Hobox Island (Hobosh) is famous for the whale sharks. Our guide said that 5,10 years ago there were a lot more but because of the boats, the number has gone down. But still, there are a lot. Just not yesterday, he said, maybe because of the storm, they had all submerged. At any rate, there was just one to be found and about 12 boats trailing it in a circle. In a circle because we were all lining up to take turns jumping in the water to swim next to the whale shark. There´s only supposed to be two people in the water at once with the shark, and you´re supposed to be two meters away, but because of the amusement-park style atmosphere, get in , get on, get out- the people in the water overlapped, so that sometimes 6 or 8 people flanked the shark. I fell on top of him once, the guide pushing at me from the right prevented me from getting some distance between me and the animal. And everyone was pushing to get closer anyway. "Try to keep up with him as long as possible", some people would say. I didn´t understand why swimming right next to his head would make it a better experience, as opposed to a little farther away so you could see everything.
With the press of people, the guide´s pushing and pulling, craning my head to see or to avoid other snorkeler´s flippers, swallowing saltwater when craning my head, I can´t say my mind was completely one with the whale shark´s. His-Her bead eyes didn´t seem to show any recognition of us either. That´s fine. I guess she wasn´t annoyed, visibly- but she was at the surface to look for food. Surely all the boats and people were interfering with that? And we could all barely breath with all the engine fumes. Surely that interfered with her environment as well?
So, I say this is a sham. Invasive and disrespectful. What was I expecting? To observe the biggest fish in the sea in it´s natural environment. To feel the power of the natural world. Something like that. Instead, I see how thoughtless we can be as humans.
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