Holly Explains it All

Holly Beck is not only one of the best female surfers on the planet but she is also a world traveler, actress, and a person who can definitely capture the world in film and in print. In this section Holly chronicles her life and her travels. Check back often because Holly always up to something. In this episode, Holly writes from her trip to Bali with Greg Browning, Dusty Payne and Cheyne Magnusson. For more Holly Beck stories, videos and photos check out her Myspace (www.myspace.com/hollybeck) and her Blog (www.hollybecksurfs.blogspot.com/)

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Diving with the Whale Shark

We were told it would look like a bus, an underwater bus steaming ahead at an average speed of a little over three mph. Moments following the sputtering radio announcement that our sea plane had spotted the creature, we sped over the tepid waters of the Sea of Cortez at top speed, overflowing with anticipation. Upon first spying the dorsal fin poking through the surface, I hastily threw on fins, mask, and snorkel, and dove overboard with an awkward splash. Unfortunately, the bus was already traveling away, and while the projected speed previously seemed doable, it was more than I could do to catch up. I peeked my masked eyes above the surface line to gauge my progress, only to see three divers flop off the boat more than 20ft away, the dorsal fin just ahead of them. Putting my head down, I swam with all my might, arms and fins fully engaged, slowly gaining. But just as the turbulence from their fins came into view, the creature sped off and out of reach for all of us. Frustrated, I pulled myself back into the boat.

The boat circled with a crewmember perched on the bow looking for that fin and telltale shadow. I watched him carefully, and when he suddenly pointed with outstretched arm, I wasted no time in diving in once more. We were only a few dozen yards from shore and the water was cloudy with a high mixture of sand. I swam eagerly through the silt as the murky shadow slowly gained form. My first attempt had revealed only the fleeting sight of a powerful tail, but as I approached this time, the entire outline came into view. It was as if suddenly a veil had been lifted and the whole animal, covered in a beautiful pattern of white spots immediately filled the frame of my perspective. I paused, mesmerized. It took a moment to process the sight of a 20ft long whale shark in all its spotted glory, lingering just a few kicks away. The “bus” had stopped for us.

For the next two hours, we admired it. We respected it. We reveled in it. Not wanting to waste any time with too much gear, unsure of how long the creature would allow us to play, I free dove, bouncing between the surface and just below. Surprisingly to me, he was sunning himself only a few feet from the waterline, making for easy viewing. I took a deep breath to dive underneath, swimming belly to belly, and look up at the silhouetted outline from below. Eventually, the excitement, kicking, and frequent dives had my breath running a little thin and I could not stay on his level as long as I wanted. Reluctantly taking my eyes off of the most amazing creature with which I have ever had the chance to interact, I kicked back towards the boat to trade in my snorkel for regulator and more bottom time. Originally the boat driver had warned us that the bubbles produced from exhaling on scuba would scare the shark away. On the contrary, this one seemed to be attracted to the bubbles.

After a plethora of photo opportunities, I set back into the simple rhythm of admiration. The previous day we had attempted to swim with a pod of dolphins, jumping in off the boat repeatedly, hoping they would continue to swim towards us only to hear them squeaking directions to each other to dart the other way.

We did have the chance to commune with a colony of seals. They dove off the rocks and performed impressive spins and swirls right before our eyes in incredibly clear water. Still the seal antics did nothing to rival the awe-inspiring sight of the gracefulness of such a large animal. Even after an hour, I could not take my eyes off him. At one point, he appeared to simply stop and float, repeatedly opening and closing his wide mouth. I found myself peering into the huge plankton-sucking cavern. Tentatively, I stuck my hand near the opening and it was immediately sucked inward. The reflexes kicked in and I pulled it back immediately letting out a big burst of bubbles from laughter. Eventually, I decided to head back to the boat for a break to take some time to digest the awesome experience. I was floating in the water between our two boats, relaying my tale to those still dry when a friend warned me the shark was approaching. I looked back to see the broad head coming straight at me and quickly moved out of the way, just in time. Turning to watch his departure, straight through the middle of the six-foot gap between boats, I was inadvertently struck by the strong tail as he passed. I took it as a friendly gesture, a pat on the back from a new friend. His way of saying, 'see ya later, alligator.' Internally, I replied, 'after a while, whale shark!'