"Three girls, a man and a caravan".: Our Whale Shark experience of a lifetime!!!

One of our biggest highlights of this trip, if there can be anymore, was when Marty, Boo and l went out for the day at Ningaloo reef on a Whaleshark cruise on Saturday the 14th of June. It cost around $900 for the day for all of us, but it was so worth it. Meg wasn't really wanting to go, saying she would be scarred, so she stayed back at camp with the 'HardFirms'. We went out with a company called 'Ningaloo Whaleshark Swim' and they were bloody awesome. Would totally recommend this company, so engaging with everyone on board and passionate about their jobs and the marine environment.

Boo all excited waiting for us to be picked up!!!

Ningaloo Whale-Shark-Swim boat....the aboriginal art decorated one!

Boo, Martin and me eagerly awaiting our first swim...

All the crew, boys and girls, were so enthusiastic about their job and showed definite passions for the marine world, it was so enjoyable. They had everyone excited on board and made us all feel comfortable about the dives. There were a few crew members that stood out, "Dave" who looked exactly like the guy from hangover with the beard and was Canadian too (yeah the weird one!), 'Shep' who looked after Boo and sat and talked to her for most of the day, and 'Rachel' our dive crew member who took Boo with her on one dive to get a closer look at the whaleshark.

Our cool captain!

'Shep' teaching Boo about dive equipment..

Boo with 'Wally' the whale shark!

The day itself went so fast but so long at the same time. We stopped off for a quick snorkel out on the reef to make sure all our snorkel gear worked alright. Was so cold, but they said that it would warm up as we got out in the 'drop off' area.

Boo's ready to go....

Boo and Rachel...she was so great with her!

Me ready to have a crack...

Sea Urchin....

Amazing colourful clam...

Such great colours and water was so clear!

On our first dive swimming with the Whale Sharks, we were all instructed about the rules (not swimming closer than 3m from the side and 4m form its dorsal fin, and no going in front of its gills) and so excited and scared at the same time, not knowing what to expect. We were split into two groups of ten and then it was our turn to jump in. I was holding onto Boo's hand whilst Marty was in charge of capturing the experience on film. We all were looking straight ahead of us as directed by our dive jumpers, the water so dark with only rays of light from the sun glancing thru. We saw a shadow come thru the dark blue and ray of light, next thing we knew we were face to face with a whaleshark and had to get out of its way! Boo and l swam alongside as it circled feeding on fish. To say it was magical was an understatement.

All masked up and ready to get in....

Some of the other peeps on board that day...

Totally amazing creatures!!

They are so big (actually they are the biggest fish in the world and are only sighted in two parts of the world) and graceful. They have tiny fish feeding off their mouth, small fish swimming underneath cleaning their bellies and others tagging alongside to feel safe from predators. Not once did we feel scared swimming alongside these enormous creatures, l think the biggest we swam with was 5m long!

All up we experienced 5 whalesharks and it all went too quick. Every time you jumped in, only with them for maximum 5 minutes before we're either told to hold back or they dive down to feed. Even so, it seemed like the longest 5 minutes. To be right next to these enormous majestic fish made you feel so small in the world. Again, like we've been finding snorkeling, it is so quiet and peaceful. Think this could be my new relaxation technique to de-stress from life! Pity l would have to put my head in a bucket everyday after we leave this place to get the same effect ! Lol....

Enormous fin....

Mouth open scooping in some fish...

We were so spoilt with marine life, spotting humpback whales frolicking alongside the boat, dugongs gliding thru the water, a sea snake which thankfully l viewed from the boat and not in the water with it, and also many turtles and stingrays.

Sea snake.....

Humpback Whale frolicking...

Dugong....they call them the mermaids of the ocean!

It was a full 8 hours of fun and excitement which left us all exhausted when we got back to the van. Meg, on the other-hand, had had a great day with Ton, Cam, Jordyn and Riley and was so thrilled to have been treated to an ice-cream. Not phased one bit not going on the whale-shark swim! Thought l'd end with a few more pics from the most AMAZING day ever!!!!