I'd been out for a few drinks last night but headed home just after midnight to leave some of my other fellow dorm mates to carry on what was shaping up to be a big night. I awoke at 7am and got down off the top bunk to be greeted by my bunkmate lying spread eagle on his bed without any pants on and his Johnson lying limply to one side. I shook my head, chuckled inwardly and thought "the joys of dorm rooms - he´s going to be seriously embarrassed about that when he wakes up". I made my way down to the docks for my 7:30am boat. The boat was on time and we were quickly bouncing across the tops of small waves towards Cancun to collect the other passengers. After a short briefing we loaded up the boat with seven highly annoying and typical American Cancun vacationers and one kiwi sitting very quietly trying to tune them out.

Being told it might take 30-60mims to find the sharks did not surprise me, but after 2.5 hours I was beginning to lose hope for living out this dream. We had however seen a pair of manta rays and dozens of flying fish. We were two hours off the coast of Isla Mujeres with no sight of land.

Just as I thought we would be heading back to land, we got a radio call from another tour boat giving the GPS co-ordinates to where three whale sharks had been sighted. My heart leapt and my excitement grew again as we crashed and crunched our way through the swollen and rolling ocean towards the possibility of seeing whale sharks. When we arrived a number of other boats were also present and I almost immediately saw one of the large fish close to the surface passing near by the boat. It was immense and I could see its fins breaking the water and its beautiful pattern of spots along its back.

We were to enter the water a pair at a time with the guide as soon as the boat pulled alongside a shark. Without hesitation I was the first to plunge into the water, thrusting my head below the water to see a 30 foot whale shark less than 3 meters away slowly making its way through the water. I had heard it would be amazing but I could barely keep the snorkel in my mouth due to my ear-to-ear grin. A magnificent beast in its natural environment, so powerful yet graceful in the water. I felt like a minnow compared to the world´s largest fish, what am I saying, I AM a minnow compared to this fish.

As I was following the shark through the water it began to turn so I began to tread water just watching this fish with complete awe as it circled around in front on me. I should have been paying more attention because the guide shouted something about looking right. I had been so captivated by this shark that I had failed to see another one coming straight for me! It was feeding with a 6 foot wide mouth, opening and closing to suck hundreds of liters of plankton rich water into its mouth. It had nearly advanced right upon me and I was starring down its enormous throat instilling a surge of sudden adrenalin. With a few quick strokes of my fins I was safely out of its way and now admiring the beautiful spotted skin of this beast passing less than 1.5m from me. I had never thought I'd get this close.

I climbed aboard the boat again to let others take their turns and was frustrated by the sloths who entered the water so long after they were told to "jump jump JUMP" that the shark had disappeared by the time they stuck their masks in the water to appreciate this rare experience. Two of them even proceeded to stay aboard stating that seeing them from the boat was enough. I thought that they would probably even have settled for a Google image search, had they known what was required in order to really see them in the water.

My second entry to the water was even more wonderful. The other person who left the boat was slow and inexperienced in the water so the guide floundered in the water with her while I followed the shark for nearly ten minutes completely tourist free. Just me and the world's biggest fish - no one else in sight. Whale sharks actually move quite slowly through the water making it easy to catch up and even pass the shark if I pumped a few good fin strokes. I was living out a long time dream and it was better than I could have ever imagined. I swam initially just next to the sharks great sweeping tail, watching the long body bend and move through the water as it dragged its tail back and forth through the water. I often had to kick right to avoid being hit by the great tail and it's tip often brushed against my arm. I moved forward along the great fish to more closely admire the numerous saucer sized spots along the long sweeping back. I then moved forward until I was level with its surprisingly small eye, watching the shark open and close its enormous mouth inhaling hundreds of liters of life-rich seawater.

Then the shark dove deeper below the surface so it was 3-4 meters deep and then leveled out to continue swimming. I swam along directly above the whale shark, impressed by yet another fantastic view the shark was affording me. I felt like I was soaring, only a few meters above this gentle ocean giant - it's just so damn wide and long. I could not imagine one at 60 feet long!

My last encounter was equally humbling. I jumped into the water and swam to where a group of snorkelers were floating very slowly along the surface. I guessed a shark must be almost motionless underneath them but I was not quite ready for what I saw next.

The largest of the three whale sharks was swimming very slowly at a 45 degree angle to the surface while it opened and shut its huge cavernous mouth. The fish was moving so slowly that we could take turns swimming around in front of it and gazing down its enormous throat, just 1.5 meters away. I could have easily fit inside the 6 foot wide mouth, probably at the same time as 2-3 other snorkelers.

This was a dream come true to be able to observe these three whale sharks from so many angles at such close proximity, They had absolutely no aversion or interest in us.

After 15 minutes in the water with this huge fish, it leveled out and began to swim. I kept pace with the shark until I was the last person swimming with it, I stopped kicking and just floated there as the shark faded into the distance moving its tail back and worth, waving good-bye to me.

I climbed back aboard the boat blissfully happy and totally satisfied at the amazing experience I had been lucky enough to enjoy.