I didn’t plan to laugh that hard underwater. Especially not in front of a creature that could swallow a grown man in one gulp—if it wanted to. But the thing is… whale sharks don’t care. And that’s what made our trip to Saleh Bay, Sumbawa, unforgettable.
Let me take you back.
The Plan That Became a Joke (for Some)
It started with an innocent idea. “Let’s do something wild,” my friend Tessa said over coffee one evening in Bali.
She’d read about this place in Sumbawa where you could snorkel right beside whale sharks. The world’s biggest fish, she kept saying. Not sharks, not whales—something in between. Gentle giants, people call them.
Now, I had done snorkeling before. I had even swum with turtles in the Gili Islands. But this? This sounded next level.
Crossing Over to Saleh Bay – Excitement Brews
Getting to Sumbawa from Lombok was part of the adventure. A couple of ferry rides, some scenic drives, and suddenly, we were standing on the shores of Saleh Bay with a bunch of excited (and nervous) faces around us.
The bay itself was calm—almost suspiciously calm. The morning mist was still hanging over the water. A local guide waved us over and started prepping the gear.
“You’re lucky,” he said in broken English. “Whale sharks are already here.”
Goosebumps.
The Gentle Beasts Appear
We hopped onto the wooden boat and gently motored out to a floating fishing platform. That’s where the whale sharks usually show up—drawn by the smell of baitfish.
We didn’t even have to wait.
The first one glided under our boat like a submarine from a James Bond movie. Smooth. Massive. Completely unbothered.
I felt small. And I mean really small.
We threw on our fins, adjusted our masks, and slipped into the water.
Tessa’s Screaming Moment
The moment our faces hit the water, it was like entering another world. The silence was thick, only broken by the sound of our breathing. And there it was—a whale shark swimming just a few meters away.
Now here’s the part I’ll never forget.
Tessa popped her head up, mask halfway off, eyes wide open, and screamed.
It was part excitement, part panic, part “WHAT IS THAT THING?!”
Meanwhile, I was underwater watching the scene unfold—laughing into my snorkel, bubbles pouring out like champagne.
The whale shark? It didn’t care.
It kept doing its thing. Gliding. Peaceful. Slow. Like a wise monk with fins.
That moment perfectly captured what whale shark swimming Sumbawa is really about: humans freaking out, while the creature just is.
Being in the Presence of a Leviathan
Over the next hour, we swam with not one, but three whale sharks.
Each had its own personality—one loved circling the boat, another dove deep and popped up like a game of hide-and-seek. The third stayed right below us, calmly hovering like an aquatic blimp.
Their sheer size was awe-inspiring, but their behavior was oddly… comforting.
People always talk about adrenaline when snorkeling with whale sharks, but what I felt more was peace. An unexpected stillness, like the ocean telling me: You’re part of this now.
More Than Just a Swim – A Floating Meditation
At one point, I drifted away from the others, just floating above one of the big ones. I stopped kicking, stopped moving, and let the sea carry me.
The sun filtered through the water. The whale shark below looked like a celestial body drifting in slow motion.
I forgot about photos. I forgot I even had a camera strapped to my wrist. This was not for Instagram.
This was a memory being printed directly into the soul.
A Splash of Comedy Above the Surface
Back on the boat, the vibe was pure euphoria. Tessa was still half-shaking, half-laughing.
“You were LAUGHING?” she gasped, slapping my arm.
“Yup,” I said. “You screamed, and he didn’t even blink.”
“You’re the worst,” she laughed.
That night, at the homestay near the bay, we watched the stars and replayed every moment in our heads.
I couldn’t stop smiling.
Why Whale Shark Encounters in Sumbawa Hit Different
I’ve heard of people doing whale shark tours in other parts of the world—Mexico, the Philippines, Australia—but something about Sumbawa felt untouched. Less commercial. More intimate.
There was no pushing, no crowds, no shouting.
Just sea, sky, and these gentle marine giants doing their slow underwater ballet.
And us? Clumsy, loud, emotional humans trying to catch up.
Sumbawa whale shark encounters feel more like a quiet invitation than a tourist attraction. That’s what makes it special.
From Laughs to Lifelong Memory
I never thought that a moment of underwater laughter could become one of the most cherished memories of my life. But it did.
Because even though my friend screamed and I laughed, we both walked away with the same thing: awe. Wonder. Respect.
And a pretty epic story to tell.
Final Thoughts (But Not a Conclusion)
I still think about that first time I saw a whale shark up close.
Its spots were like constellations.
Its movement was pure grace.
Its indifference to our chaos was oddly humbling.
Would I do it again?
In a heartbeat.
Because that mix of absurdity, beauty, and serenity is something I never want to forget.
Even if it starts with a scream—and ends with a belly laugh.