Having a whale of a time: Diver is photobombed by gigantic whale shark swimming just six feet from her

By James Rush From Daily Mail UK

Photographer Ellen Cuylaerts, 44, took the impressive images while on a trip to Isla Mujeres, in Mexico

Ms Cuylaerts, who lives in the Cayman Islands, said: ‘To swim next to a whale shark makes you feel very small’

Ms Cuylaerts was swimming just six feet from the whale shark, which was happy to share its water during dinner time.

Swimming just six feet from the largest species of fish on the planet, this diver is dwarfed by the magnificent whale shark happily sharing its waters with her during dinner time.

The giant shark, a filter feeder which consumes plankton and small fish by swimming with its jaws open, is even happy to have its picture taken as the diver poses for a selfie with it.

Belgian photographer Ellen Cuylaerts, 44, took the impressive images while on a trip to Isla Mujeres, in Mexico.

The giant shark, a filter feeder which consumes plankton and small fish by swimming with its jaws open, is happy to share its waters during feeding time

The whale shark is a filter feeder which consumes plankton and small fish by swimming with its jaws open

The photographer said swimming next to a whale shark, the largest species of fish on the planet, ‘makes you feel very small’

Ms Cuylaerts said she observes how the animals behave beforehand, so she can ‘anticipate where the animals will swim’ when she is taking pictures of them

Ms Cuylaerts, who lives on Grand Cayman, in the Cayman Islands, said: ‘I try to find a connection with every animal before trying to take a picture of them.

‘I watch how they swim, how they behave and if they swim in a pattern.

‘This allows me to anticipate where the animals will swim and I can take a shot with some eye contact.

‘It’s great fun, but it can be very tiring when you’re trying to keep up with them.’

The whale shark, weighing a massive 66,000lbs, can reach lengths of up to 39 feet and can be found in tropical and warm oceans. They live in the open sea, and have a lifespan of around 70 years

The whale shark holds many records for sheer size in the animal kingdom, and is by far the largest living non-mammalian vertebrate

The photographer said swimming next to a whale shark ‘makes you feel very small’, adding that due to their size, ‘they seem to move slowly, as they glide through the water’. But she added that ‘in fact they’re a lot faster than you as a photographer, and can swim three miles an hour easily’

Ms Cuylaerts said that on ‘busy days over 100 boats are bringing in people to see the whale sharks, and you see some animals having damage from engine propellers’

Ms Cuylaerts said: ‘In my opinion a solution has to be found for this, so we can view the beautiful animals without any worry of hurting them’

The whale shark holds many records for sheer size in the animal kingdom, and is by far the largest living non-mammalian vertebrate, and rivals many of the largest dinosaurs in weight.

For more on this story and to see all 11 photographs go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2703922/Having-whale-time-Diver-photobombed-gigantic-whale-shark-swimming-just-six-feet-her.html#ixzz38OgH63Pr

See also related iNews Cayman story under iNews Briefs published July 22 2014 “Cayman hotel decorating rooms with underwater photographs” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/inews-briefs-161/

EDITOR: Ellen Cuylaerts is one of Cayman’s local photographers whose work is being exhibited at Cayman Islands Sunset House re-decoration rooms initiative to “encourage people to take care of the ocean”.