Whale Sharks in Australia

What do I know about sharks?

Well, I know a little bit about sharks. I’ve swam with them, I’ve seen them, and I’ve surfed with them.

Yeah, I know them a little bit!

I traveled around Australia back in 1995 for a few months backpacking my way through the center of Aussie, hitting the Northern Territory and going West back down the coast all the way back to Perth, Western Australia.

On my journey, I stopped in Exmouth, Western Australia where I had the amazing opportunity to swim with whale sharks out past the reef.

A helicopter would relay the coordinates of the whale sharks they spotted to our diving boat and we’d get there as quickly as possible to be dropped off right in front of their path.

They typically swim slow enough for you to be able to keep up with them for a while, then they’ll delve into the dark, deep waters off the coast when they’ve had enough of us or swim much faster to get ahead.

These creatures are larger than a bus! What a life-changing experience to feel so very small and insignificant to this Ocean Animal!

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Orectolobiformes
Family: Rhincodontidae
Genus: Rhincodon
Species: R. typus

Conservation Status:
This is considered to be a vulnerable species for endangerment!

Amazing creatures and I do hope that one day, you’ll get to see one in the wild too!

***

I hope you enjoyed this Shark Week post on Exotic Animal Lover! Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. Let your kids get interactive with whale sharks by surprising them with these 2 figurines:

Safari 210602 Whale Shark Animal Figure- Pack of 2 stunning scale model ocean replicas expertly sculpted with the collaboration of the scientists of the monterey bay aquarium in monterey, california. this unique colletion of ocean creatures are found in the waters off the coast of the half moon bay which is where the aquarium is located. it is approximately 100 miles south of san francisco. the mission of the aquarium is to foster ocean conservation and protect it and its sea dwellers throughout the world. safari shares this commitment with them. each replica is finely hand painted and accurate down to the last scale. educational information in five languages provides excellent data to help teach children about these mysteries of the deep. all our products are phthalate-free and thoroughly safety tested to safeguard your child’s health. safari ltd takes pride in providing breathtaking, innovative and value priced figures for now over three generations. featured is our monterey bay whale shark size: 10″ l x 2.5″ h (25.5 x 6.5 cm). suggested age 3 and up

Technorati Tags: fish, Australian animals, sharks, whale sharks, Exmouth Australia, Australia, Exmouth, whale shark diving, whale shark spotting, whale shark swimming, whale shark snorkeling, snorkeling, shark week

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