October Dive Guide Column: By Kevin.
On Wednesday 14th October I was at Small Brother onboard M/Y blue Fin as part of a North and Brothers itinerary along with 21 guests and another dive guide, James.
Being high season for trips out to Brother Islands it was fairly busy, with several other boats moored on the islands. We got the second dive underway as quickly as possible in the hope of beating most of the other divers into the water. I went out in the first Zodiac with four guests and things looked good as we entered the water just to the north of the Gorgonia Forest. No one else in sight as we slipped below the waters surface to start our descent and the water was that wonderful rich blue. Almost immediately a Hammerhead appeared out in the blue, but didn't come to check us out so we started back toward blue Fin.
Next along was a Grey Reef Shark; we watched it swim past and then turned to continue on. 'Wow, that's something very large coming straight toward us!' I thought as my eyes swiveled forward and fixed onto what I then realised was a Whale Shark!!! Nine years a dive guide and instructor and this was my first. To say my reaction was excited would probably be a massive understatement. Not wanting to create a lot of noise that could possibly disturb the giant I waved one arm while pointing with the other. No worries though... nobody was going to miss this sight!! The big five to six metre long shark continued to swim directly toward us not far off the reef wall and passed within a couple of metres of all of us!
My first Whale Shark encounter had been a long time coming and as it continued on I followed it with my eyes savoring the great animal as it began to recede into the distance, just its big beating tail clear now.
The next second something brushed my head and I thought, lost in the view I had collided with another diver; but now my head was being turned and I realised that it was one of the guests, Nigel, alerting me to the Manta following on behind the shark!! It was gliding immediately below us and we swam above it for a while as it followed its Elasmobranch buddy off around the reef.
Back on the boat it became clear that few others had seen the Whale Shark, but most had seen the Manta and a fair few an Oceanic White Tip back around blue Fin. Everyone was elated by the dive as they returned, although a few couldn't help but be a little green around the gills when they heard of the big fish encounter!
So, my dive of the year? Well, it's up there with the three Tiger Sharks in one dive at Elphinstone earlier this year......
By Kevin, blue o two Red Sea dive guide.
If you've spotted a whale shark and been lucky enough to get a photo too, you can help The Shark Trust and Project AWARE to try and get a better understanding of their behavior, population and biology by submitting your photo. Images can be submitted here - www.sharktrust.org/sd/