SHARK WHALE WATCHING SEASON STARTS IN KENYA
(Posted 02nd February 2014)
News have come from Diani that the day before yesterday the first ‘Papa Shillingi’, as the whale sharks are known locally in Kiswahili, was sighted off the Diani beach. This is good news as this season’s tagging expeditions are due to commence on February 20th and then run up to the 15th of March.
Volker Bassen subsequently posted this update on his Facebook page, followed by a picture which really tells the story of what visitors can expect to see underwater:
Whale shark season started!! Time to get wet ; )
The season has started!!! We are glad to report a 6 meter juvenile male whale shark off Diani beach yesterday. Although early, it is a very promising start for our tagging expeditions starting next month.
Whale shark watching and of course the tagging of the largest fish in the oceans is one of Kenya’s seasonal attractions as visitors from around the world come to the country to get close to these giants, while others sign up for the tagging expeditions which are hugely important for scientific work as the migration pattern of these fish can then be traced back. Volker also posted a YouTube link to a 15 minute documentary video taken two years ago from his base in Diani, showing just how the tagging works:
More information about the work of the East African Whale Shark Trust can be accessed via www.giantsharks.org
