Whalesharks surrounded!

As eager as they are to interact, when crowds and crowds of fin flappers converge around our super-friendly whale sharks, they eventually sound and/or move away. Wether or not this is a sign of discomfort, we are not sure – they just keep coming back to the Tofo Point area.

Off Inhambane we have a number of ocean safari operators, who for 2 hours tear up and down the coast in rubber ducks – loaded with tourists – searching for the amazing thrills provided in buckets, by an encounter with a whale shark. Sometimes launching twice or even three times per day, that’s a lot of fin flapping!

Armed with masks, fins and underwater cameras – tourists bundle into the water 50ft or so in front of a whale shark, and let it approach. They are not shy in any way, but as stated, will dive down out of reach, if hassled for too long.  Swimming above the animal has this effect. Touching is not allowed but being 1m away from a prehistoric monster is more than enough!

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