Whale Shark Appears Out Of Nowhere In Front Of A Swimmer

When this guy goes underwater for a swim he gets the surprise of a lifetime! After diving into the cold waters, he has no idea what is swimming directly beside him until he goes under the surface. A huge whale shark is heading right for him and they come face to face in a breathtaking moment that this diver will never forget.

This video takes place in Cebu, a long and narrow island of the Philippines, stretching 196 kilometres from north to south and only 32 kilometres from east to west. The island is famous for whale sharks; so many people have fed them throughout the years, resulting in many pods of whale sharks deciding to move their home close to the shore. But these fish, as big and scary as they look, don't eat people. They only eat smaller fish and krill.

As a matter of fact, the island has begun seeing a huge increase of tourism, with many companies sprouting up to offer whale shark tours, feedings and even the opportunities to come and swim with these giant whales. Tourists come from all over the world for this unique experience and pay a top dollar for it.

Luckily for this guy, these whales have become friendly and domesticated over the years. The whale calmly swims beside the diver with no fear whatsoever. The diver on the other hand seems a little shaken and starts to swim backwards away from the giant water beast that is coming straight to him. He gets stuck between another diver and the whale shark and he is almost pushed right on top of the fish. It is scary moment watching this video and we can only imagine what was going through the diver’s mind in that moment!

Whale sharks are very slow moving whales that are considered filter feeding carpet sharks. They are the largest known extant fish species with the largest whale on record coming in at 41.5 feet and weighing 47,000 pounds. They are typically found in the open waters of tropical oceans where the waters are warm. They do not like chilly waters and you will rarely see them in areas where the water temperatures are below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The whales thrive here in Cebu, there the weather is always warm and humid and the water temperatures are nice and balmy.

These giant fish feed only on plankton and other small fish by opening their extremely large mouths and filter water through, catching the fish for food. They pose absolutely no threat to humans whatsoever, making them perfectly safe to swim with. They can be found all over the island of Cebu, looking for divers and tourists to swim with and entertain. They tend to travel together in gatherings. The largest gathering recorded was off the Yucatan coast, with more than 400 whale sharks swimming together in 2011. This area is the most consistent area to see whale sharks, mainly between the months of May and September.

Would you be courageous enough to swim with these large fish?