We have had an exceptional start to the 2008 season. There have only been 2 days where we didn’t get to swim with a Whale Shark and that in comparison to most other April starts is fantastic!

Today we swam with 2 sharks, 1 was approx 3 1/2m and the other a little bigger at 4 1/2.

Some dear friends joined our tour today; Vix and Randall have worked in the dive industry up here for some years but are leaving town to move to the big city; Vix decided she wanted to have one last final Whale Shark spot; so went in and did it 4 1/2 months pregnant - so we have now taken claim to having the youngest child EVER swim with a shark lol.

We actually have a lot of pregnant women do the tour - they tell me it’s because they’re making the most of their freedom before having to care for someone around the clock - makes sense!~

“What a fantastic, AMAZING day! 7 snorkels with whale shark - an experience of a lifetime - Thankyou!” Karen and Dave Stratford, Geoff, Anne and Holly

YAY - it’s going off up here on the Ningaloo Reef. The Whale Sharks have been reliable for the most part of this season; out of 7 days they have been sighted every day; although there were 2 days where we were unable to swim with them; as they just didn’t want to know about us.

Tonight myself and our 2 gem spotters - Yoshi and Emily all attended the DEC (Dept of Environment and Conservation)
Whale Shark Interaction Guiding course.

In previous years I didn’t believe it would be necessary for me to attend as I work in the shop; but decided to support ‘the team’ and go this year. I am SO GLAD that I did; I learned so much!!

I have been doing this job for hmm well; this is my 5th season; and I love every second of it! I do wish I got to go on the boat more; but someone has to hold the office together :)

So the night was information packed; DID YOU KNOW that when the last lot of satelling tagging was done on the Whale Sharks; they were recorded going to gepths of 1500m; that is when the tags stopped working!!! How AMAZING is that??

And that big 18m shark that was killed in Taiwan years ago; the one with the 300 babies inside it at ALL DIFFERENT sizes of development; well a few of the babies who were at about 50cm in length were still alive; so they sent them to an underwater observatory in Japan!

Sad about the mother; but we would never have know that the Whale Sharks produce in such a way without the information being recorded.

There is so little known about many of the Whale Sharks characteristics; so I guess any information is useful!

Today we FINALLY got to swim with a Whale Shark! This is made even better that we had some REPEAT passengers on board who missed out on their first tour; thankfully we have the “No Sighting Policy” which meant they got to join us for another tour for FREE! They were ecstatic!

Today was another beautiful day on the reef; with magnificent snorkeling and glorious sunshine!

Again; we spotted a number of Whale Sharks but couldn’t get a swim on them; they were being very uncooperative!

As mentioned in my post yesterday; we rely on them swimming on the surface becasue they want to not becasue they have to; so there are naturally times when it is difficult to get a swim with them.

On a positive the day was magnificent and we had a BRILLIANT snorkel and swam with some turtles and lots of beautiful fish and still finished the day with a chilled glass of champers!

Although dissapointed by the sharks; everyone on board still had a joyful day; basking in the warm Ningaloo sun, swimming in our turquoise water which is still about 28 degrees!

No tour today - the crew are glad to be having a day off!~

After yesterdays fantastic Whale Shark Interaction; today has been especially dissapointing; we didn’t get to swim with a Whals Shark today.

The spotter plane saw quite a few but the sharks wouldn’t stay at the surface, whenever the boats got close to them - or one of our ’spotters’ jumped in the water; the sharks would dive.

Who knows why? There could be several reasons; however the fact that the Whale Shark is a fish and only comes to the surface to feed means we are relying on them to stay up for the swims.

Never mind I guess this is nature at it’s best; hopefully we’ll have better luck tomorrow!

WOW - What a fantastic start to the Whale Shark season in Exmouth, Western Australia~!

I am officially BANNED from the very first tour - history has proven that when I am on the first tour; we don’t see a shark - so I have been unanimously voted off the boat for the very first tour!

Today we swam with a gorgeous 3 and a half metre Whale Shark; who seemed to be as interested in us as we were in him. He turned often to check the punters out and circled the groups when they were in the water; thrilling our swimmers to no end!

We were also fortunate enough to see some majestic Manta Rays; unfortunately we couldn’t swim with them as they were too close the reef and it wasn’t safe, but they were fantastic to watch!

We have so many pre-bookings for April - with many days already completely booked out; so if you’re coming to swim with these unreal fish - best be booking ahead to secure your seat :)

Kat

The recent report on the increase in whale sharks at Ningaloo has brought a spotlight onto our beautiful piece of Australia and the unique ecotourism experience we offer.

Since publishing our post on the report, we’ve seen articles in all the major papers over here, and several scientific and environmental publications. The story was quickly picked up in the US, where reports have increased interest in the whale shark experience.

If you’ve experienced a whale shark tour with us and would like to share your experience with Americans who subscribe to the Discovery Channel’s News Blog, go to this link and submit a comment.

