GO! GO! GO!...Splash, splash!!!!!!!...Gurgle Gurgle!!!
In June, we spent two weeks driving up the coast of Western Australia, in a 4WD camper van, from Perth to Broome (map). One of the many highlights of the trip was the day we got a chip in our windscreen! Well, not actually that day, but that was what led us to swim with Whale Sharks!
We had seen a documentary about Whale Sharks and that W.A. was one of the few places in the world that they could be seen. We hadn't particularly planned our holiday to coincide with the season for Whale
Sharks, but we realised we would just be at the tail end of that time. In fact, we had sort of resigned ourselves to the notion, that because it was virtually the end of the season they probably wouldn't be there.
So, when we arrived at Coral Bay, our first stop on the North West Cape, we immediately asked if the Whale Sharks were still around. The answer was "No, but there are Manta Rays". For some reason we didn't feel
the urge to go out on a boat for Manta Rays, so we contented ourselves with snorkelling in the bay, enjoying the fish and sting rays.
After a day in Coral Bay and two nights at the not too wonderful People's Campsite, we decided we'd had enough of 'civilisation' and wanted to head up to Cape Range to find a nice isolated spot to camp and
snorkel. As we set off, we realised that we had quite a sizeable crack in our windscreen. As much of the driving we were doing was on very rough unsealed roads, we were afraid that the crack would spread and
the windscreen eventually shatter.
We decided the best thing would be to phone the rental company and ask
their advice as to whether we should get it replaced. Feeling slightly depressed that we might have to waste the day at a car shop, we headed on to Exmouth in search of a phone. We pulled into a street that looked
like it might be the town centre and found a call box. On our first attempt to phone Maui rental company, our call got diverted and we couldn't speak to the person we needed to. The woman told us to try and call back in a few minutes.
To kill some time we walked across the road to what looked like a tourist information office, there were lots of posters and blackboards outside. I happened to glance at one of them and to my surprise saw: WHALE SHARK TRIPS. Highly excited, I grabbed Ian and said "look, look!"
In a flurry, we rushed in the door and accosted the man behind the desk. A torrent of words flooded out..."Are there still whale sharks, when are
the trips, is there space tomorrow, can we go!?" We were so eager we could hardly contain ourselves.
The man confirmed that, yes indeed, there were still Whales Sharks and he would see if there were any vacancies on the boat tomorrow. To our relief there were two spaces - unbelievable! We had been so elated at the possibility that we might get to swim with them that we hadn't even asked how much the trip was, but we didn't care! Pretty much any price was worth this opportunity to fulfil a dream.
We could not believe our luck, nor could we believe how the woman in Coral Bay had not told us that, yes there were whale sharks, but they were up North. I suppose that is business for you. We were just so
grateful for that annoying crack in our windscreen, or we may never have stopped at the information booth. We arranged to meet the group, next day, at the Tantabiddi boat ramp, as we planned to camp in the park;
then went off to the Dive Centre to be fitted for our wetsuits. We'd brought our own snorkels and fins.
After that we didn't care about the crack in the windscreen. We called Maui again and they basically said, get it repaired next time you're in a big town. For us, the next big town was Broome, in 5 days time! We put some duct tape across the crack, took some photos of it, for insurance sake and carried on with enjoying our holiday.
From there we went round into Cape Range National Park. Again, we couldn't believe that we were lucky enough to get the last spot at Tulki beach campsite, blissful, only 5 other campers! It was pretty basic, no
water and only an outdoor non-flush toilet...but it was heaven after being in Coral Bay. Plus, we had our own private beach about 20 metres away. After staking our claim to the last spot, we headed off to the aptly named Turquoise Bay for some well deserved snorkelling and relaxation. We had to keep pinching ourselves, checking with each other that we really were going to go snorkelling with amazing whale sharks
the next day!
We were awoken in the morning by the sound of two screeching Corellas perched on the roof of the dunny. We enjoyed the beautiful sunrise over the hills as we ate our breakfast. At about 8 we headed off to Tantabiddi to meet the group for about 8.30. It was a slow and nerve wracking drive, after a very close shave with a roo that leapt out across the road in front of us.
Fortunately, we arrived in one piece, with no roos harmed, and in plenty of time. The bus arrived at about 9am, having picked up people along the way, from the various campsites. Before getting on the boat we had a debriefing about what to do, the distances permitted between us and the sharks etc, but we were so hyped, it went in one ear and out the other.
