Swimming With A Whale Shark -- Dreams *Do* Come True!

Ever since I got my scuba certification last summer it's been a dream of mine to swim with (and photograph) a whale shark. I selected the whale shark for the photo on the back of my Advanced Open Water card. It even became a major goal for this trip. Well that goal was accomplished today!!

I did a dive at the "Sail Rock", a circular coral reef formation near Koh Tao (even though I started from Koh Samui). We were not in the water for five minutes when a huge whale shark came swimming by within about 20 feet of me. I was stunned at first, in awe and amazement at the sheer size of it. It's by far the biggest thing I've seen while diving. I estimate the length to be 5+ meters (you can get an idea of the scale by the divers in the background). In spite of its bulk, it glided through the water with silent grace and stately elegance. What a beautiful creature!

I snapped several photos, then jetted straight toward it (abandoning my buddy and dive group in violation of normal diving protocol!) until I was close enough to touch it. It then occurred to me that even a casual flick of its powerful tail could send me reeling, so I backed off a little but continued to follow it, taking several more photos. It obligingly turned towards me at one point so I got a good look at the head and mouth. It wasn't spooked at all and seemed totally at ease with the divers in the water. It's hard to describe the feelings I had at this point, but it's something I'll never forget.

Who says dreams don't come true??