Diving with whale sharks in Djibouti

Diving with a whale shark is every diver’s dream. There are only a few places in the world where we can meet them regularly, when, in pursuit of plankton, they join together in large congregations of up to several hundred individuals.

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In January 2014 we went with Alpha-Divers on a diving expedition to Djibouti to fulfil our dream and with aqualung and snorkel we succeeded many times over! Together with a team of scientists, led by Dr David Rowat – one of the foremost experts in the field, we spent a week chasing whale sharks, often encountering a dozen at a time, wandering around, eating plankton and even trying to …play with the divers.

If you think the sight of a whale shark is already magnifique, try to imagine several giants, passing each other at full speed by centimetres, with you between them. During our diving trip to Djibouti we learned a lot about the biology, habits and behaviour of sharks, about their problems and dangers, about how to approach them so as not to frighten or harm them. Now, as part of Diving expedition Djibouti 2015We would like to share this knowledge with you.

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The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest cold-blooded creature and the largest fish currently swimming in the Earth’s oceans. Whale sharks currently average 10-12 metres in size, but in the past have been found as long as 18 metres and weigh 45 tonnes.

The whale shark is still a very poorly understood species with many mysteries attached to it. Unfortunately, the world population of whale sharks is declining and their average size is also decreasing, so it is all the more reason to plan for this encounter.

Whale sharks are known for diving to record depths, where, according to the most likely hypothesis, they go to catch the scent of plankton deposited on the borders of layers of water of different densities. Thanks to special tags, it has been possible to record a whale shark diving as deep as 1286 metres!

The whale shark is not a typical shark predator. Like whales, manta rays and two other large shark species, megachasmas and basking sharks, it feeds by filtering water. It therefore feeds mainly on plankton, but will not disdain small fish and crustaceans either. These and many other interesting facts about whale sharks you will learn during your cruise in Djibouti with Alpha-Divers. Encounters with whale sharks are guaranteed during the cruise!

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However, diving in Djibouti is not just about whale sharks. Here we have up to four types of magnificent coral reefs, so magnificent that even without whale sharks, just diving in Djibouti would be reward enough!

The untouched coral reefs of Djibouti are not only full of beautiful healthy corals, but also a multitude of coral fish such as snappers, fusiliers, cyclamen and mouth bass are waiting for divers. It is as if all the fish from the deserted reefs around the tourist resorts of Egypt have come here!

We also encountered larger representatives of underwater fauna on our dives, such as pelicans, barracudas, giant stingrays, bottlenose dolphins and predatory sharks. Among the ichthyological sensations was a quiverfish, probably belonging to an as yet unnamed species(!).

Djibouti’s coral reefs are also teeming with sponge-eating chinstrap turtles and caretta turtles. During the cruise we will do a minimum of 12 dives, but depending on your desire and… knowing the leader, expect many more.

We are going on a whale shark trip on a beautiful two-masted schooner with powerful engines, and we will anchor for the night in picturesque bays. So it will be both efficient and romantic… We are sure that diving with Alpha-Divers in Djibouti will simply enchant you.

Djibouti is the smallest internationally recognised state on the African continent. Recognised because there are countries in Africa that nobody recognises and that exist without taking any notice of the international arena, such as the small Somaliland, which lies just across the border from Djibouti.

Djibouti lies on the distinctive Horn of Africaalso known as the Somali Peninsula, and on the Gulf of Aden and the Gates of Tears – the very narrow strait of Bab Al-Mandeb that separates Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (the Asian continent), and the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

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An important sea trade route from South East Asia to Europe leads here, through the Suez Canal. Djibouti’s geographical location alone guarantees you a very interesting trip and excellent diving. A mostly desert country, it is varied with geological phenomena such as salt lakes, volcanoes and tectonic chasms. There are many endemic animal and plant species.

Diving hasn’t attracted too many tourists so far, so the coral reefs are still beautiful, vibrant and fresh. Djibouti was known in the past as the French Territory of Afar and Issa, French Somalia, and even more formerly as historic Punt. Today, Djibouti borders Ethiopia, Somaliland, Somalia and Eritrea. In Djibouti, peace and quiet is guaranteed by the US Marines, French troops, the Bundswhehr Air Force and the Foreign Legion… Read more about Djibouti itself

The African Horn is an interesting place not only in terms of nature, but also geology. It is crossed by the Great Rift Valley, dividing the crumbling African continent, and the aforementioned line separating Africa from Asia, through the expanding Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Both dividing lines converge in what is now known as the Afar Triangle in Djibouti. In Djibouti, located near the equator, is the African hot pole – the salt lake Lac Assal. During the Alpha-Divers Djibouti 2015 dive expedition, we will dive the famous tectonic rift The Crack, becoming eyewitnesses to the disintegration of Africa.

During the four-day rally we will also visit – Africa’s deepest depression and one of the saltiest bodies of water on earth – the salt lake Lac Abbe Lac Assal salt lakethe salt lake Lac Abbe, the desert Grand Barra and the lunar landscapes around the volcano Ardoukôba.

January is the ideal time for trips to Djibouti, not just diving trips. The average daily temperature and water temperature in January is around 30 degrees Celsius – the lowest of the year, but still definitely not a dry suit trip.

Source: Text and photos courtesy of Alpha-Divers