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Seychelles: Sitting on the boat, legs hanging over the side staring into abyss that is the Indian Ocean I and a group of divers from the Emirates Diving Association follow the shadow of the skylight above, dancing on the surface of the ocean.
With the Seychelles Island of Mahe for a backdrop, we travelled here in 2006 to join a team of experts from the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles, to tag whale sharks as they migrate up the Indian Ocean.
The motor of the skylight, a tiny one man flying machine, is a distant sound above. We are waiting. Waiting for the spotter to radio down to the boat captain and chief tagger that a whale shark is surfacing. Anticipation is high amongst the team.
The boat will follow directions, trying to keep up with the whale sharks as they are seen from the air, shadows looming below the surface of the water.
Relatively little is known about whale sharks so tagging them has become a vital way to learn about them in their natural habitats. The Seychelles Whale Shark Monitoring programme has been running since 1996 with the principal aim of revealing the habits of these remarkable sharks and promoting their conservation both locally and internationally.
The tagging programme also allows visitors an unrivaled opportunity to swim with whale sharks and assist in their conservation.
David Rowat, director of the Underwater Centre Seychelles which runs the whale shark tagging programme with the MCSS said sightings of a 'black sea monster' date back to 1768 since the Seychelles were inhabited. Fifty years later a white spotted shark was caught and the catch recorded in diaries.
Monitoring programme
"The shark was caught and sliced open. Thirty-nine live baby whale sharks were found inside. This was the first recording that whale sharks give birth to live young but it wasn't confirmed until 1977 through research," said Rowat.
The monitoring programme relies on being able to identify individual whale sharks and then record their activities and movements by subsequent re-sightings. This gives an indication of the number of sharks around the islands and also what they are doing and where they go.
Despite their size, whale sharks are incredibly swift and powerful under water capable of surfacing or disappearing back to the depths just as quickly. As a result MCSS's efforts, the Government of Seychelles has declared the shark a protected species in Seychelles territorial waters.
As the boat slows down we start to get ready, putting on masks and snorkles. We are getting close. "Two hundred metres," the voice says over the radio. Only four people at a time will jump into the water when we are close enough to not startle the world's biggest fish.
Rowat is clear about the instructions. The animal must be respected at all times and we are not to touch it or approach it from the front. Precautions too are issued. Mind out for the tail as it steers the whale shark and is extremely strong.
The tag is a numbered luminous yellow 'aquasign' made of soft silicon rubber which makes it impossible for barnacles to grip. The tag is attached to the shark's back with a long pole and literally poked into the skin.
Annually, Rowat said, he tags 25 whale sharks with the help of a microlight, which does an aerial survey to track the sharks. Boat surveys were completely unfruitful in the beginning reporting no sightings yet the first aerial survey spotted 11 whale sharks in the same week.
Fifty metres, and then ten. "Go!" shouts Rowat and suddenly we slip into the water off the side of the boat. For a few minutes eyes search frantically below the water for the gentle giant, legs beating frantically, and then there it is! Huge!
It swims casually as if we are not there. Mouth gaping occasionally feeding off the plankton in the water. Ramora fish stick to its underside. We beat our legs faster, and then it turns and starts to descend.
We board the boat and again we wait for instructions over and over until we see about three more whale sharks. Breathtaking!
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