I was swimming as fast as I could but getting nowhere fast. Water was leaking into my snorkel, my goggles were fogged and the child’s noodle I had wrapped under my arms to keep me afloat kept slipping up and hitting me in the head. Two thoughts were running through my mind ... where was that hammerhead shark we’d spotted half an hour ago and what had I been thinking when I agreed to go swimming with the whale sharks of Ningaloo?
I’d read a magazine article about Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia’s far north-west and about how the whale sharks, the world’s largest fish growing up to 18 metres in length, come to feed upon the huge food source created by the coral’s annual spawn, starting around March and staying around the area until about June/July. People travel from all over the world to swim with these gentle giants so I decided to tie a visit to Perth in with a bit of soft adventure further north. Having the swimming ability of a five year old didn’t deter me because I pictured the swim taking place in the calm, clear waters inside the reef, which I had read in the same article was only 100 metres from shore in some places.

The fact that I was adrift with my noodle, bobbing around in the open ocean two kilometres from shore, while my snorkelling companions were having the time of their lives swimming with my whale shark 100 metres ahead put paid to that little misconception! But still, I wasn’t worried because I knew our boat would whizz in and pick me up as soon as I raised my arm, which it did.
In fact the day turned out to be a great success and I did get to swim with a whale shark, all thanks to the diligent King’s Ningaloo Reef Tours crew who made it their personal challenge to get me into the water again, even after I kept assuring them that I really did get a glimpse of the shark and that I was really, really happy with that and didn’t need to go back in.

Whale sharks don’t hang around on the surface all day waiting to frolic with humans. Quite often they dive down deep and stay down for a long time which is why the tour operators have a spotter plane flying overhead. We had been out on the ocean for a few hours before the first shark was seen and when it had had enough of the snorkellers swimming around, it dived so we lost it. About an hour later the pilot called in another one nearby, so we thrust our feet into flippers and strapped our snorkels on and then sat on the rear deck waiting for the crew member, who was already in the water searching for the shark, to signal us to come.

The crew insisted that I go first so I wouldn’t lag behind again, so when the command came to GO GO GO GO!! I jumped in, stuck my head under the water ... and absolutely freaked out! Heading straight for me was a monstrous spotted fish with a huge gaping mouth working like a vacuum cleaner to suck up all the tiny fish who happened to be in its path, just like I was! I may be a poor swimmer but I reckon I would have won the olympics for walking on water that day, so lightening-fast did I get out of there, noodle and all. My friend who was snorkelling next to me swears that I trod on her head but I’m sure she’s exaggerating, although I did find strands of long red hair attached to my flippers when I took them off!
In actual fact, all I had to do was move a couple of metres to my right and I would have had the most amazing close-up view of the entire shark, but when that fight or flight adrenalin kicks in I’m afraid I go for the flight option every time! I’d had my fish-eye view of the world’s largest shark so mission accomplished as far as I was concerned and back to the safety of the boat went I.

The experience of being so close to these giants of the ocean was quite challenging for someone like me who can’t swim or snorkel very well. The other passengers who were all good swimmers went back time and time again and couldn’t stop talking about their amazing adventure, so it goes to show that whether you’re a strong swimmer or not, this is one soft adventure you can tackle and should try once in your life.

Fact File
Book your day out with Kings Ningaloo Reef Tours who have been taking people to swim with the whale sharks for over 25 years. The day out includes pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation, morning and afternoon tea, a fabulous gourmet buffet lunch and all snorkelling gear. They’ll take great care of you and do everything in their power to make sure you get up close and personal with Mr Shark.

Exmouth is a great base from which to explore the nearby marine and land-based natural attractions. As the northern gateway to the Ningaloo Marine Park, Exmouth boasts diving and snorkelling conditions that have been rated amongst the world’s best. The waters here are also teeming with marine life including (seasonally) humpback whales, dolphins, turtles, dugongs and colourful tropical fish by the thousands and there’s also the chance to swim with graceful manta rays, or snorkel over the reef. For information visit www.kingsningalooreeftours.com.au phone 08 9949 1764

Where to Stay The newest and only international, luxury resort with four star amenities at Exmouth is the Novotel Ningaloo which is located right on beautiful Sunrise Beach. Designed to fit right into its naturally rugged surroundings and comprising of studio, two or three bedroom apartments and one and two bedroom villas, the resort is like an oasis in the desert offering absolutely everything you would find in a four star city hotel whilst still maintaining the appeal of a relaxing seaside holiday resort. The decor is stylishly modern, the rooms are ultra spacious, the food is top class and the service is relaxed and friendly.
Visit www.novotelningaloo.com.au or call 08 9949 0000

Getting There Virgin Blue flies direct to Perth from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Broome with convenient connections available from most other Virgin Blue ports.  For all the details on their award winning service and fabulous fares go to www.virginblue.com.au
Skywest fly from Perth to Exmouth with prices starting from $250 www.skywest.com.au or phone Skywest Holidays Tel: 1300 368 168 or 9479 4422
For more information about holidaying in Western Australia visit www.westernaustralia.com

Text: Rhonda Bannister
Photography Tourism Western Australia
From issue: Spring/Summer 07/08