Behind the Scenes of a Whale Shark Tour: The Teamwork Behind Every Encounter
40 minutes ago
5 min read
There's a moment on a Whale Shark tour when everything seems to happen at once.
The crew are calling for swimmers to get ready, fins are going on, masks are being adjusted and ten very excited guests are making their way towards the back of the boat.
Then comes the call from the skipper.
And suddenly, you're in the water, watching the world's largest fish glide past.
For our guests, it's a moment they'll probably remember for the rest of their lives.
But what they might not realise is just how much has happened behind the scenes to make that moment possible.
The Day Begins Long Before the First Whale Shark
Before our guests even arrive, there's plenty happening aboard Latitude 22.
Our crew are preparing snorkelling equipment, checking safety gear, organising food, reviewing the weather and making sure everything is ready for the day ahead.
Meanwhile, our skipper is assessing the conditions. Wind, swell, tides and visibility can all influence where we go and how the day unfolds.
No two days on Ningaloo are ever quite the same, and that's something our team has learned to embrace.
By the time our guests step aboard, a lot of the planning and preparation is already complete.
A Different Perspective From Above
One of the most important members of our Whale Shark team isn't actually on the boat.
They're in the sky.
Our sister company, Birds Eye View Ningaloo, provides the spotter aircraft that helps us locate Whale Sharks along the Ningaloo Reef.
From above, the pilot has an incredible perspective of the ocean, searching for the unmistakable shape and movement of a Whale Shark beneath the surface.
Once an animal is located, the pilot communicates with our skipper, helping guide Latitude 22 towards its position.
But finding a Whale Shark is only the beginning.
The skipper still needs to assess the conditions, the animal's direction of travel and the safest way to position the vessel for an encounter.
It's a constant conversation between the air and the sea.
And when everything comes together, it's pretty special.
Ten Swimmers, One Whale Shark and a Lot of Coordination
The best Whale Shark swims are often the ones where guests don't notice a thing happening behind the scenes. You might have multiple radios going at once, talking to other skippers and your spotter pilot, while keeping an eye on the Whale Shark, positioning the boat and making sure your crew are ready for the next drop. There's a lot of pressure to get everything lined up just right, but that's the whole point. When it all runs like clockwork and you've made something quite complicated look effortless, you know you've had a good day.
— Jimmy, Ocean Eco Adventures
While the aircraft is searching, our crew are busy preparing guests for what happens next.
Every swimmer needs to understand how to enter the water, where to position themselves and how to behave around the animal.
For Whale Shark encounters, we divide our swimmers into two groups of ten, each accompanied by an experienced guide.
Once a Whale Shark is located and the skipper has assessed the approach, things can move surprisingly quickly.
The vessel is positioned, the engines are placed in neutral and the first group enters the water.
The guide helps everyone get into position, while keeping a close eye on the Whale Shark's movements and the swimmers around them.
Meanwhile, back onboard, the crew are already preparing for the next group.
It's a carefully coordinated process involving the skipper, guides, deck crew, photographer and spotter pilot.
And although it might look effortless from the outside, there's a lot of experience behind every decision.
Every Whale Shark Is Different
One of the things our crew love most about working with Whale Sharks is that every animal has its own way of moving through the water.
Some swim slowly and steadily, giving everyone time to settle into the encounter.
Others have somewhere to be!
Our skipper and guides are constantly observing the animal's behaviour and adjusting the interaction accordingly.
Sometimes that means repositioning for another swim. Other times, it means simply letting the animal continue on its way.
We never know exactly how many encounters a day will bring, or how long each one will last.
And that's the beauty of working with completely wild animals.
They set the pace. We work around them.
It's Not Just About Finding the Whale Shark
While Whale Sharks are undoubtedly the stars of the show, there's another side to the day that guests don't always see.
Our crew are constantly working to make the entire experience run smoothly.
There's equipment to manage, guests to assist, food to prepare, photographs to capture and plenty of questions to answer.
Our photographers have a particularly challenging job. They're not only capturing those incredible underwater Whale Shark moments, but also documenting the little things that make each day different.
The excitement before the first swim.
The smiles when everyone climbs back onboard.
A turtle appearing during a reef snorkel.
Or the moment someone realises they've just done something they never thought they'd be brave enough to try.
Those are the memories we want people to take home too.
The Part That Makes It All Worthwhile
Ask anyone who's worked a Whale Shark season and they'll tell you that the days can be long.
There are early starts, constantly changing conditions and plenty of hard work happening behind the scenes.
But then there's that moment.
The moment a guest climbs back onboard after their first Whale Shark swim, pulls off their mask and can't quite find the words to describe what they've just seen.
Sometimes they're laughing. Sometimes they're crying. Sometimes they're completely speechless.
And even after hundreds of encounters, those reactions never really get old.
Because while our crew might be lucky enough to experience Ningaloo every day, we never forget that for many of our guests, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
And being part of making that happen?
That's a pretty incredible way to spend a day at work.
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