Over four years of saving money to make her dream come true and go and work with whale sharks... She spent four weeks there, but didn't see a single one! On her very last day, she went on an ocean safari, for her very last chance to see one before leaving... they spotted one from the boat!! Everybody geared up and they jumped in the water (it was on the other side of the boat), but as soon as she did, one of her fins came off!! Everybody swam towards the shark, and she had to swim in the opposite direction, to try and find the lost fin, in the hopes that the animal would still be there when she came back! She wasn't looking at them; she just wanted to put her fin back on as quickly as possible, but her camera was still recording... and she I finally looked, she got an amazing surprise: the whale shark was actually swimming straight towards her!! It took a very long time, but it was totally worth it!

The Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish species in the world, reaching 10 meters in length, and weighing 9 tons! But in spite of its impressive size, the whale shark is a filter feeder, which means that it only eats plankton, and it is harmless to us.

It is the sole species in the Rhincodon genus, and the only member of the Rhincodontidae family, although it shares the Orectolobiformes order with a diverse group of sharks from all over the world, including the 30 cm long Barbelthroat Carpet Shark (Cirrhoscyllium expolitum), with a total of 43 species.

Whale Sharks are endangered, and major threats include fisheries catches, bycatch in nets, and boat strikes. Unfortunately, recent studies show that Whale Shark fins are now demanding high prices, which should result in increased targeting.