Whale Shark on the 4th in Panama City

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Pat, you do not have to explain yourself to anybody. They are not worthy.

Dunno if riding a Whale Shark is harrassment or not, but I've got enough sense to enjoy it without touching it.

You aren't the person to judge who's worthy or not, quit being an asshat.




Just for the sake of internet shinanigans

 

[MRXRAY]

I for one think that it was a once in a life time experience and you were all very fortunate to be a part of it. And I thank you for sharing the pictures, the video, and experience, as for the rest......I'll let it be.

 

[jdwa]

I wish I'd been there. If so, I'd have gone for a "ride" too. And I'd go diving with Pat anytime.

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

I have done a few whale shark expeditions with the Shark Research Institute. In these cases, we were working with young whale sharks about 25' in length. The standard code of practice was limited contact with the animal. It is frowned upon to hold the fins of any shark. In the case of the whale shark, it does disrupt feeding and the shark many times will dive down to get away. What you will find, that if you just swim with the shark, it will actually enjoy your contact and stay with you longer. They do like to be stroked. If at any time the shark rolls, it is a defensive maneuver. It is advisable to break off contact at that time.

I am happy you got to see the whale shark. If you have photos of the left side, which it looks like you have, please forward them to the SRI. We use the spots near the left side gill slits as the sharks "fingerprint". It would be great to see if this is a shark that has been catalogued. Also, include the heigth of the diver and the length of their fins. This will help with estimates of the shark's size.

Shark Research Institute- Contact

I am glad you had a good encounter. They are amazing creatures. Whale sharks are endangered though since they are still being fished. Even though there is a ban on their fishing in most countries, we are seeing numbers in decline in some areas due to the fact that they are migratory and tend to leave protected waters.

Carolyn:shark2:

 

[YiNYaNg]

WoW near PC. I wish I could of been there to swim with it :doh2:

 

[heavyjeffd]

I for one think that it was a once in a life time experience and you were all very fortunate to be a part of it. And I thank you for sharing the pictures, the video, and experience, as for the rest......I'll let it be.

Agreed 100%.