In Australia, where to observe a whale shark without disturbing it

A marine animal that feeds only on plankton and algae

There is excitement aboard the ship: a whale shark reports (Rhincodon typus) several kilometers away. Everyone quickly puts on a mask, snorkel and fins in order not to miss the encounter of a lifetime: this one with this 12-meter-long, 11-ton animal with a meter-wide mouth. Fortunately, the sea monster is harmless to humans: it feeds only on plankton and algae. A face-to-face meeting remains no less impressive! The biggest fish in the world flies within a few meters of the swimmers with a flick of its tail… You almost forget to blow into the snorkel. But only a few dozen minutes later, the guide signals that we must return to the ship.

Because here in Ningaloo Marine Park, off the west coast of Australia, interactions with whale sharks are strictly regulated: only about fifteen operators are licensed to run these trips. Their boats are never allowed more than two people near a shark for a maximum of 90 minutes. Swimmers, in groups of no more than ten, must stay more than three meters from the animal at all times and not use flash for photography.

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The goal of this management plan, which has been in place since 1997 – to develop tourism without impacting whale sharks – appears to have been achieved. The number of tourists attempting this experience has indeed increased from 1,000 in 1993 to 36,000 in 2022, but scientific studies carried out so far show that the number of sharks in the park has not been affected: there are always between 300 and 500 of them. across the reef, every year or more irregularly.

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When to go to Ningaloo Marine Park in Australia

• How to get there: from Perth, by car (12 hours) to Coral Bay or by plane to Exmouth (2 hours).
• When: from March to July.
• Move : with a ship from an approved company.
• Housing: in the associated terrestrial national park. The coast is dotted with many campsites.
• Info and prices: exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/park/ningaloo-marine-park

➤ Article published in GEO Special Issue No. 47, Where to Travel in 2024from February to March 2024.

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