Today was everything we could have hoped for….we hoped for clear skies, we hoped for low winds and we hoped for clear waters. Most of all we hoped for a single whale shark to be in our vicinity while outside the reef on our cruise – and we were granted all wishes. I have been up for 18 hours and am still buzzing…

We had an early start with pickup at sunrise ready for the day. Once on the boat with our inductions completed we headed out. First stop was a quick snorkel on the reef (which was really just to make sure we could actually swim), then out past the reef to find some whale sharks.

The cruising companies use planes to spot the sharks and guide the boats in. After not too long our first call came in. Then it was a mad frenzy to get flippers, goggles and snorkels on before sliding into the water. There are so many rules about swimming with whale sharks (which is a good thing)…. no more than 10 people swimming with one at a time, minimum separations from different parts of its body. But I have to say those rules are hard to remember while these majestic creatures are passing by. Luckily we had excellent cruise hosts that took care of the logistics for us. If the day had ended after our first swim with them I would have been a happy girl, but the sightings just kept happening. All up we saw 4 sharks over 7 swims. I will always remember the skipper calling from the deck above ‘GO GO GO’ and we sat in rows in the boat and slid into the water. It was a complete adrenaline rush. Such an incredible time. A life experience….

I do expect to be sore all over tomorrow when I wake up, but it will be worth every sore muscle. Luckily I have been training for self propelled entries into boats/kayaks since new year (thanks Tani 🙂 ).

Once our cruise had hogged the sightings enough it was time to head back to the reef and let some of the other tours have their time with the sharks. We had a great lunch on board before some time snorkelling amongst the coral and fish. It was still very sobering to see the amount of bleaching of the coral. There were still a few areas of colour so hopefully it will recover with the cooler water temps over the coming months. Excitingly, Bob saw an octopus just before we got called back to the boat.

There was a professional photographer on board, and we get the photos from her tomorrow, so expect some way better photos from her in tomorrow’s instalment, but for now you have to make do with mine.

After arriving back to the vans it was time for Jason’s tour experience. Each of us is required to pick an experience for us all during the trip. Tonight it was drinks at happy hour at Froth, followed by an exceptional pizza dinner at Whalebone. Live music, great company, a fabulous day to reminisce and a really lovely rustic location all topped out a day I will remember for a long time.