Listening to the radio reports on the way over, I thought there was no way it would still be there by the time we got there. I must be living right or something, because as we approached (there were 5 small boats there), I saw a fin, we got closer and our videographer and I slid into the water. A few kicks, and there she was. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I'm told it was about 30' long - I was so mesmerized, I couldn't tell you the length, it was just big!. And beautiful!
I snorkeled right over to her and met her (?) at about 1/2 her body length. I swam along besider her until she passed me by. I followed and she turned so I caught up to her again. Then she was gone. Everyone on the boat was watching and after a couple of minutes were yelling that she had turned around and was coming back toward us. I was looking back at the boat yelling where?, where?, when someone said "just put your face in the water!!" I turned around, looked down, and I swear, she was coming straight for me, not 10' from me. I was staring face to face with a whale shark. She swam right past me. I reached out and touched her side. I swam with her as far as I could, I got to see her completely from one end to the other. Magical, amazing, there aren't words adequate to describe those few short minutes. But I know it's something I will never forget. And it was right here in my backyard. What a weekend, it's going to be hard to top that. Night diving, the Oriskany with amazing viz, an old favorite wreck, and then a whaleshark. You just can't ask for more than that.
