It saddens me that such gentle creatures could have been subjected to the brutal forces of human fishing practices.

The Basking Shark is the 2nd largest shark in the ocean; under that of the Whale Shark. The Whale Shark is also on the endangered species list – once again mainly due to commercial fishing practices which were rife through third world countries. Thankfully with the combined effort of researchers and passionate individuals many of these countries have now banned the commercial fishing for Whale Shark. Our industry here in Australia; have been the leaders of Eco Tourism with Whale Sharks and have been used as an example to teach these other countries that a Whale Shark is more valuable to the countries economy alive rather than dead.

The Whale Shark unlike the basking shark were mainly killed for food; their meat being referred to as ‘Tofu Meat’ due to it’s tender white texture. The article that I refer to here – suggests the primary reason for the slaughter of thousands of Basking Sharks was primarily because they were classified as ‘pests’ by the commercial fishing industry – due to their large size they were often caught up in nets which were set out for salmon. The article also says the main way they would kill the sharks was with a blade fastened to the front of the boats hull – where they would senslessly cut them in half.

Other marine life were also targets; such as seals, sea lions, black bears, mergansers, and kingfishers.

Thankfully humans are becoming more aware – the only question now is – is it too late?

It is a really interesting article – you can go here to read it.

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/519239

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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

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.