a whale of a shark

It is called a whale shark.  For good reason.

Even though it is large enough to be mistaken for a whale, it is a fish. The largest fish in the world.

I have seen only one in the wild. We were in a small boat scooting along the Persian Gulf a few miles out of Dubai when we saw it. This was not a tourist outing -- one of those "See the Whales" trips. We had other things on our mind.

The first thing I noticed were the white dots. It looked as if a small school of some type of organism was swimming along in unison. Then I saw the brown outline. It was huge.

Even though we had other business to tend to, we all agreed to slow down our speed to move slowly, but purposely, as the whale shark gorged itself on plankton. Everyone was tempted to reach out and touch this massive shape -- as if simply touching it would transfer some of its magic to us.

But our captain suggested that we just look. The shark is harmless, but he was concerned that the whale shark would not be wary of boats in that heavily-trafficked area.

I must have shared only a minute or two with the grand fish. Maybe it was what the author of Jonah had in mind as the great fish that took on the prophet.

It is also easy to see why some sea-faring cultures including the whale shark as part of their creation myths. Large. Gentle. Powerful. They are ready-made to fill any role that calls for the better qualities of our own natures. It reminded me of C.S. Lewis's description of Aslan: "He's wild, you know. Not a tame lion."

The video at the top of this essay brought back a lot of memories. It is from a young Mexican friend who encountered this whale shark in the Pacific off the coast of Barra de Navidad this past week.

I have to confess I am a bit jealous as he reaches out to caress that slow giant. It is a juvenile. But, even in its youth, it is easy to see its power and grace.

I doubt I will ever see a whale shark while I live here. I just do not head out into the open ocean very often. But it is nice to know there are undiscovered mysteries just off our shore.