whale shark spotted on great barrier reef

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Whale Shark spotted from semi-sub

Guests on Great Adventures were treated to a rare encounter with a Whale Shark on the Great Barrier Reef, all while they were sat in the comfort of a semi submarine!

The group of passengers visited Moore Reef on the outer Great Barrier Reef with Great Adventures on Monday 8 August and came eye to eye with the gentle giant during a semi-sub tour. The whale shark was a whopping 4 – 5 metres in length and treated guests to a show as it swam up close to the windows of the vessel.

Quicksilver Group Environment and Compliance Manager Doug Baird said that whale shark sightings on the Great Barrier Reef can be quite sporadic.

We wouldn’t normally expect to see them here at this time of year. As plankton feeders you would expect likelier sightings around seasonal plankton blooms and coral spawning.

The sighting has interested researches who have been working to identify a potential whale shark aggregation site in the far north regions of the Reef. Researchers are able to identify individuals from photos by analysing the patterns of markings on their bodies. The video has been passed on to JCUs research team.

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