Whale Sharks in Djibouti: Realistic Expectations
Djibouti prides itself on being a spectacular place to see whale sharks between November and February each year. However, the chances you’ll see them on a single trip are actually just 50/50. I thought the chances were much higher until the night before our experience, when our guide told us to really manage our expectations.
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Where are the Whale Sharks?
The whale sharks in Djibouti are located in Lake Ghoubet. Despite the name, it’s actually a bay connected to the ocean, creating the perfect environment for these giants to congregate. Lake Ghoubet has some gorgeous inlets and the boat ride itself is beautiful.
Tour Options and Cost
The price for whale shark viewing can range between $130 to $220. Generally, the larger the group, the less expensive your trip will be.
There are three main ways to attempt a sighting:
- Private Tour Operator: Like Massigo Travels (this is what we did).
- Large Group Boat: Through Dolphin Excursions.
- Local Negotiation: Hiring a local fisherman at Plage de Ghoubet.
Massigo Travels
WhatsApp: +25377278015
If you start in Djibouti City, you will drive about two hours to Lake Ghoubet for a tour that usually runs from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you are on a larger itinerary with Massigo Travels (like we were), you can schedule this for Day 3. Organizing this as part of your overall tour likely works best so you spend the night at Lake Ghoubet Camp. Or, if you need a private tour on a day when the larger boats aren’t running, this is your safest bet.
Starting the tour at 8 AM
Dolphin Excursions
WhatsApp: +25377367946
Dolphin Excursions leaves from the Bawadi Mall in Djibouti City. The boat ride itself takes two and a half hours just to reach the whale shark area, so the trip runs from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
I recommend WhatsApping them a week in advance; they need a minimum number of people to run and can tell you which days they are operating.
Because they use a much larger boat, there might be a slightly higher chance of spotting shadows from a higher vantage point. We couldn’t fit them into our schedule, but they were super responsive via WhatsApp and I definitely would have used them if the timing (and the rain!) had worked out.
You can also do diving and sailing experiences with Dolphin Excursions.
Negotiating with a Local Fisherman
You can try to negotiate a boat at Plage de Ghoubet to try to see the whale sharks in Djibouti. However, I’m not sure how reliable this is. Our tour seemed to hire the only available fisherman for the day. There weren’t any fishermen on the beach when we boated by several times nor tourists on other boats, so don’t count on a boat just being “available” when you show up.
Our tour ended at the beach and our driver came to pick us up.
Managing Expectations
The most important advice I can give is to realize you might pay the full price and see absolutely nothing. We were out all day and didn’t see a single one. Ironically, our fisherman mentioned seeing them in the bay the night before (though that might have been a translation error!).
Spotting the whale sharks in Djibouti is completely random. From what we heard, one tour will spot them, then for four days, no one sees anything, and then they’ll reappear for two days straight… The cycle continues. The tour companies can’t track them; they are literally just looking for shadows in the water.
Our tour boat is a fishing boat
The Art of Spotting a Whale Shark
Whale sharks are actually very large fish, not whales. This means there is no “blowhole” to look for. You have to watch the edges of the bay for a dark shadow moving through the blue water. It is truly like finding a needle in a haystack.
We had three men on our boat, including the captain, scanning the water constantly. The rule is: the second a shadow is spotted, you have to jump in immediately and start swimming toward them, as the boats won’t get too close. Unfortunately, that “jump” moment never happened for us.
What to bring to see the Whale Sharks
We opted not to bring our phone on this boat ride. I used my Hero 13 Black GoPro with this simple grip. I carried my waterproof bag with sunscreen.
We have our own snorkel and mask but the tour company will provide that for you if you don’t have one.
I wore a swimsuit with an SPF shirt, hat, and hiking pants. If you like my sunnies, I have polarized lenses in a plastic tortoise frame in a cat eye and round, as well as gold frame. They are legit polarized and pretty cheap for a polarized pair at around $15. I always get compliments on them!
Final Thoughts
Even though the guys on the boat tried their hardest, nature just didn’t cooperate for us. However, it wasn’t a wasted day! When you don’t find the sharks, the guides take you to a really nice snorkeling area instead. That said, I was still disappointed even though we saw a cool sting ray.
If you go into this experience expecting a fun boat ride (a little choppy in the afternoons) and some good snorkeling, any whale shark sighting is just a massive bonus. Cross your fingers and good luck!