Swimming with Whale Sharks in the Georgia Aquarium

Swimming with Whale Sharks in the Georgia Aquarium

ATLANTA - It might have been the setting for a 'Jaws' movie. Six snorkelers wading like ducks in a row, cruising just below the surface of the water while watching exotic fish dart beneath them. It was all very peaceful, until the mysterious whale shark appeared out of the deep blue.

The whale shark is one of the most perplexing and elusive creatures in the ocean, still largely a mystery even to the marine biologists who have dedicated careers to studying the creatures.

But here, in the confines of the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta, it's impossible not to see the giant whale sharks - particularly when you're in the middle of their fish tank.

It's also somewhat hard to avoid them: The creatures seemed more intrigued by the visitors, often lumbering toward them like a slow, curious locomotive.

The guests were circling the world's largest fish tank through the aquarium's 'Swim with Gentle Giants' programme, which plucks six snorkelers and six divers into the 24 million litre fish tank each day.