We know that ecotourism has contributed to the turnaround in whale shark numbers by raising awareness. So the more people who hear about and snorkel with these amazing creatures under the guidance of eco-accredited tour guides, the more likely they are to be respected and protected - not just here in Ningaloo, but around the world.

Conservationist and marine biologist Brad Norman has pointed to some good news about whale sharks in a new report revealing the results of a 12-year study.

There have been so many reports lately of the global population of whale sharks declining - and this still remains the case - but the great news for Ningaloo is that our whale sharks are thriving. As Brad puts it: “The study suggests that the management practices at Ningaloo are working for the whale shark.” Conservation is paying off.

All of this means you can come to Ningaloo and swim with the whale sharks with the confidence of knowing these stunning creatures are being protected - and that Brad is committed to making the knowledge gained at Ningaloo available to other parts of the world embarking on whale conservation projects.

Brad’s work with Ecocean has won him several awards, and the site is worth a browse for anyone interested in whale sharks.

You can also contribute your photos to Ecocean’s identification library - you never know, your whale shark may be one that no one else has yet photographed.

Last weekend we were proud to take away Silver in the 2007 WA Tourism Awards.

Take a look at these whale shark photos by William Thomas, a US fisherman who takes amazing pics!

Seeing the clear shot of a swimmer next to a 40-foot whale shark brings home the enormous gentle power of these animals. Easy to see why so many adventure travellers just have to do this!

We come across lots of whale shark photos and post the best of them. Send us yours!

The word is rapidly spreading around the world about the Ningaloo whale sharks, with recent Internet news coverage giving us a global spotlight.

When we were declared national winner of the PublicityShip Hidden Jewel Awards, we received a publicity campaign as part of our prize.

One of the results was dialogue with the travel editors of the global news site, www.about.com, who were interested to find out more about Ningaloo and the whale sharks.

We thought nothing more of it until yesterday, when we were alerted to this fantastic article!

We’re so delighted to see this kind of global internet coverage for our beautiful region and magnificent whale sharks. The word is rapidly spreading and what’s great about this is we don’t have to advertise. The message gets out there because people are genuinely fascinated by the experience of swimming with the biggest fish in the sea.

By the October school holidays we had already received lots of requests for Christmas gift vouchers for our Whale Shark Ecotours. We have fabulous gift vouchers - a great way to give someone a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

This also got me thinking about Christmas here in Exmouth.

The high temperatures can sometimes deter Australian visitors from coming to the area in December, but it’s actually my favourite time of the year - outside whale shark season of course. And Europeans love it at this time.

There’s no denying it’s hot! But we have beautiful days in or on the ocean, and stunning balmy nights perfect for unwinding with a chilled glass of wine.

There are heaps of turtles around too, as this is their breeding season. You can watch them mate and try to spot them laying their eggs - breathtaking.

So if you’re looking for a seriously relaxing Christmas holiday, Ningaloo’s a good choice, and we can help with accommodation suggestions. But if it’s the whale sharks you’re after, contact us for a gift voucher or to book ahead.

I just came across this delightful video. I feel sure these kids will remember this experience and that it will contribute to their inner psyche - helping to produce adults that care for our marine environment.

As a staunch supporter of ecotourism, I’d say that first-hand experience of the natural world needs to be added to the firing of children’s imaginations through art.

Here’s an interesting post from global warming specialist, Jane Genovese, which gives us real evidence from research showing the importance of a child’s early experiences in terms of their commitment to the environment.

Fascinating stuff.

Unfortunately, there are tour operators that won’t allow children to participate in interactive experiences because they are viewed as a liability - unpredictable in their responses with the potential to cause damage to the fragile environment.

While it’s essential that we protect our environment, children need to take part, with us adults taking responsibility for educating and monitoring them as they do so.

We encourage families to join our whale shark tour as a group. In fact our boat has been designed to make it easy for kids to hop in and out of the water, as the marlin board sits flush with the water. Even two-year-olds can join in - all the kids need is their own wetsuits as we only have adult sizes.

And if the kids paint their experience afterwards, we’d love to see the results!

Q: What’s one of the most romantic places you’ve visited and what makes that location so special?
A: (from Elle Macpherson) Ningaloo Reef, a virtually untouched area in Western Australia, a beautiful haven of clear, tropical waters an endless blue sky.
Taken from “Getting Intimate with Elle”

I already knew that Ningaloo is one of Elle’s favourite destinations. She used to fly in on an exclusive jet for some R & R with her family. We’d all find out about it well and truly after they’d gone. The locals around here aren’t too fussed by glamorous stars, although I reckon if the male population had of found out, there would have been an entourage of local boys finding their way down there. I wouldn’t have bothered… it would have been far too depressing; at 5′4 I would merely vanish in her presence :)

I participated in a safari tour from Exmouth one day - the tour operator was an old Exmouth Legend - Neil McLeod. He told us about when Elle came to Ningaloo to film some ads for Tourism WA. He walked us through the experience… Neil on a beach with Elle who is topless (yes, that’s right, topless!!) getting her tea. Every man on the tour was green with envy!

