Year off around Australia

We've arrived here this morning by Ningaloo Discovery Tours mini bus. Roger and I, along with 18 other paying customers, are about to be ferried by tender (smaller boat - requires 2 trips) to a 60ft luxury catamaran to embark on their Eco Tour. This is cheaper than their usual Whale Shark tours as there is no guarantee that we will see any as it is outside the whale's peak season. Well no such worry about that today! We are introduced to our crew, 5 of them to look after us - and boy they all did an excellent job of that. After being fully briefed about the tour (safety and expectations) and getting 'kitted up' with wetsuits, flippers, masks and snorkels and having our trial swim in the bay area, we head out past the reef into the open sea. We have been out in open water less than 10 minutes (barely time to enjoy the lovely food being offered) - when we get to see 2 humpback whales swimming about 100m from us, one of them does a couple of breaches out of the water - a wonderful display. Then next thing, the call goes up that we're beside a Whale Shark - turns out to be at least 3! As instructed, we GO,GO,GO in our groups of 10 each with a staff leader and get in the water with them. As I am the 'weakest swimmer' in the groups, I am very well looked after by my group leader who literally tows me along with her. Due to this I get the most amazing experience of swimming beside and around an incredible Whale Shark. This one was about 4m long (small one) and stunning to watch, just calmly, gracefully gliding through the water. Beautiful creatures, I am in awe. So enthralling to be so close and check out the patterns and colour of its skin. This one had a large scar (white looking mark) along its back (find out later this is probably from a boat propeller, and had a large ontourage of quite large to small fish swimming underneath its belly. This turns out to be for mutual benefit - cleaning and protection. I would have been near this Whale Shark for a good 5+ minutes - just unreal! When it was time to get back on board the catamaran - I knew I was in trouble with seasickness. I spent the rest of the tour 'battling' nausea, after doing my bit to supply 'burley' overboard, oh the misery! Anyway, that aside - this tour was a total success for Whale Shark sightings today. Our crew 'spotter' Sam says he lost count of how many he saw in the water (at least 11) and both our groups got 3 opportunies each to be in the water with the Whale Sharks. I only managed my 1 swim with them, Roger managed 2 swims before he succumbed to sea sickness too. Thankfully Roger wasn't as bad with it as I was (no throwing up and he managed to have lunch). We weren't alone with feeling sick (at least 3 others) but we were about the only ones who didn't take some preventative 'travel calm' medicine beforehand. Lesson learnt - I will for next time! After the lovely onboard lunch (I couldn't manage) we headed back into the calmer waters of the bay and we all got to drift snorkel - once we got off the catamaran it travelled off to a point where it could pick us up after we had floated I'm guessing a good 200m over corals full of marine life - really spectacular (though unfortunately for me I was not feeling well enough to fully appreciate). Once back onboard - it was time to celebrate with all the lovely fellow snorkellers with a glass of bubbles and more lovely nibbles (I managed some slices of fresh fruit). Next, time to get us all back to shore - earlier than usual for the crew as it was such a successful Whale Shark outing (so many, so close and no having to share time with other tour operators - ours today the only tour company out on the water). Once back on shore we load back onto our tour bus and get returned to our caravan park.
Ningaloo Discovery, 1 Kennedy St, Exmouth
the tour operator we went with today - totally recommend them. Talking with some other participants today (a couple from Perth) - they try to do a swim with Whale Sharks each year, this is their 5th time, and 2nd time with this operator as they feel they are the best. Plus they (Sarah & Tim) said today's outing was their best by far!
I could not fault Ningaloo Discovery team with their care, professionalism, and passion for their work. Gave us all the opportunity for a fantastic experience. It was!Read more