10m Pregnant Female Whaleshark Spotted at Ningaloo!

Wow! What a day we had on Friday - not only did the group swim with a giant 10 metre whaleshark, but it was female and pregnant! Quite rare to find on the Ningaloo Reef, as we see mostly juvenille males as a rule. So big smiles all around from both customers and crew. A group of local eco researchers got a close encounter while trying to measure her - she turned 90 degrees, and was pretty well right in front of them before they knew it! If you’ve ever tried to get away from a 10 metre whaleshark you will know how difficult it can be!

The manta rays have put on an early show this season, with swimmings becoming a regular occurance on the eco tours. We get pygmy manta rays as well as the oceanic mantas here on the Ningaloo Reef, and they are both two of the most graceful creatures you will encounter in the ocean. Gliding, barrel rolling, breaching and mating chains are just some of the behaviours we observe from the mantas at Ningaloo, and the season is only just beginning!

A HUGE decision which will impact whaleshark numbers around the world, is the recent abolishment of commercial fishing on whalesharks in Taiwan. Traditionally thought of as a delicacy in some Southeast Asian countries, whalesharks were hunted and called ‘Tofu Meat’ due to their similarities in taste to tofu. Last Friday came the news though, and banning the fishing of these majestic creatures is a huge step forward in the protection of a largely defenceless animal. We’re all having whaleshark parties over here in Exmouth!

The humpback whale season is just about to begin, with 2 lone females sighted over the past few days! We can’t wait for the humpback adventure to begin. Exmouth is a great place to view theses creatures, as they come into the Exmouth Gulf for a bit of R & R before resuming their migration. So breaching, fin slapping and hearing the huge ‘whoosh’ of their breathing spurts is a common sight (and sound) during the coming months.

Hi to everyone who has been on our Whaleshark Eco Tour this season (and previous seasons)!

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