Swim with whale sharks at Christmas
December 2007
Everyone knows about whale shark diving experiences at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, but remarkably few know that the same experience can also be had at Christmas Island, 2600 km north-west of Perth.
This biggest fish on the planet is still a mystery to science. Every year at certain locations they inexplicably appear, and just as mysteriously, disappear a few months later. No one seems to know where they go or why.
The whale sharks begin to appear at Ningaloo around March for the coral spawn and have usually moved on by June.
Marine scientists believe that once they leave Ningaloo the ocean giants swim towards Christmas Island, where they can be seen in large numbers from November through to April.
The theory is that migrate there to feed on the eggs of the bright red crabs for which the island is famous.
Christmas Island is the only place in Australia where you can scuba dive with these leviathans – or snorkel with them as you can do off the West Australian coast. Their massive spotty bulk is a breathtaking sight underwater, and if you remain still, these gentle giants often circle several times allowing divers to get so close, it is often necessary to move aside to let them pass.
Tourism on Christmas Island is still largely underdeveloped, and stands in contrast to Ningaloo, where the whale sharks and reef system is a thriving multi-million dollar industry.
Two operators on Christmas Island offer diving and snorkelling excursions, and if the time is right, and nature is on your side, you may get the opportunity to dive with the whale sharks. There are no spotter planes, and no specific whale shark tours, which all adds to making the experience even more special. Better yet, visitors are likely to be able to spend more time swimming, with less-crowded in-water encounters.
Christmas Island is a nature-lover’s paradise with two-thirds of the island listed as national parks and 35 species of wildlife found nowhere else on earth.
Every year, after the first rains in November, the spectacular phenomenon of more than 60 million red crabs migrate to the coast to mate and spawn, covering the island in a red crustacean carpet. The Christmas Island Tourism Association describes the experience as “Australia’s Galapagos”.
For more information visit http://www.christmas.net.au
GETTING THERE
Austasia Airlines has a weekly flight to Christmas Island from Singapore for $950 economy class return. National Jet Systems has twice-weekly services from Perth from $1680 return. Visit http://www.austasiaairlines.com, or http://www.nationaljet.com.au.
Austasia offers seven-night packages from Singapore including return flights to Christmas Island, accommodation, transfers, island orientation tour, 12 boat dives with experienced dive guide, tanks, weight belt, six lunches and a half day island tour – all from $2135 per person. Taxes are additional.
TRAVELTALK TIPS
This is not a five-star location but there is plenty of comfortable accommodation options from serviced resort rooms to self- catering units are available.
Christmas Island has a tropical equatorial climate. The wet season is from December to April when the monsoon rains fall. The rest of the year has slightly lower temperatures and humidity and less rain.
English is the official language, but Malaysian, Mandarin and other Chinese dialects are also widely spoken.
Australian dollars are used throughout the island.
Australian customs and quarantine considers Christmas Island an international destination, so Australian citizens will need their passports to get there, however photographic identification is acceptable for travel direct from Perth.
Kris Madden