Whale shark feeding

It’s early in the morning, but the sun is already up. In the far distance of my cloudy head I hear the ocean roaring. I wonder how it is possible that our bed is filled with tons of sand again. Vague memories of a puppy running around in our tiny tent last night slowly form. I reach for the telephone to check the time as it suddenly rings in my hand. Instinctively I answer: Amy speaking. The woman on the other line enthusiastically introduces herself as Kaye from … divers. Divers….divers…ah, my memories of the night before slowly spin together…

We wanted to go to bed at a decent time and we’re walking from the bar back to the campsite. At the campsite however some people were drinking a beer after enjoying an incredible dive that same day. We joined and met Joost and Lydia. A nice couple from Eindhoven that quit their jobs to go traveling for 16 months.
After some hours and wines the plan developed to go diving (for the divers) and snorkeling (for us) with the whale sharks at this specific diving school they were boosting about. We already had booked something in Tofo, but they were more then twice as expensive. At about midnight we tried to reach the diving school, but surprisingly, no answer ;) We decided to go anyway and call them the next morning. This diving school was about 50 km back to the road, but it would be absolutely worth it.
The evening progressed and we went to bed at about 3.30 after promising to each other we would all be awake by 7 to hit the road at 7.30.

When the phone rang, it was 6.30. I managed to book us a trip for the day and told them we would be there at about 9. I looked next to me where Tinus was still passed out. I opened the tent and saw no movement in any of the other tents.
I dragged myself out of the tent, convincing my head that today would be the day I would see one of the biggest fish in the world! My stomach disagreed a little bit though. I tried to wake up Tinus and managed to get him out of the tent, where he collapsed onto the plaid in front of the tent. Well, at least I made some progress. I walked to the communal kitchen and put up the kettle. I thing a lot of coffee would be needed. Then I did my round to the other tents to wake up everybody and hold them to their promises. Nothing would stand in the way between me and the whale sharks today!

As always is the case in ‘the morning after…’ everybody got up to a slow start. Our international group of 5 divers (2 Dutch, 2 Australian, 1 Israeli) and 3 snorkelers (2 Dutch and 1 English). At about 8.30 we were all gathered and ready to go, sort of. Bertha was coming as well. In this state it reassured our passengers to be traveling in an ambulance. We packed all in the back and drove the bumpy road back to Inhambane again and then to Coconut Bay.

By the time we got there, everybody was awake. Bertha made sure of that! The atmosphere at the place was really relaxed and they had coffee! We were greeted by the two most beautiful Rottweilers I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately I was not allowed to keep them :(.

The divers got their gear and then to our surprise we got wet-suits as well. Cool! The weather was still quite cloudy grey and the wind quit strong, so on the open sea it could get a little bit chilly. I put on my wetsuit when Tinus comes wiggling in the room. The wetsuit stuck halfway between his knees and upper body. He looked like a penguin!! I could see the expression on his face and big question marks in his eyes. This one is too tight I think. I look at him again and can’t help bursting out laughing. He'd put the wetsuit on backwards, with the zipper in front ;)

After the safety briefing we started of in their Landrover 101 with the big rubber dingy boat on the trailer. As a team effort we pulled the boat in the sea and of we went! With immense speed we crossed over the waves to Manta Reef where the divers would have their dive. The waves were big, but with the speed we were going it was very refreshing for all our hangovers!
At the spot, the boat was stopped and the divers got prepared. With no motor the waves started playing with the boat and I imagined this would be what it felt like inside a washing machine. I looked at Tinus who was starting to look a little bit white, as well as some other people.
When the divers we’re off, the snorkelers could either wait in the boat, or jump in the water to swim and maybe see a Manta Ray, whale shark or humpback whale. Tinus thought he’d attract them by feeding them and was hanging outside the boat, head down….
Since the boat was making us all feel sick, we jumped in the water.
I put on my goggles, looked down…and saw absolutely nothing. And then it hit me: OH MY GOD! I’m swimming in the Indian Ocean, I can’t see the bottom and the sight was not very clear. For all I knew this 20 meter whale shark could be right besides me and I wouldn’t be able to see it until the last moment! Tinus really felt miserable even in the water and climbed back in the boat. Ian, the other snorkeler, and I stayed in the water. I was in a constant fight with myself if I did or did not want to see a big shadow approaching me. The current and waves were quite strong so the boat sort of circled around us as we drifted away from the lifebuoy of the divers. When it was time to pick them up, we hang next to the boat, holding on to the ropes. This was the washing machine tumbling at high speed! I felt more and more refreshed by every gulp of salty wave that hit me in the eyes, ears, and mouth.

