Whale Shark Visits Rocket Frog Diving in Costa Rica!
Article written by Jessica Vyvyan Robinson of ScubaDiveTourism.com
Costa Rica’s Gulf de Papagayo is an area known specifically for its abundant marine life; a place where constantly fluctuating sea conditions have created an incredibly diverse ocean ecosystem that always has the potential to surprise. Our dive shop’s location in Guanacaste province’s idyllic Playa Ocotal gives us easy access to the Gulf’s many unique dive sites, from thriving inshore reefs to world-class diving at the Bat and Catalina Islands. Guanacaste diving is consistently both exciting and addictive, primarily because you never know what new sightings a day’s diving might yield- from manta rays to resident populations of bull sharks, the possibilities are endless. Recently, we have been enjoying repetitive encounters with a visiting whale shark, a rare and thrilling sight that has kept divers enthralled for the past fortnight. Although many places in the world offer whale shark snorkelling, to swim side-by-side with one of these ocean giants on scuba is a unique privilege. Fortunately, our new friend seems to enjoy our company as much as we enjoy his, coming within metres of our divers and returning again and again to grace us with his presence.
Finding yourself in the presence of a whale shark for the first time is an experience like no other. Their size alone is astounding, perhaps predictably for an animal that holds the title as the world’s largest fish. Although the biggest specimen on record boasts a length of over 12.5 metres, unconfirmed reports suggest that the whale shark may reach staggering proportions of up to 18 metres. Despite their size, whale sharks are characterised by their docile, sedate nature- a fact that has earned them a reputation as the gentle giant of the sea. They propel themselves through the water with almost imperceptible movements of their pectoral and caudal fins, making them seem lethargic despite their ability to cover impressive distances with little effort. Above all, they are captivatingly beautiful, their polka-dot skin refracting prisms of filtered sunlight as they move with infinite grace through the blue expanse of the ocean.
Whale sharks are drawn to the Gulf de Papagayo by seasonal blooms of plankton, which form the basis of their diet. They are filter feeders, siphoning their food from vast quantities of water which they draw into their mouths and then expel through their gills. Plankton typically drifts along the surface of the sea, and as a result whale sharks spend a lot of their time in the upper section of the water column, which is typically where we encounter them. Although their mouths are formidably huge, their throats are tiny- meaning that divers need not worry about being accidentally swallowed. Whale sharks are found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide, often segregating themselves according to gender so that populations are commonly made up predominantly of either males or females. Despite many research initiatives dedicated to the species, very little is known about their reproductive habits. However, the capture of a pregnant female in 1996 proved that they are ovoviviparous, meaning that the females produce eggs that hatch internally resulting in live-born pups. The estimated lifespan of a whale shark is around seventy years.
Although these sharks are docile and pose no intentional threat to divers or snorkelers, we encourage our clients to maintain a respectful distance from them in the water at all times. By doing so, we can continue to encounter these magnificent animals without putting either ourselves or the whale sharks at risk. Divers that get too close not only put themselves in the way of the shark’s deceptively powerful tail fin, but may also cause the whale shark unnecessary stress. Touching is prohibited, because doing so can make the sharks more susceptible to disease. Due to their incongruously small eyes, whale sharks have a considerable blind-spot in front of them that divers should do their utmost to avoid, never swimming directly in front of the shark where it is unable to see them. By treating our whale sharks with respect, we increase the chances of them staying longer in our waters- enabling more people to enjoy a meaningful, rewarding encounter with them. Sadly, like most shark species whale sharks are a target of the Asian shark fin trade and are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
It is impossible to know for certain how long the whale shark that we’ve been seeing for the past two weeks will stay in the area. Hopefully, the conditions that drew him to our waters will bring others in his wake. In the meantime, we are making the most of this amazing opportunity to spend time with one of the ocean’s most spectacular creatures.
Photo of whale shark originally found here.
Article written by Jessica Vyvyan Robinson of ScubaDiveTourism.com
