The best place to swim with whale sharks? Saleh Bay, on Sumbawa, Indonesia, provides an awesome, ethical experience – for now A close encounter with a whale shark in Saleh Bay, the largest bay of the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Photo: Rio Ario Gundala
Whale sharks, the largest of all the sharks and the largest non-mammalian vertebrate in the world, can grow up to 18 metres (59 feet) in length and live for as long as 150 years.
Unlike great white sharks, which can make mincemeat of just about anything that crosses their path, whale sharks are filter feeders that eat mostly plankton and are harmless to humans.