Kwatisore Bagan

The defining dive experience of Cenderawasih Bay and one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters on earth. Traditional Papuan fishermen moor bamboo bagan lift-net platforms over deep water south of Kwatisore village; whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) discovered that the platforms concentrate teri anchovies and have returned daily for decades. Up to 15 individual whale sharks — the largest documented resident aggregation in the world — jostle beneath the platforms, vertical-feeding with mouths at the surface as fishermen toss handfuls of baitfish. Divers slip into the water and descend 3 to 10 m to hover alongside sharks reaching 8 m in length. Unlike seasonal aggregations elsewhere, these sharks are present every day of the year regardless of season. The interaction is peaceful, unhurried, and at the sharks' initiative. Visibility varies with plankton load but depth is shallow throughout.