The divers came back and we continued the boat trip to look for whale sharks. At this point, Tinus was actually imitating Shrek. Or his skin color did. I never believed that people could actually turn green, but Tinus proved it. He felt so sick, he sat down on the floor of the boat and did not move again, praying for it all to be over soon.

I must admit that if the boat was lying still, it was terrible, but as long as we we’re moving, it was bearable. So now we we’re going to find some whale sharks!!!
We cruised around and suddenly our captain shouted: anyone wants to jump in the water with a baby whale shark, it’s right over there!
I woke up from my state of absence realizing I was not ready yet to jump in the water with a whale shark and slowly started gathering my flippers and goggles and snorkel. Okay, next one, now I’m ready ;)

Whale shark, all jump off!!! All divers professionally rolled of the boat backwards into the water. I was totally confused and in shock when I saw this huge shadow next to the boat. The captain shouted: other side!! 'Oh lord' I thought. With my flippers on and a boat rocking from left to right, I managed to get to the other side. I paused for a little while thinking I would never pull it off to take the effort to sit down and roll in, so I gracefully sort of half dived-half jumped in ;) Altough Tinus later had seen the whole thing and said it made more an impression of a duck.
In the water I did not see anything anywhere and was also busy trying to record it for Tinus as proof, when suddenly this big black and white spotted tail appeared inches from my face. What the…??? I got a big fright (don’t try to shout when you are under water), but I caught my breathe. I looked down and saw this huge thing swimming under me. I followed it for a while, but he was way faster, so in the end I only got a glimpse of the tail and an estimation of the whole beast. When I surfaced I realized I forgot to film the whole thing…oops.

I got myself on the boat, which was a tiring effort on its own, when there was another shout: Whale shark! O Lord, there we go again. I jumped in and same thing happened: I did not see anything until the tail appeared in front of me. Film it! I thought. This time I got to see some more of it, but I was still too scared to follow it. I know they only eat plankton, but you never know if he woke up at the wrong side of the ocean that morning. Okay, I’ve seen it, bye whale shark, have a nice life.
I got back in the boat realizing that I had filmed something, but it only started when I thought I was finished...oh no.

Another shout: whale shark! Last chance, all in! Oh dear lord. I looked at Tinus who still did not move and thought, okay, I’ll give it one last try…
I jumped in again and saw…nothing. Only a lot of bubbles created by my fellow snorkelers. And then I stopped breathing all together. In front of me is this HUGE face of a whale shark coming my way. It all happened in a flash of a second, but that was long enough for me and I think I’ve never swam that fast in my life. When I thought I was safe again, I looked around to find the rest still following the beast.
Great, I thought. That means I’m here on my own in this patch of ocean with God knows what. I looked down to see if not anything too big too handle would appear from below, when I faced a couple of little jellyfish. I hate jellyfish! That’s it. I’m done. I’m a land person, a bush person, a city person, but I can honestly say now: I’m not a sea person. Snorkeling along the shore is something I will consider from time to time, but not in place where things are crawling too big for my taste. Not that I don’t like the look of them, I would still love to see a whale up close or dolphins, but from the safety of a boat please.

I managed to get in the boat again and as if the whale shark knew, he swam up to the boat to probably laugh at me or something. I did not care. I was proud I had done it anyway and to be in a position to say: never again. Tinus was still to sick to even lift his head to spot the whale shark, but I could tell he would also share my opinion.

We finally got to the beach where Tinus lay for about 15 minutes before speaking. But slowly he recovered. We drove back to the diving school and had lunch with big stories, except Tinus, who still was trying to get back to his normal color. But in the end he got well and as I predicted he shared my opinion. Altough he never saw the whale shark, even he got an experience he will never forget ;)

So we’re still in Tofo. It’s chilled here and we’ve met some nice people. Tomorrow we will continue to Valinculos. 375 km from here, but also on the beach. We want to go sailing there, a much more relaxed way to explore the ocean.

Lots of love;
Amy and Tinus