Swim with Giants: Top Dive Spots for Whale Sharks

If you have ever thought about diving or swimming with whale sharks then check out these best places to see Whale Sharks around the world! A list of multiple locations such as Oslob, Cebu – Similan Islands, Thailand, – Cancun, Mexico, and more! Check off the bucket list item and swim with whale sharks.

Diving with Whale Sharks should be on every divers bucket list. Therefore it is important to know where to dive with whale sharks. These gentle giants, while being partially named “shark” is actually a fish. This slow moving fish is the largest, and only living member of the Rhincodontidae species. Whale sharks can range in size from 18 ft to 36 ft and weigh up to 20 tons.

Where to Dive with Whale Sharks

The migration area of these gentle giants is large and can vary from Asia to Australia, and off the coast of Mexico. These large fish can be typically found anywhere between latitudes of 30° N to 35° S. This means finding where to dive with whale sharks offers a lot of travel variety. Numerous locations across the globe offer diving, or snorkelling, sites with whale sharks. It really comes down to making sure that you come during the right season!

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Check out the above diagram that shows the timeline of when whale sharks are most likely to be seen at each of the below-listed locations. According to reports, you are most likely to find whale sharks at Maldives year round! So if you are a bit more free with planning travel then that is a good option to check off this bucket list item.

While there are numerous locations to find whale sharks it is not in any way guaranteed. Whale Sharks are still wild, and under no circumstances on a leash or working a contract with a dive shop! However, your odds are improved by traveling during the recommended above time periods. So let’s move on to each of the locations that are recommended for diving with whale sharks.

Learn more about these fabulous creatures at the National Geographic.

How to Dive with Whale Sharks

Before we dive into where to swim and dive with these majestic creatures, we will lay down some ground rules. While I am all for people swimming and diving with whale sharks – and I think everyone should have the opportunity to – I do think there are positive ways to do such without interfering with the animal.

Please consider these ground rules, and looking for ethical whale shark encounters. This list includes how you should be acting when swimming with whale sharks as well!

What Not to Do

Here are some basic rules to keep in mind to ensure that your diving/swimming with whale sharks remains ethical.

• Do not touch the whale shark
  • I think we have all seen the photos of divers/free divers holding onto a whale shark. It’s wrong, do not do it. The diving community is strongly against any sort of touching of wildlife. If you want to become insta-famous and avoid backlash then take photos of the whale shark, or you in the proximity of the whale shark, but not touching the whale shark!
• Do not chase the whale shark
  • Don’t chase after the whale shark for photography purposes. Chasing them is most likely going to lead the whale shark to swim away (then you really won’t get the picture!) The whale sharks are typically curious creatures, and as long as you are not behaving oddly – such as chasing them – the whale shark may come over to check you out!

What To Do

• Keep your distance
  • Do not stress the animal out – this kind of goes with the chasing no-no
• Remain calm.
  • In my experience, if you just stay where you are more than likely the whale shark will come to check you out. They are curious creatures! During my whale shark encounter, two of the whale sharks swam through our respirator bubbles and another bumped into a snorkeler on the surface because it was curious what they were.

Dispelling Rumors

• Whale sharks can eat divers/snorkelers/ swimmers
  • No. As stated previously, while their name contains the word “shark” the whale shark is actually just a large fish that feeds on krill. While their mouths are large, their throat is approximately the size of a quarter.
  • However, this doesn’t mean you should aggravate a whale shark by touching it or getting near its mouth. Supposedly there is a video of a whale shark sucking in a swimmer that was bothering it – just to spit them out after being aggravated by them – but I have not personally seen it.  However, just more encouragement to not touch or interfere with the animal.

Ethical Whale Shark Encounters

I think it is completely acceptable to want to encounter these gentle giants in the ocean. But, there are ethical ways to do.

Swimming, snorkelling, and diving with whale sharks have become quite a popular tourist attraction, and unfortunately, that means companies have been behaving other than ethically to secure their cash flow and to guarantee whale sharks.

When looking at a whale shark encounter tour, dive shop, snorkel excursion make sure that the company does not do any of these:

• Baiting: Baiting is when the company will put food out in the water to attract the whale sharks. You will see this with normal sharks as well. Ultimately, this is harmful as it is teaching whale sharks to become reliant on human interaction for food. There have been more horror stories involving normal sharks biting people when there was no more food. Ultimately, baiting teaches the whale sharks the wrong thing. Plus, just happening to find a whale shark minding its own business in its natural environment is far more rewarding than one that is there to be fed.
• Touching: It was discussed during the what to do and not do with whale sharks, but if a company is even remotely open to the idea of people touching the whale shark, hanging onto the fins, or anything of that sort, then I would argue they are not an ethical company. As with the argument against baiting, we are here to observe the whale shark in their natural environment, not grab on for a ride or for a photo opportunity.

Whale Shark Photo Opportunities

The photos I was able to obtain were during a normal dive operation where there just happened to be whale sharks. We didn’t bait them, didn’t chase them. Actually, the whale sharks approached us because of curiosity which allowed me to get some of the great front shots of them as the whale sharks swam towards and around us.

My theory is that whale sharks see a bunch of “animals” in the water, and see the air bubbles from the respirators, and thinks that the divers are animals feeding on plankton – therefore wants in on the action. One of the photos further down in this post is a whale shark attempting to feed on the bubbles from a diver.

This just proves that you can have amazing encounters without baiting, or touching the whale sharks.

