WHALE SHARKS – DR. SIMON PIERCE. WHALE SHARK RESEARCHER, MOZAMBIQUE

The Inhambane coastline is a world hotspot for encounters with Whale Sharks, the world’s largest fish. These sharks grow to enormous sizes (up to 20 m in length) but are completely harmless to humans as they feed solely upon zooplankton, tiny animals that drift along in ocean currents.

Whale Sharks are present in Inhambane waters year-round, with the largest numbers generally present during the spring and summer (approximately September through March). Sightings are concentrated in the region from Barra in the north to Paindane in the south, with the majority of operators running from Tofo Beach which is close to Inhambane city.

This coast is an important feeding area for juvenile sharks, with adults leaving the area for places unknown. Around 500 sharks have been identified from southern Mozambique since 2005, representing approximately 20% of the known global population of the species. An active research program is examining the biology and ecology of these threatened giants, with scientists from the Marine Megafauna Foundation (link to www.marinemegafauna.org) giving weekly presentations at Casa Barry Beach Lodge on whale shark research and other topics.

Most Whale Shark encounters take place on dedicated “Ocean Safari” snorkel trips that take swimmers of all levels out to see these friendly sharks on a daily basis.   The whale sharks themselves are often extremely interested in human swimmers and are great fun to swim with.

Whale Shark tourism in Mozambique is ecologically sustainable and is being closely monitored by independent biologists. Before each trip, swimmers are carefully briefed on how to best interact with the sharks. By following a few simple instructions, such as not touching the sharks and giving them the space to swim normally, swimmers can assure themselves of the best possible encounter and avoid any detrimental impacts on the sharks.