So. Whale sharks aren't actually sharks.

They are the worlds largest fish & are filter feeders that can't bite or chew.

Try remembering that when you are in the water & you see a fin attached to a 12 meter giant gliding towards you.

Yep. I'm a Jammy Blagger & had the once in a lifetime, seriously rare, opportunity to swim with Whale Sharks in Qatar

Want to go see the whale sharks?

Yes! Is the only answer to this question. So when I was invited by Brigadier General Mohamed Al Jaidah, head of the Whale Shark Research Project, to take a boat trip to see them & take some photos I was definitely on board.

Early, a very early 4.30am, one Saturday in June 2021 we headed up to Al Ruwais Port from Doha to set sail out to Al Shaheen.

The humidity at this time of year is absolutely horrendous & I made the total error or taking my  camera straight out of the lovely air con in the car to the 80% humidity of the port. Needless to say it took a while for the steam to clear off the lenses, but once it did I had just enough time to explore the port before we set sail.

Sharks! whale sharks everywhere.

It took us just over 2 hours to reach the area where the sharks congregate & I didn't really know what to expect.

Unlike in other areas in the world where tourists can access daily dives & boat trips to see the whale sharks the area in Qatar is restricted so we had the privilege of being the only boat out there.

At first all I could see was the sea, then we spotted one fin, then 2, then 5, then LOADS! Once we stopped the boat it was amazing to watch them swim so close to the boat & rising up to the surface to feed on the tuna eggs. We spent what seemed like hours on the water just watching them & then I had the incredibly unique opportunity just swim with them.

I can't be cool about it...

It was just amazing.

I'm no diver or underwater photographer so I just jumped in & enjoyed the swim.

Have a look at my instagram stories showing how massively giddy & uncool I was.

But we all know that the best part of any blog is the pictures, so go check out the gallery below.

Enjoy!