Whale sharks, the biggest fish in the world, are one of the ocean's gentlest giants. Filter feeders, whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) eat only plankton. The whale shark is distinguished by its broad, flat head, distinctive white spots and stripes against its bluish grey body, and ridges along its back. The wide gaping mouth at the front of its head distinguishes the whale shark from other sharks, whose mouths are found beneath and behind their snouts.

For many years, whale sharks have played an important role in both my husband's (J¸rgen Freund, a.k.a. Yogi) and my life. Even before we met, we had been separately involved in documenting this highly threatened species - Yogi did a photo report of whale shark hunting in Pamilacan Island, in the Bohol province of central Philippines; and I, through my involvement as a documentary producer with WWF-Philippines, made the tourist training video for Donsol, Sorsogon, in southern Luzon.