Swimming with whale sharks is a transformative adventure that will change your view of the world. She's cute but strong, big but shy, but most of all she's absolutely beautiful.
We had the opportunity to visit Kitu Kiblu, a pioneering whale shark research facility offering 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 share their experiences of where, how and when you can swim with whale sharks.
What is a whale shark?
Whale sharks (rhincodon typus) are the largest fish in the world, and are not mammals. The whale's nickname comes from its size and diet of plankton. A mature whale shark can reach over 65 feet in length, so its only predators are killer whales, great white sharks, and, unfortunately, humans.
Whale sharks reach sexual maturity at approximately 20 to 25 feet in length between the ages of 20 to 30 years. It lays eggs but keeps them internally until they mature and “birth” live pups. A single female may have more than 300 eggs in various stages of development, which is important because whale sharks generally live solitary lives at great depths with the exception of a few whale shark aggregations around the world.
Where can you find whale sharks?
Whale sharks can be seen in tropical or subtropical regions around the world. However, Wildbook for Whale Sharks, a scientific repository for whale shark identification, notes that more than 99% of documented whale shark encounters come from just 20 “hot spots.”
Researchers, like one at Kitu Kiblu, recognize whale sharks by their unique spot pattern directly behind their gill slits. They have positively identified more than 97% of the animals in the database. More than 70% of the animals can be found in the following five hotspots.
Mexico – Cancun (1101 whale sharks)
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)
Whale sharks visit Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia annually from March to July. Our guides at Quito Queblo said that these tours are well run, often with observation planes, but tend to be expensive.
Philippines – Multiple locations (775 whale sharks)
There are multiple clusters across the world's 7,641 island archipelagos, so this number is deceptively large. Oslob is said to have a small year-round population attracted to local operators who drink the water regularly. The practice has drawn criticism for disrupting migration patterns and mixed reviews from herders. Other hot spots, such as Donsol and Sogod Bay, see seasonal migration expected from November through May.
Mozambique – Praia do Tofo (676 whale sharks)
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)
There are two separate locations where you can see these whale sharks. The most popular location is La Paz, where the season runs from October through May. The capsule will be farther north in September and October, near Bahía de los Angeles. The short season and remote location make these encounters more intimate, but La Paz's season overlaps with the migration of wintering gray whales to their calving lagoons on the Pacific Coast.
Whale Shark Tour with Keto Keblo
It's difficult to generalize what it's like to swim with whale sharks around the world because experiences can vary dramatically day to day even in the same location with the same company. However, Kitu Kiblu are a world leader in ethical marine encounters, so our experiences with them highlight what to expect from ethical encounters and some of the issues you may encounter if you don't choose your whale shark tour operator carefully.
Our morning started with breakfast and a whale shark study. Our instructor described the characteristics of the whale shark, its habits and most of all its spirit. We learned how to keep a respectful distance and enter the water smoothly so as not to stress or frighten the animals. After breakfast, we were equipped with equipment like snorkel, mask and fins before boarding the boat.
Our spotter was looking for whale sharks within fifteen minutes of setting off. When we found one, they would enter the water first to create a direction for the captain to put us in the water.
Our experiences swimming with whale sharks
The experience of swimming in the water varies greatly depending on the animal and the other swimmers. At times, we would all get into the water smoothly and keep our distance. On these occasions, the whale sharks remained close to the surface and swam at a controlled pace.
Other times, there was chaos as fly-by-night operators brought in groups of people without adequate training and sometimes even diving equipment. You can tell the shark is spooked by the crowd of humanity because it increases its pace and will dive down to get out of the fight. For the swimmers, it looked like a Nascar race with everyone bumping into each other and jockeying for position.
When we could no longer keep up with the whale shark, our guides told us to stop swimming and signal the boat to pick us up and reposition us. This allowed us to conduct extended meetings without excessive effort, but it was still a lot of work. We could tell when the animals were restless and swim faster because it was very difficult to keep up with the speed and we were often picked up.
Parting thoughts on whale shark vacations
We can differentiate Keto Keblo kits from other boats. It is important to choose a company that offers the right equipment and training. There were two people who were always scaring away the whale sharks, and if they were on the boat with you you would never get away from them.
Read reviews and pay close attention to how crowded the experiences are and any hardware issues. Although Mafia Island doesn't have as many whale sharks as other places, like Tofo, it doesn't have as many hotels either, which will show up in the reviews when you read about how crowded the experiences are.
Due to the nature of the experience, you should only expect to encounter a whale shark for half a day. This will leave plenty of time on your vacation to do other things. Choose the location you will enjoy for your vacation. For example, Mafia Island would pair well with a safari in Tanzania. Cancun is located close to all the highlights of the Riviera Maya and whale shark season in La Paz coincides with gray whales in their calving lagoons. It's not a bad idea to leave room in your itinerary for your second day of whale shark tours if you absolutely love it or something is off on your first day due to the weather, the presence of other people in the water, or just the fact that you are… They try to see wild animals in their homes and they don't always cooperate.
We were amazed to get so close to these majestic creatures and see them in their natural habitat. If you are a sea lover, you should try swimming with whale sharks at least once. We are already planning how to come back and see these gentle giants again.
Hello! We are Jane and Ed Coleman also known as Coleman Concierge. In short, we are a 10th generation couple from Huntsville sharing our stories of amazing adventures through transformative and experiential activity-based travel.
