We slide off the back of the boat and straight into a bucket-list must-do. Gliding next to the world’s largest shark, the whale shark, feeling its majesty and surprising gentleness.
You’re fearless — intoxicated by life, and something so overwhelmingly beautiful is happening to you. Breaking the surface, you can’t wait to share your experiences with your fellow crew. You know you’ve just witnessed something indelibly rare. One particular spot to observe whale sharks is Indonesia. If you’re interested in discovering whale sharks yourself, we have you covered and recommended an amazing place for you to visit.
In Saleh Bay, Sumbawa these slow-moving, filter-feeding whale sharks come to the squid boats each morning. As the squid boats raise the nets the Whale Sharks come to feed off the by product. Up to 11 tons and 12 metres long, these giants have a hugely healthy appetite…
Taking swimming pool gulps, filtering their microscopic main course, whale sharks love warm tropical oceans, living up to 70 or more years, Sumbwa is one of the only places in the world where Whale sharks appear regularly in large numbers.
Our whale shark experience began pre dawn, with a local boat arriving to pick us up from our boat and our neighbouring friends on their catamaran. Approximately 45 minutes later we were sitting next to the squid boat waiting for the crew to hoist the nets. The excitement was building watching as the crew started to lift the nets. We were literally acting like children, squealing each time we saw another Whale Shark join the ever-ending circle around the squid boat.
Before the sun rose over the horizon our skipper indicated for us to get into the water. He didn’t have to ask twice. Oh my Goodness ….. our life just became insanely crazy. The euphoria of being in the water with these amazing creates you just can’t put into words.
They are huge … no they are gigantic but so graceful and gentle. They know you are there they glide past you with a small flick of their tail. Then circle back around. You seriously don’t have to move they just move around you so gracefully. There are so many of them we are astounded by the number and the size of them. We feel so tiny in their world.
We were told to avoid swimming in front of their mouths, so we don’t disturb their feeding. It’s not that they will bite you. When you see them open their mouths it’s a good idea, not be in their way! Although their mouth can stretch to four feet wide, a whale shark’s teeth are so tiny that they can only eat small shrimp, fish and plankton by using their gill rakers as a suction filter. In fact ….. they can process more than 6,000 litres of water an hour through their gills.
We spent a thrilling two hours in the water, feeling both exhilarated and exhausted by the end, though our excitement was evident. Returning to our tour boat, the chatter of five excited children filled the air. Each one sharing their unique encounters: “Did you notice the large one near the water spout?” “What about the tiny spotted one?” “One even swam so close, flicking its tail next to me.” As we sipped our hot coffee served by the crew, our conversations continued. One sentiment echoed throughout: “OMG, did we really just experience that?” “It was truly incredible.” The crew, with wide smiles, observed our reactions. They understand this feeling well, witnessing it each time they guide a small group of up to six guests to meet the majestic Whale sharks. Now, we too belong to the exclusive group that has encountered these gentle giants in their domain.
We all felt that they had individual personalities and they had their own markings, so after a time you could recognise the same whale shark coming around. Some of us felt the smaller ones were playful, swimming purposely over and under us. But what we all realised is that this experience will be hard to top.
Whale shark tourism is one of the key sources of income to the community on
Sumbawa Island, with peak whale shark sighting season running from April to October, however they still can be seen all year round. Thanks to the rich feeding grounds here, these whale sharks are permanent residents, rather than migratory like most other whale sharks. Marine Parks are working to educate communities, local fisherman and those involved with tourism about the conservation of whale sharks. You can experience whale shark conservation tourism at Labuan Jambu, a village near the bay.
You can see evidence of their conservation work as they continue monitoring these sharks and conduct surveys every couple of years to check their population is thriving. We saw a number of Whale sharks with transducers on them.
The harsh reality of tourism.
The Whale shark tourism industry is currently thriving in Indonesia, leading to some operators charging exorbitant prices for the experience. For instance, we received a quote of up to 375€ per person through a booking agency, which is far above the standard rate. Unfortunately, many visitors end up paying these inflated prices to witness these magnificent creatures. Regrettably, these additional costs do not benefit the local community but instead go straight into the profit margin of international booking agents. It is advisable to explore other options, such as booking with a local boat operator dedicated to preserving the Whale Sharks. Below, we suggest a private local operator based on their exceptional service and reasonable prices, with no affiliation to our recommendation.
Some of the things our tour agent did we feel above and beyond what other tours offered.
- private tour of maximum 6 guests.
- no Whale Sharks sighted no payment. We paid cash on the day. (2.5 million IDR = $250 AUS for 5 of us we could of had 6 same price)
- suggested a good anchorage for us to sail to the day prior to our tour.
- asked us to send him the coordinates of our position for pick up in the morning
- confirmed with us when we sent the coordinates that we were happy with the anchorage he suggested (it was brilliant)
- requested we have our deck lights on and fenders down for coming a long side, for pick up. The skipper was awesome didn’t even come close to the fenders and we were able to get safely onboard.
- three crew onboard, skipper, guide and deckhand.
Our Tour was conducted through Sumbawa Whale Shark Tours
WhatsApp +62 85337214814
You can watch the YouTube Episode ▶️ The most incredible experience swimming with Whale Sharks
Diving Tips & Codes of Conduct
Whale sharks are endangered species and are very vulnerable to being overexploited. That’s why it is important to protect these creatures by implementing whale shark conservation and safety. It is our responsibility to look after these amazing gentle giants whilst we swim with them.
