Djibouti. Gulf of Tadjourah. Whale Sharks

The Gulf of Tadjourah is located in the Indian Ocean at the western end of the Gulf of Aden. It is almost entirely surrounded by the Republic of Djibouti. The rest is bordered by Somalia.

Throughout the year, the Gulf of Tadjourah and especially the bay of Arta, is the home of many juvenile whale sharks. The concentration of these larger fish in the world reached its peak between October and January. Indeed, because of ocean currents, it was then that the plankton concentration is highest. In addition to the phenomenon related to the number of the fish, the more amazing is that no adult whale shark has ever been observed. Most individuals are juveniles whose size does not exceed 7 meters (21 feet). While the size may seem reasonable compared to that of an adult can reach 15 meters (45 feet).

The meeting is still an extraordinary and exciting moment. As so often with large pelagic marine animals, the best equipment for taking pictures is a pair of fins, a mask and a snorkel.

Indeed, it is very rare that a whale shark takes the pose to be photographed. Most of the time, he has the mouth wide open and filter tons of water to keep the plankton to feed. Whale sharks have a very rough skin that acts as an abrasive to human skin.

When we photograph them, always be careful and follow a safe distance of several meters. The main difficulty when taking pictures in the Gulf of Tadjourah is the poor visibility because of the plankton in suspension. Achieving good shots requires good technical skills to avoid having pictures particles.

But the presence of such a concentration of plankton is the price to pay to watch the biggest fish in the world.