over 99% of documented whale shark encounters come from only 20 “hot spots.”
Researchers, like one at Kitu Kiblu, identify whale sharks by their unique spot pattern immediately behind the gill slits. They have positively identified more than 97% of the animals within the database. Over 70% of the animals can be found at the following five aggregation hot spots.
Mexico – Cancun (1101 whale sharks)
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Cancun whale shark tours run from early June to mid-September, with peak season between July and August. These animals travel as far south as Honduras and into the Gulf of Mexico, but no regular tours are offered across the range.
Western Australia – Nigaloo Marine Park (1082 whale sharks)
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Whale sharks visit Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia annually from March to July. Our guides in Kitu Kiblu said these tours are well run, often with spotter planes, but tend to be expensive.
The Philippines – Multiple Locations (775 whale sharks)
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There are multiple aggregations across the 7,641 islands of the world’s archipelago, so this number is deceptively large. Oslob is reported to have a small, year-round population attracted to local operators regularly chumming the water. This practice has drawn criticism for disrupting the migration patterns and mixed reviews from the patrons. Other hot spots, like Donsol and Sogod Bay, have the expected seasonal migration from November through May.
Mozambique – Praia do Tofo (676 whale sharks)
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Tofo is known as the “whale shark capital of Africa.” The season runs from October to March, with multiple diving and snorkeling centers offering trips.
Mexico – Sea of Cortez (567 whale sharks)
Photo Credit: UnCruise Adventures.
There are two separate locations where you can see these whale sharks. The most famous location is La Paz, where the season runs from October through May. The pod will be farther north in September and October, near Bahia de Los Angeles. The short season and remote location make these encounters more intimate, but the La Paz season overlaps the winter gray whale migration to their birthing lagoons on the Pacific Coast.
Our Whale Shark Tour With Kitu Kiblu
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
It’s hard to generalize what it’s like swimming with whale sharks around the world because the experiences can vary greatly day by day even in the same location with the same company. However, Kitu Kiblu is a world leader in ethical marine encounters, so our experiences with them highlights what to expect from ethical encounters and some of the issues you might experience if you do not carefully select your whale shark tour operator.
Our morning started with breakfast and a whale shark lesson. Our instructor described whale shark characteristics, habits, and most of all, ethos. We learned how to keep a respectful distance and enter the water smoothly so we wouldn’t stress or spook the animals. After breakfast, we were fitted for gear like snorkel, mask, and fins before boarding our boat.
Our spotter was looking for whale sharks within fifteen minutes of getting underway. When we found one, they would enter the water first to establish a bearing for the captain to position us to enter the water.
Our Experiences Swimming With Whale Sharks
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
The experience in the water varied greatly depending on the animal and the other swimmers. Sometimes, we all entered the water smoothly and kept our distance. On these occasions, the whale sharks stayed close to the surface and swam at a controlled pace.
Other times, there was chaos where fly-by-night operators brought in groups of people without sufficient training and sometimes not even snorkel gear. You could tell the shark was spooked by the scrum of humanity because they picked up their pace and would dive down to get out of the fray. For the swimmers, it felt like NASCAR where everybody was bumping and jostling for position.
Our guides told us when we could no longer keep up with the whale shark to stop swimming and signal the boat to pick us up and reposition us. This allowed us to have extended encounters without over exertion, but it was still a lot of work. We could tell when the animals were agitated and swimming faster because it was considerably harder to keep pace and we were picked up more often.
Parting Thoughts on Whale Shark Vacations
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
We could tell the difference between Kitu Kiblu’s groups and other boats. It is important to choose a company that offers suitable gear and training. There were a couple of people who were always scaring away the whale sharks and if they’re on the boat with you then you’ll never get away from them.
Read the reviews and pay close attention to how crowded the experiences are and any gear issues. Even though Mafia Island doesn’t have as large of a whale shark population as other places, like Tofo, it doesn’t have as many hotels either, which will show up in the reviews as you read about how crowded the experiences are.
Because of the physicality of the experience, you should only expect a half day whale shark encounter. That will leave a lot of time on your vacation to do other things. Pick a location that you would enjoy for your vacation. For example, Mafia Island would pair well with a Tanzania safari. Cancun is close to all the Riviera Maya highlights and the La Paz whale shark season coincides with gray whales in their birthing lagoons. It isn’t a bad idea to allow space in your itinerary for a second day of whale shark tours if you absolutely loved it or there was something off with your first day from weather, other people in the water, or just the fact you’re trying to see wild animals in their homes and they don’t always cooperate.
We were blown away by being so close to these majestic creatures and seeing them in their natural environment. If you love the sea then you have to try swimming with whale sharks at least once. We’re already planning how to return and see these gentle giants again.