The plan was to take some people diving first, as the spotter plane that was used to find the whale sharks didn't go up until noon. There were about 16 of us on board and maybe half did the dive. While they were diving, we snorkelled, but it was about 8 metres down to the coral, so we couldn't see much, just a few tiny fish far below. However, we did swim through a school of extraordinary miniature jellyfish, translucent but with beautiful neon, what looked like, waves of electrical impulses running up and down their bodies.
When the divers returned, the plane went out but we actually found a whale shark ourselves, almost immediately. Geoff, one of the crew, said that it usually takes them about an hour to find one. The first batch
of snorkellers were in the water before 20 to 12.
Fortunately, the earlier brief on appropriate behaviour was repeated, and now that it was a reality that we were about to leap into the ocean with 30 foot long whale sharks, we paid much more attention. Only about ten people were allowed in the water at one time and we were told that we had to separate into two groups along each flank of the shark. When the boat returned to pick us up we had to reform into one group and get back on as fast as possible, as there was also an exclusion zone for the boat.
My heart was pounding and I had butterflies in my stomach, trepidation mixed with exhilaration. Gathering at the back of the boat we had to be completely ready to go at a moments notice. It felt like we were doing a
parachute jump, ready to scramble any minute a shark was spotted. We were on alert with our masks all spat on and flippered up, and at the command of "Go! Go! Go!" we'd take that leap.
As you jumped into the water you wouldn't really know where the shark
was, and you'd surface totally disorientated, looking in every direction. I'd sort of swim vaguely, looking at what everyone else was doing, who were generally also looking vague. The people on the boat would be shouting at us, but you couldn't hear what they were saying.
The butterflies in my stomach were doing somersaults and as I floated, wondering which way to turn, gradually this enormous shape would loom out of the murky sea, coming straight toward us and we'd all desperately try to get out of it's way. Sometimes, no matter which way you swam, the shark seemed to veer straight toward you. It wasn't that it was scary, but you just didn't want to get in it's way, or harm it with your fins.
On my first swim, the shark was relatively small, a juvenile; the biggest one we saw was about 9 metres (30 feet) long, wow! The sharks really were beautiful, a lovely grey with big white spots, so serene and placid, they seemed almost oblivious to these strange creatures swimming along with them. Geoff had said that if they start to rotate their bodies toward you it means you're too close.
They generally swim just below the surface, but some would also dive into the depths after a few minutes, which made me wonder if that was a
way of telling us they felt threatened. One time one did this, but Ian and another guy kept following it's shadow and eventually it came up, they had a long, long swim with it, all on their own - not another flipper in sight! In the meantime I'd got on the boat, we'd picked up another group and then went back to them! He said it was fantastic just the two of them and this magnificent creature.
Sometimes the shark would be moving too fast, and we couldn't keep up. One time I was tired and got behind the tail and couldn't seem to catch up. This meant that apart from not really seeing the shark, you'd
get a face full of other peoples flippers and bubbles! But, I was lucky enough to see one open the maw of it's mouth, feeding. Incredible! We also saw the remora (sucker fish) and Ian had a close look at the Trevally, small yellow fish swimming around it's mouth. He also happened to be in the water, unbeknownst to him, as a sea snake went by. Though deadly poisonous they are not aggressive.
I was never scared at any time, though sometimes when I thought about how far out to sea we were and how deep and dark the water was, I felt a twinge of apprehension in my gut. I was more worried about inadvertently harming the creature if I got too close with my fins. I was a little nervous about the unpredictable nature of their tails, so I tried to avoid being in that vicinity, but I think I was more worried of
being shouted at by one of the crew, than getting hurt by a shark.
One of the hardest parts was hauling yourself back onto the boat, though I eventually got the hang of this. It was quite tiring, all the adrenaline pumping round your body, and the physical exertion of keeping up with the sharks. I think I did 8 swims in all, over about 2 hours. Ian probably did more. Eventually, the spotter plane left and it was time for a relaxing lunch and some gentle snorkelling at Mangrove Bay. What an adventure!
It was quite hard to take it all in, to not feel like you were in a dream. It was so manic, that you didn't really have time to absorb what was happening, what you were seeing. I was so afraid that I would not be able to retain the memories of what it was really like, totally unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
It was a completely awe-inspiring and humbling encounter, such an honour to be tolerated by and allowed to swim with such an amazing creatures! The whole thing was fantastic, a real chance of a lifetime. And to think we nearly missed the opportunity.
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