Whale of a Time

I have today booked something for which many might question my sanity. The Husband and I are going to swim with whale sharks. Yes, actual sharks. And not only sharks but the biggest sharks in the world. You may wonder why a girl who is afraid of everything, both in and out of the water, is paying (and paying a lot – I guess it must be the insurance they need to cover themselves in case we end up as fish food) to seek out and willingly jump into the sea with a shark. In fact, just typing that has made me wonder too. What am I doing?? But no, calm down Emily, you know exactly what you’re doing – you’re embarking on the experience of a lifetime. An opportunity to swim with a giant of the sea, to get up close and personal with one of nature’s most majestic creatures. Or so I keep telling myself. These creatures can reach up to eighteen metres in length, can weigh over twenty tons, and possess hundreds of sharp teeth. I have been assured, however, that they are docile and rarely use their tiny, albeit sharp, teeth, preferring instead to suck their food up into their cavernous mouths like a vacuum - an easy enough job when their main food source is plankton. According to the websites – and I visited A LOT, believe me – whale sharks are completely harmless to humans. Unless, I suppose, one unintentionally whacks you with its gigantic tail fin. As long as you keep a few metres between you and it, you should be fine. So I am going to be brave, I am going to put all my fears to one side, and I am going to jump into the sea with an animal that will make me look like an ant. And I am going to love it. I hope.