Whale Sharks Make Early Appearance in Australian Waters

The whale shark and that extraordinary mouth!

The mighty whale sharks – reputed to be the largest fish in the ocean – have delighted nature lovers by appearing at Ningaloo Reef on the coast of Western Australia.

Their timing is unusually early as the massive creatures don’t normally make an appearance until around April when the coral begin their mass spawning. This usually occurs around 6-10 days after the March or April full moons. The March full moon is scheduled for the 30^th, so the whale sharks may be waiting a while for their dinner!

The huge spectral-like fish can seem rather frightening as they swim around the coral with their enormous mouths measuring up to 1.5 metres long, sweep the ocean for spores. They were once thought to be the fish most likely to have been responsible for swallowing Jonah in the Biblical story, however this has since been dismissed as, although their mouths are capacious, their throats are only 4 inches wide.

Visitors to Ningaloo Reef can now swim alongside these gentle giants of the ocean thanks to the whale shark tour boats that operate from Exmouth and Coral Bay. As well as encountering these magnificent giants, visitors also get the unique opportunity to swim with manta rays, dolphins and stingray and to explore the masses of beautiful, brightly coloured schools of fish that resemble underwater rainbows as they pass by.

And if you prefer dry ground, you can still witness the incredible underwater life that makes up Ningaloo Reef by touring on a glass-bottomed boat.

The migratory route of the whale shark is still being studied as there is still much that remains a mystery about the shark. Tourists can now help scientists with their research by snapping any whale sharks that they see and sending the pictures to the whaleshark photo ID centre.

The whale shark is an endangered species although illegal hunting of the shark still goes on. It’s fin is highly prized in some Far East countries. It is thought that the more that is known about the whale shark, the better protection the agencies can offer it.

Western Australia’s tourist board is now offering visitors to Australia a chance to win one of these swims with the magnificent whale shark as part of its extraordinary Taxi Ride competition – a nine week journey around Western Australia by taxi. So get applying now for your chance to win!

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