Swimming with the biggest fish in the sea is an awesome
experience that is easily accessible from Mafia Island, Tanzania. Here,
the season to swim with them is the longest in the world, from October
through to February and sometimes March. During these months, the
Kaskazi (north monsoon wind) pushes the water’s surface layer, full of
plankton fed by the sun and nutrient-rich Rufiji River silt, towards the
island, trapping it against the west coast.
Here, whale sharks hoover up their daily requirement on the surface, making them easy to find. If you are lucky they can be just ten minutes from the shore and are seldom more than an hour away.
The Chole Mjini team are leading responsible marine encounters and encourage all operators to follow suit and adhere to the code of conduct, to be patient and respectful so that the whale sharks can continue to feed without being hazed by over-enthusiastic tourists.
We set out to sea on half day tours in traditional dhows and find where
they are feeding on the surface plankton plumes. We then wait for them
to get used to our presence and relax. Our guests gently climb into the
sea and position themselves in the feeding area. A lucky encounter puts
you right in front of that huge open mouth (which can be more than one
metre across) giving a close-up experience that thrills and chills.
Their tiny throat cannot accommodate a human so there is no chance of a ‘Jonah’ experience, and these gentle creatures won’t even bump into you if they can avoid you. An unthreatened whale shark circles and continues feeding, unfazed by respectful snorkelers. Chasing and hazing irritates even these gentle giants (our sub-adult population are up to 8 metres in length). When pursued or harassed they escape into the deep so that all you see is a huge swish of their tail powering away, and then they are gone.
Not only the quality of your experience depends on your respect for
these animals but it is also extremely important for the privilege of
these human-animal encounters to be sustained over the long term.
Here, whale sharks hoover up their daily requirement on the surface, making them easy to find. If you are lucky they can be just ten minutes from the shore and are seldom more than an hour away.
The Chole Mjini team are leading responsible marine encounters and encourage all operators to follow suit and adhere to the code of conduct, to be patient and respectful so that the whale sharks can continue to feed without being hazed by over-enthusiastic tourists.
Their tiny throat cannot accommodate a human so there is no chance of a ‘Jonah’ experience, and these gentle creatures won’t even bump into you if they can avoid you. An unthreatened whale shark circles and continues feeding, unfazed by respectful snorkelers. Chasing and hazing irritates even these gentle giants (our sub-adult population are up to 8 metres in length). When pursued or harassed they escape into the deep so that all you see is a huge swish of their tail powering away, and then they are gone.
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