Here, in Cenderawasih Bay, it seems that whale sharks are doing OK. They provide an all-important economy to locals whilst providing some jaw-dropping experiences for adventurous eco-tourists.
My last few hours with the sharks, before we headed back north, were the best. One large male came in to the feeding fray from behind me and this time, instead of a gentle nudge, lifted me high and dry for a second out of the water by scooping me up and perched on his nose! I was gracefully lowered back to the water, made eye contact, an apology, and edged away only to find a new, subadult male had arrived. The youngster was enveloped in a confetti-like bouquet of startlingly-yellow golden trevallys, small golden fish that were swarming around the shark with some ‘piloting’ the animal a few inches in front of the mouth. It was truly exquisite and the whole experience shot to the top of my best-ever wildlife encounters. Yes, they are fish, but I love fish! Yet, in the case of the Cenderawasih whale sharks, I give them ‘honorary mammal’ status.
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