Swimming with Whale Sharks in the Philippines

Encountering the giants

Pumping my flippers until I'm clear of the group, I scan the water for dark, lumbering shadows.
A flurry of bubbles signals where to look, and a 20-foot whale shark looms into view.
Its tail alone is the length of my body and one swipe could do some serious damage.
Parasitic fish swarm the shark's body, feeding off debris on its belly and its giant spotted coat.
Their mouths gape wide, filtering vast amounts of water for food in the same way whales do.
Docile as dolphins but not nearly as energetic, it strikes me how unfazed the sharks are given the amount of unnatural activity there is in the water.