MUST SEE: Divers capture first ever whale shark encounter on film
Published Thursday 7 July 2016
“I looked up and it just went dark above me. There was this huge figure and I was like, oh my god, it’s a Megalodon!”
Those are the words of budding documentary filmmaker Jack Strickland, who along with friend Adam Stern had the experience of a lifetime yesterday while diving at Fin Reef near Cairns. Although the massive figure he speaks of wasn’t the mythical Megalodon, but a 6m juvenile whale shark.
It’s believed to be the first encounter ever captured on film of a human swimming with the animal in Far North Queensland, which are gathering on mass off the Great Barrier Reef and are the current subject of research undertaken by the Run for the Reef research fund.
“We were just doing a bit of spearfishing and cruising along and I was checking for some coral trout, and out of the corner of my eye I saw this gigantic dark figure,” Stern said.
“Once I knew it was a whale shark I just started making a lot of noise in the water and just couldn’t believe what I was witnessing."
Stern is the Australian free dive champion and has swum with almost every species of shark, but never a juvenile whale shark; and never for 30 minutes.
Strickland was 20m below the surface looking for fish, when he heard a loud groan coming from Stern above. He looked up and was engulfed in darkness by the sheer size of the whale.
“It took by breath away,” he said.
At first the pair kept their distance, but slowly both man and fish were drawn to each other.
“We wanted to give it heaps of space but it kept swimming closer and closer to us,” Stern explained.
“When we realised it was quite friendly and comfortable with us we started swimming alongside it, and eventually touched it.
“I know you’re not supposed to do that but we just couldn’t help ourselves, we got caught up in the moment.”
The encounter comes at a time when funding efforts are being increased into why whale sharks are migrating to the Great Barrier Reef.
The 2016 Run for the Reef marathon is raising funds for James Cook University to conduct Whale Shark Research and has been funded by both the State and Federal Governments.
The funds raised at the event will enable research into the significant adolescent gatherings of Whale Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef, and could unlock some of the great unknowns with regard to the importance the Reef plays as a sanctuary to iconic species.
“Our events aim to increase awareness of this magnificent creature,” Run for the Reef director Sam Cullen said.
“Whale Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef will provide a whole new tourism experience and attract worldwide interest. What Adam and Jack have experienced with this animal just shows there is so much more to learn about them.”
Strickland is currently working on his upcoming TV documentary series Back to Basics, which will follow he and other free divers and spear fisherman on a major cable network.
