19 Oct 2023

Swimming with the Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Marine Park

This morning, we woke up with Heritage Adventurer on anchor in Cenderawasih Marine Park (Cenderawasih being the Indonesian word for a Bird-of-paradise), with a beautiful backdrop of mountains and clear calm waters. After breakfast, we queued in excited anticipation for what would be one of the highlights of our Indonesian Explorer voyage. We had come here to swim with Whale Sharks, the biggest fish on the planet. These sharks are, of course, not dangerous despite their size. They feed on smaller fish and other suspended marine life, which they scoop up in their huge mouths. Swimming with Whale Sharks has become popular with ecotourists, and there are several places in the world where one can experience the incredible size and beauty of these majestic giants.

Cenderawasih Bay, however, is probably the best place on the planet to observe these peaceful sharks since they come to the observers, as they are fed from anchored fishing platforms (known as bagans). At other locations, observers have to exert considerable energy trying to keep up with the Whale Sharks as they glide effortlessly but surprisingly fast through the water. Everyone who chose to snorkel alongside the bagan had repeated close encounters of Whale Sharks as they slowly rose up from the depths with their gigantic mouths wide open. This can be quite alarming at times, but the sharks were only interested in the tiny fish thrown into the water from the bagan. Elated, we reluctantly had to leave these wonderful animals behind and head back to Heritage Adventurer. After a brief rest, we enjoyed some mid-morning snorkelling near an isolated sandy beach.

Following a delicious lunch, we headed ashore in the afternoon to visit a picturesque village, Kwatisore. Here, we were greeted by the entire community and treated to a performance of a local 'Birds-of-paradise' dance, accompanied by live guitar music and singing reminiscent of some small Pacific Islands. The more adventurous of us were able to sample the delicious flesh of the remarkable Durian fruit, eat sweet Duco fruits (related to Lychees), and drink refreshing coconut water from our own personal coconuts, harvested in the village as we arrived. After a brief stroll around the village and a last chance to buy local handicrafts, we continued our journey northwards towards Biak Island.

Images © S. Bradley, Heritage Expeditions