BajaNomad - Diving with Whale Sharks (caution: graphic)

Diving with Whale Sharks (caution: graphic)

Ken Cooke - 7-22-2011 at 09:41 PM

The dive took place near Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Mark Berman Opposing Views on Jul 21, 2011

The whale shark is a massive beast, the largest fish in the sea, that can grow to up to 40 feet -- more if you believe some legends. Amazingly, they are docile creatures who pose no danger to divers, unless of course they get in the way of their mouths while they are feeding. That's what almost happened to one diver off Mexico, and there are pictures to prove it.

According to the Daily Mail, photographer Mauricio Handler was taking photos of one shark while it fed on plankton, and captured a moment when a diver got a bit too close and almost got sucked into its giant mouth.

"On our last day I was taking a photograph of a whale and it ended up swimming at my photographer friend," Handler said ."They don't have very good eyesight but the diver managed to get out of the way. If he had have been sucked into the massive mouth the shark would have just spat him out."

Photo courtesy Mauricio Handler and www.handlerphoto.com

more photos: source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/whale-shark-swim-1311371866-sli...

Von - 7-23-2011 at 09:46 AM

Just saw this too interesting imagine that! GULP~lol! Hes a big one!

Ken Cooke - 7-23-2011 at 07:10 PM

From the shape of its' mouth, I thought the whale shark would be a bottom-feeder and harmless to man. I guess not. :!:

Ken Bondy - 7-23-2011 at 07:36 PM

Ken they are surface filter feeders, krill, small fish, plankton. Their diet is similar to manta and mobula rays. They could probably hurt you accidentally with their tail if you were precisely in the wrong place at the wrong time, but other than that they are harmless to man.

drarroyo - 7-23-2011 at 08:02 PM

Isla Mujeres is a great place to hang for a week. Spent time there before heading to Cuba. Definitely recommend it vs Cancun.

KASHEYDOG - 7-24-2011 at 02:21 PM

It's not the tail I'd be worried about. What if you "accidentally" got swallowed up by that big mouth.. :?:

.. You'd look awfully funny coming out the other end a few days later...

Frank - 7-24-2011 at 03:13 PM

There is a little bit of wide angle lens distortion in that picture.

woody with a view - 7-24-2011 at 03:45 PM

depth perception, for those who lack it....

dean miller - 7-25-2011 at 06:07 AM

The world was introduced to diving with the whale shark by Dr. Hans Hass in his 1948 movie "Under the Red Sea." In this movie he swam along the back of the shark completing his dive by looking eye to eye, then swimming around to the area of the shark's mouth.

Still photographs of this event may also be seen in in his book "Men and Sharks."

So swimming with whale sharks is a very old activity but has has a resurgence with the advent of the modern late model tube sucking bubble blowers serching for diving adventure......SDM

Bajajorge - 7-25-2011 at 09:35 AM

Is that Johah? :?:

dean miller - 7-25-2011 at 03:07 PM

Nine!

Herr Doctor Professor Hans Hass

He did every thing better and ten years before the God of Underwater J Y Cousteau...

sdm

thebajarunner - 7-25-2011 at 07:24 PM

Graphic?
Hmmmm, yeah, graphic, but not scary graphic

That is one awesome set of pix.

Mateo-Feo - 8-7-2012 at 07:53 PM

wow

Curt63 - 8-7-2012 at 08:21 PM

What an amazing dive!

Skipjack Joe - 8-7-2012 at 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Ken they are surface filter feeders, krill, small fish, plankton. Their diet is similar to manta and mobula rays. They could probably hurt you accidentally with their tail if you were precisely in the wrong place at the wrong time, but other than that they are harmless to man.

Ken,

Does this picture seem a little fishy? The lit says these creatures grow to be 40 feet long. If the man is 6' tall then the whale should be just over 6 lengths of the man. Yet the image shows a creature that is like 15 times the size of the man.

Here is the original article

Ken Cooke - 8-7-2012 at 10:20 PM

Open Wide: The diver who nearly got swallowed

HOLY MOLY!!

captkw - 8-8-2012 at 07:09 AM

WHAT A GREAT POST/SHOT!! TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN!!

Udo - 8-8-2012 at 08:12 AM

Great photo, Ken.

Skipjack Joe - 8-8-2012 at 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke

The size differences have been magnified by the photographer using perspective.

The diver is on the right side of fish about half way down it's body length. The photographer is on the left side of fish and in front of it. In a 2 dimensional image the diver appears to be in front of it's mouth because depth perception is lost. Since the diver is behind the head of fish he looks smaller than he really is and the fish looks larger than it is.

This is further made evident because the diver's camera is pointed at fish at a right angle to his body. Basically it's a picture of a diver taking a picture of the shark.

That's how it looks to me.

LosCabosbound - 8-8-2012 at 10:48 AM

The color change midway through the body plus the white spots not matching gives me the feeling that the pic was created with photoshop...cool pic anyway. Never knew their mouths opened that wide.

bajachris - 8-8-2012 at 01:42 PM

Whale sharks are at much greater risk of being hurt by man than visa versa. Saw one with a bloody tail that got hit with a propeller. They get injured by boaters. We're in their territory and should watch out for them.

bacquito - 8-8-2012 at 08:20 PM

Great photo, interesting comments.

Save the Whales!

Ken Cooke - 8-8-2012 at 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajachris
Whale sharks are at much greater risk of being hurt by man than visa versa. Saw one with a bloody tail that got hit with a propeller. They get injured by boaters. We're in their territory and should watch out for them.

That's too bad for the whale shark. I wonder if this sort of injury can heal?