So why would Elle love it here so much? I guess for the same reason that so many of us get stuck here: the pristine turquoise waters, amazing marine life and the huge stretch of vacant sandy beaches. We have paradise at our back door. My trip around Australia started and finished with Exmouth. It is one of the most amazing places in Australia. From a backdrop of rugged red canyons to the glistening pristine water, with the creatures that occupy both earth and sea - truly amazing. There is ALWAYS something you will come across that will take your breath away!

So, as the latest Tourism WA ad campaign says, “Where the bloody hell are ya?” Get out to the Cape Range National Park for an experience of a lifetime!

Governor Zushan - Governor of the Zhejiang Province, Lu Zushan - has declared that whale sharks will officially be taken off their menu.

Woohoo!! This has come about due to Premier Alan Carpenter writing to Governor Zushan after media reports emerged that a 6m whale shark had been caught by Zhejiang fishermen and was to be sold for up to $8 per kilogram.

“In my letter, I explained to Governor Lu that the whale shark is much-loved by Western Australians and is one of our best tourist attractions,” Mr Carpenter said.

“I also said that the whale shark is a protected species in Australia, and requested that the Governor encourage Zhejiang fishers to join us in protecting this endangered animal.

“Significantly, Governor Lu has agreed to consider including the whale shark in Zhejiang province’s list of protected species. I am very pleased with this outcome and will closely monitor the Governor’s progress on this matter.”

Whale sharks have been slaughtered for many years - the Japanese call their meat ‘tofu fish’ because of its soft white texture. Thankfully, as the awareness of these magnificent animals increases, a majority of countries have ceased commercial fishing for the sharks.

One small but significant step for the whale sharks. Read more here.

Watch this Channel Nine broadcast created after Jules Lund joined us in July to film the whale sharks!

It was an awesome day; we all had a ball and Jules was awesome!

The Ningaloo Blue crew are still recovering from the 2007 season; and the 2008 bookings are beginning to come in thick and fast.

This is just a reminder; if you are planning to visit the Ningaloo Reef in 2008 to swim with the hugemongous Whale Sharks; the most cost effective way to do this is to 1. Book ahead and 2. Book a package.

I can bundle up (sheesh sound like Telstra) your Whale Shark tour with accommodation / diving tours / car hire etc to get you the best value available! We pride ourselves on being Exmouths one-stop tour shop; where we’re able to give you an honest opinion on the various experiences / tour operators / accommodation available and can also assist you with general Exmouth enquiries.

PLease FREE CALL 1800 811 338 if you would like to start planning your trip and get some quotes etc and REMEMBER it’s ok to book an ‘OPEN’ ticket; and confirm the dates later!

Happy holidaying
Kat

We’ve just picked up a great article in the New Zealand Herald: Australia - Out of the Blue.

It was written by a journalist we took out on one of our Whale Shark Ecotours recently, and gives a clear picture of the experience.

We’re delighted to see the coverage, so thanks Paul. We’d also like to thank Steve Gibson for the photo that appears at the top of the article.

The whale shark season may be over, but the adventure continues.

Now’s the time of year when the water temperature over the Ningaloo Reef begins to rise steadily to a 30 degree crescendo in summer. This makes the Reef ideal for snorkellers - and there’s certainly plenty to see and even photograph in our beautiful clear water.

Some of the best spots are at Ningaloo Reef Retreat and Turquoise Bay, where the coral begins just 10 metres off the beach. As summer draws on, this is the place to be, with temperatures on this west side of the cape around 8 degrees cooler than in Exmouth, thanks partly to a refreshing sea breeze.

As well as colourful coral and sponge gardens, the list of fish goes on and on - parrot fish, sea stars, humbugs, angel fish, clownfish, butterflyfish, surgeons and anemones. Patient snorkellers regularly spot huge lazy turtles, who can be seen heaving themselves up the beach to lay their eggs from November.

There are fantastic drift snorkels in both the Retreat and Turquoise Bay, and the Retreat has sea kayaks available for those who want to paddle further out to an area known as Blue Lagoon. Snorkelling and sea kayaking at the Retreat must be booked ahead. I recommend a full day tour that includes Turquoise Bay too.

Another good option is the Ningaloo Coral Explorer II - a glass bottom vessel that shows off the Ningaloo coral and has snorkelling options for those who want to get a closer look.

You can be sure of some stunning tropical fish on this tour, and their guests often spot manta rays, dugongs, dolphins, turtles and reef sharks too.

These are both great tour operators and I’d be happy to organise a snorkel for you. Contact me for further info.