iStockphoto / Sean Steininger
A group of tourists in Guanacaste, Costa Rica had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a whale shark. This came as they were returning from their boat tour and found the massive fish swimming in the clear green shallow waters off the beach.
While whale sharks typically inhabit temperate waters, it is very rare to see one in the shallows like this.
Once In A Lifetime Costa Rica Whale Shark Sighting
The encounter occurred on Playa Nacascolo, a beach on Culebra Bay in Guanacaste, Costa Rica on the country’s northwest corner, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Nicaraguan border and Lake Nicaragua (aka Lake Cocibolca). The tour guide, Jesús Rueda Molina, had 18 guests on his boat and was returning to the beach when they spotted the rare whale shark.
This region of Costa Rica is a popular area for surf camps. The waves aren’t as treacherous as other parts in Costa Rica, like at Salsa Brava in Puerto Viejo or the endless breaks in Pavones on the opposite side of the country’s Pacific Coast. Which, by the way, if you are ever planning a Costa Rica surfing trip I recommend both of those spots and spent a few weeks in both.
While surfing is often the main attraction of this region, as is the case with just about any locale in Costa Rica the wildlife draws in a steady flow of tourists as well. And these ones just so happened to be in the right place at the right time:
The tour guide, Jesús Rueda Molina, estimated the whale shark at between 5 and 6 meters long (16.4 to 19.6 feet). Whale sharks can reach up to 32 feet long so this was almost certainly a juvenile specimen.
It is unclear exactly how shallow that water is but in the video we are able to clearly see the sandy bottom. Whale sharks are able to dive up to 6,300 feet deep. Seeing them in water this clear and shallow is an incredible rarity.
Whale sharks eat krill. They are just giant fish that eat the smallest of creatures. But watching them feed is a unique experience in and of itself.
According to Molina, they had spotted other whale sharks throughout the week but were never able to get close enough to film them. Then this majestic specimen in the emerald green waters of Playa Nacascolo just so happened to land in their lap.
I’m not seething with jealous, you are.