W.W.W.W.W.W.Whaleshark!

Mike Veitch · Issue 61, Jul/Aug 2011 · pp. 47–50

Products mentioned: Nikon D90, Aquatica housing, Tokina 10-17 lens

In the dive industry, it seems there’s a new “hot destination” every couple of years that everyone is chomping at the bit to visit. The Mantas of Baa Atoll or the Sailfish of Isla Muejeros are two recent examples of this trend. Although I work in diving, I always seem to be on the opposite side of the earth from the latest and greatest new locations and have yet to be one of the first to scout out the “hot spot”. And when I finally do get to that location it’s years after the fact and the location no longer lives up to the hype. In March of 2011 though, I was involved in a trip that had the potential to put me in the right place at the right time. Yes, that’s right, the newest hotspot in diving is right in my own backyard. Close to the town of Nabire in Cendrawasih Bay, West Papua, Indonesia, a very special phenomenon occurs between local fishermen and the largest fish in the sea; the Wh…