Whale Sharks

After leaving Raja Ampat, we stopped in West Papua waters to observe whale sharks. These are the world’s largest fish (whales are mammals) that can weigh 40,000 lbs. The average is 32′ long and weighs 20,000 lbs. Though they have small teeth, they don’t use them as they are filter feeders. Fishermen feed them a fish soup (chum) to keep them away from their nets, which allowed us to snorkel up close and personal. It’s hard to describe – take a look at the sort video below to get a sense of it.