ナショナルジオグラフィックさんのインスタグラム写真 - (ナショナルジオグラフィックInstagram)「Photo by Cristina Mittermeier @mitty / Through a layer of visibility they emerged, mouths open in a silent gulp. I held my housing steady and watched them drift silently past, mesmerized by the constellations that dotted their velvety skin. Even at high noon, life beneath the ocean’s surface is perpetually suspended in twilight. For a while I felt as if I were drifting in the cosmos with these celestial giants of the deep. Spending time in the company of whale sharks is an otherworldly experience, and, although I would prefer people leave them in peace, the opportunity for tourists to swim with them could actually save their species from being driven to extinction by unsustainable, illegal poaching. Many nations now recognize the value of keeping these animals alive and allow tourists to dive with them, creating both the demand and resources to expand protections for whale sharks through ecotourism, as we have accomplished in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Follow me @Mitty and my team @paulnicklen and @sealegacy as we work to protect these beautiful animals and their marine habitats.」10月26日 7時36分