By Alexandra Riggle
The first time I saw an image of a snorkeler in the water with a whale shark I gasped in awe of the shark’s beauty and sheer immensity. Now, having been in the water with these magnificent creatures I can personally describe the experience as nothing less than magical.
A group of public participants along with several Iemanya staff members (myself included) and several film crews were fortunate enough to witness and assist the world’s leading expert on whale sharks, Dr. Rachel Graham and Mexico’s top shark expert, Dr. Oscar Sosa. The tagging took place in picturesque Bahia de Los Angeles, a small fishing community on the Sea of Cortez in Baja California. We were out on the water for three days during which Rachel and her team tagged three whale sharks- two males and a female that have yet to be named. The satellite tags will provide invaluable data, which will help the researchers understand critical information about whale shark migration, feeding behavior and perhaps even where they breed and calve.
Some of the sharks we encountered were shy and evasive, while others were playfully curious circling groups of snorkelers for 10, 20 or even 30 minutes. Looking into the eyes of these docile creatures is truly a remarkable experience- they are clearly aware of your presence and yet clearly have no intention of causing harm. Nevertheless, seeing a whale shark approaching you head-on is a humbling and exhilarating experience! Two fortunate groups of snorkelers saw not one but two whale sharks swimming in alignment, while others witnessed a shark suspended vertically in the water, mouth agape taking in plankton-rich water.
My passion and commitment to protect our oceans is stronger than ever after my experiences in Baja, for which I will be forever grateful. Whale sharks, like so many animals on the planet are vulnerable because of human activities- from overfishing to ocean pollution- and I am proud to be a part of the commitment to protect these remarkable creatures and ensure they thrive for millennia to come.
