Grab your gear, pack your bags and come on down to one of Africa’s finest beaches. Once again the annual migration of whale sharks is just around the corner! Starting in November, these magnificent gentle giants slowly start to emerge from the ocean’s depths into the shallows off Diani Beach.
These beautiful creatures inherited the Swahili name ‘Papa Shillingi,’ which directly translates into ‘Shark covered in shillings.’ Legends say that God was so pleased to have created such a creature, that angels were given gold and silver to throw down from heaven onto the sharks back. These fish are known to swim along the ocean’s surface, filtering plankton, which in turn-is their way of giving thanks to God for their creation.
Little is known about the biggest fish in the sea, but we can tell you that our dive site ‘Papa Shillingi’ is known for its name. When the season hits, the site becomes immensely popular for divers. With an average depth of 12m, this site is great for both beginners and advanced divers to tick off an experience that should be on every divers bucket list.
Papa Shillingi is not the only hotspot for these beauties…sightings of whale sharks are recorded on many of Diving the Crab dive sites, so keep those eyes peeled!
