Photo and caption by vanessa mignon

I joined an expedition to West Papua at the end of September 2011. The main purpose was to dive with whale sharks gathering around fishing platforms to feed around the nets. Being the biggest fish in the world, whale sharks are impressive by their size. Because they are so big and powerful, if you are close to them at feeding time you get sucked in towards their mouth. It’s an amazing, yet a bit scary, feeling. In this specific shot the whaleshark is feeding and sucking down water, and you can see the diver holding on to the net in order not to be pulled in!

Location: Cenderawasih Bay, West papua