Swim with Whale Sharks

“I instantly was surrounded by three of them! People on a nearby boat giggled at my realization when they heard me shriek into my snorkel again. Curious, but respectful, I cautiously reached out and touched the gentle giant just twelve inches away from my outstretched hand. The skin felt like the texture of wet cement. At that moment the shark loomed before me as if it were my whole world. The shark, unfazed, continued to feed as if I did not exist.”

“After a 20-minute ride to the edge of the bay, our captain stopped the motor and pointed out a few feet to starboard. There it was, a gigantic whale shark! My heart was pounding! We took some photos, and quickly threw on our snorkeling gear, and one by one, we quietly slipped into the water. I was the last one in. As I adjusted my mask, the captain stood above me and pointed down. I shrieked into my snorkel with both fear and delight as the huge whale shark serenely swam just two feet below me.”

“We jumped flippers-first into the Sea of Cortez. Our mission: swim with whale sharks, the largest fish on earth, sustainably. The sea engulfed me. I saw blue and an instant later—that massive mouth coming for me like something out of a VR headset. Only real. [...] Kidding. I’m not dead. Truth is, I’ve never felt more alive.”