Three friends had an unforgettable encounter while offshore fishing when encountered a whale shark near Captiva Island. The sighting occurred about 20 miles off the coast, where the massive creature, estimated to be around 30 feet long, swam near the surface.
Luke McQuagge, the boat driver, described the moment they spotted the whale shark.
“Wasn’t quite sure what it was, so I was like, I might as well go check it out,” said McQuagge. “And spun around, and next thing you know, a three-foot dorsal fin is sticking out of the water. So I started yelling at him. I’m like, oh my god, it’s a whale shark. It’s a whale shark.”
The whale shark calmly followed their boat for nearly an hour, leaving the friends in awe.
Marcos Tejera, a passenger on the boat, shared his excitement about the encounter. “So on our way back in, when he saw it, we were all freaking out, like, I had my phone out,” said Tejera. “My camera probably has 80 pictures and videos right now.”
Left to right: Damian Pierre, Luke McQuagge, Marcos Tejera
The fishing trip turned into a remarkable story they will cherish forever. The friends were amazed by the rare opportunity to see such a gentle giant up close.
Damian Pierre, another passenger, expressed his disbelief, saying, “I wake up every day. I’m like, ‘Is this real?’ Because before, I was asking maybe, like, four hours before, are there any whales out here? He’s like, yeah, another 50 miles out. And then next thing you know, on the way back, you see this giant, like, whale shark. And it’s just, like, amazing.”