Isabela & Fernandina Islands
It was hard to believe when I heard the call on the radio - whale shark, he said! It was the voice of one of the Naturalist through the radio, Rafael, who in excitement was alerting everyone of his discovery.
I have to admit that I doubted him for a second, and then, I realized that there was no reason why I should; I was just simply overwhelmed by the idea of the whale shark sight!
It has been so long since the last time we saw one, and every single one of those brief encounters has always been from the ship within a reasonable distance of the animal. My heart started to beat faster as we got closer to something that looked like a whale, but yes indeed, it was a whale shark! Its distinctive white-spot markings gave him away, and its massive appearance was threatening for the eye. Despite its intimidating size (some of us believe it was a 45 foot shark, but something tells me that it would be a seventy foot shark by the end of the trip, after all, this is a fish history!), there was nothing to fear about this gentle giant. Whale sharks are among the most peaceful creatures on earth, feeding exclusively on plankton.
The shark did not care about our interference in its daily feeding routine, since it stayed for a long time swimming side by side and under our Zodiacs. I couldn’t help the temptation, neither Rafael, so we both jumped in the water to fight against our natural human fear to swim side by side the whale shark. Once in the water, I could think no more! My mind blocked every thought about anything and everything, and all I could feel was a continuous increasing joy. My long time dream had just become truth. I was swimming with the largest fish in the world, and I would tell the world about it! Once back in the ship, pictures were traveling faster than light among the guests, who were exchanging them as collectible cards of a game. It was one of the most fantastic experiences that I have ever had, and it happened in the Galápagos. No wonder we care so much about this enchanted place…
It was hard to believe when I heard the call on the radio - whale shark, he said! It was the voice of one of the Naturalist through the radio, Rafael, who in excitement was alerting everyone of his discovery.
I have to admit that I doubted him for a second, and then, I realized that there was no reason why I should; I was just simply overwhelmed by the idea of the whale shark sight!
It has been so long since the last time we saw one, and every single one of those brief encounters has always been from the ship within a reasonable distance of the animal. My heart started to beat faster as we got closer to something that looked like a whale, but yes indeed, it was a whale shark! Its distinctive white-spot markings gave him away, and its massive appearance was threatening for the eye. Despite its intimidating size (some of us believe it was a 45 foot shark, but something tells me that it would be a seventy foot shark by the end of the trip, after all, this is a fish history!), there was nothing to fear about this gentle giant. Whale sharks are among the most peaceful creatures on earth, feeding exclusively on plankton.
The shark did not care about our interference in its daily feeding routine, since it stayed for a long time swimming side by side and under our Zodiacs. I couldn’t help the temptation, neither Rafael, so we both jumped in the water to fight against our natural human fear to swim side by side the whale shark. Once in the water, I could think no more! My mind blocked every thought about anything and everything, and all I could feel was a continuous increasing joy. My long time dream had just become truth. I was swimming with the largest fish in the world, and I would tell the world about it! Once back in the ship, pictures were traveling faster than light among the guests, who were exchanging them as collectible cards of a game. It was one of the most fantastic experiences that I have ever had, and it happened in the Galápagos. No wonder we care so much about this enchanted place…