So without further ado here is where you can dive with whale sharks:

1. Similan Islands, Thailand

Of course, my first recommendation is going to be where I dove with Whale Sharks, the Similan Islands! I did some research and discovered the Whale Sharks frequent there in March and April. I managed to visit during the April time frame and was not disappointed! The whale sharks are most commonly found around Richelieu Rock and most liveaboards will anchor there. During my four-day liveaboard trip, I had six different dives, with four different whale sharks. The liveaboard I took was out of Karon Beach and was lucky to dive with these magnificent creatures as there is never a guarantee.

Nearest Airport: Phuket International Airport

2. Chumphon / Koh Tao, Thailand

At the transition between North and South Thailand, Chumphon is located near one of the most popular destinations for Whale Shark Diving: Koh Tao, Thailand. Chumphon has its own airport: Chumphon Airport. Dive shops from this area will take divers to two popular whale shark dive spots: Southwest Pinnacle and Chumphon Pinnacle. You will have the option to stay either in Chumphon or move out to the popular dive island of Koh Tao. The Koh Tao/Chumphon area is one of the locations where diving with whale sharks is a possibility year round, but the best time to try and dive with these creatures is March / April / May (which is also outside of the Thailand rainy season), and October / November.

Nearest Airport: Phuket International Airport

3. Cebu, Philippines

At Cebu, you are likely to spot whale sharks near Malapascua Island and near Mactan Island. The southern part of Cebu, a town called Oslob, hit international fame due to the daily sightings of whale sharks. These sightings were due to the fact that local fishermen were using krill during baiting and therefore attracting whale sharks. However, the peak in tourism as this became an internet sensation has since created a poor environment for whale sharks. Since then it has become a way for a tourist to see whale sharks, but completely unregulated.

Overfeeding, and touching of the whale sharks have become an issue. While swimming/diving with a whale shark should be something everyone experiences it should be done in an ethical manner. Therefore, if looking to visit the Cebu area look into locations that offer ethical dives/snorkels with Whale Sharks (aka no feeding or touching). Look into the area of Donsol for more ethical whale shark interactions.

Pop back to the top of the page to read more about ethical whale shark encounters, so that we can protect this beautiful creature!

If you are looking for a better location to swim with whale sharks in the Philippines then read more about swimming with whale sharks at Pintuyan, Southern Leyte!

Nearest Airport: Mactan–Cebu International Airport

4. Gorontalo, Indonesia

Gorontola offers a whale shark viewing area so it is without surprise that you will be likely to dive with one here! Just 37 miles north of the equator, this area of Indonesia is another spot to dive with whale sharks. This location is said to be the most easily accessible one in Indonesia to whale sharks. However similar to Cebu area it is growing a bit out of control with improper whale shark interactions. The best time of year to dive with whale sharks here is December to May. Check out this dive shop which offers ethical whale shark dives.

Nearest Airport: Jalaluddin Airport

5. Ari Atoll, Southern Maldives

Straying a bit away here with a snorkelling trip! A lot of locations offer the chance to snorkel with whale sharks instead of diving with them. This is generally due to the boats can easily spot whale sharks coming near the surface and will race over and drop of the snorkelers near the whale shark to enjoy a swim. This can be easier than diving and chancing an encounter, however when it’s a bunch of boats chasing down whale sharks it can be very stressful for them.

Nearest Airport: Velana International Airport

6. Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

This is one of the most famous snorkelling spots for Whale Sharks. From April to July (prime time), this is one of the only locations where you can find whale sharks swimming in groups. Typically whale sharks are known to be solitary animals! For a trip here, a spotter plane is sent out ahead to navigate the boats to where the whale sharks are. From there, snorkelers are allowed in ten at a time which is great for the whale shark and for the snorkelers! Diving isn’t allowed with the whale sharks because it is believed to disturb the whale sharks too much.

Find out three different ways you can enjoy swimming with whale sharks in Ningaloo, Australia.

Nearest Airport: Learmonth Airport

7. Cancun, Mexico

So the Pacific and Oceanic region is not the only area where you can dive with whale sharks! Cancun, Mexico is just one of the few areas in the Americas where whale sharks can also be spotted. The whale sharks start arriving in May when the warm water starts coming into the Mexico and Caribbean region. Similar to Ningaloo there are restrictions on how many people can swim with a whale shark at a time.  Only 2 persons in the water at a time per guide in Cancun!

Check out more information on swimming with whale sharks in Mexico.

Nearest Airport: Cancun International Airport

Tracking Whale Sharks

The migratory patterns of whale sharks are still being researched and studied. You can assist in this research by submitting photos of the whale sharks you find on your trip. Fun fact: whale sharks can be identified by their spots! They are all different.

The Wildbook uses photographs of the skin patterning behind the gills of each shark, and any scars, to distinguish between individual animals. Cutting-edge software supports rapid identification using pattern recognition and photo management tools. You too can assist with whale shark research, by submitting photos and sighting data. The information you submit will be used in mark-recapture studies to help with the global conservation of this threatened species.

Upload your photos at this link to assist in the research!

In Summary on Where to Dive with Whale Sharks

This list is just a small compilation of some of the places where to dive with whale sharks. As mentioned in the beginning you can find them almost anywhere along the equator, wherever the warm water takes them! Just ensure thorough research when the whale sharks are more likely to be there. After that hope for the best!

Remember to keep the ethical whale shark tips in mind when swimming with them, and support the companies that follow these rules.