Man Swims With Monstrous Whale Shark Off Maryland Coast

OCEAN CITY, MD — A Hebron man celebrated Fourth of July in quite a unique way this week in the waters off Ocean City. Josh Schleupner didn't catch any tuna like he was planning, but he did take a dip with a rare, monstrous whale shark.

Schleupner and his family were fishing about 72 miles east off Ocean City Tuesday when they saw a huge whale shark swim near their boat, DelMarvaNow reports. Once the captain of the boat assured it was safe, Schleupner grabbed a snorkel mask and jumped into the water. He caught up to the whale shark in the water and even laid his hands on it.

“It was one of those experiences that I know I’ll never get again," Schleupner told DelMarvaNow. "Unfortunately, I didn’t catch any fish, but that was fine. I couldn’t have asked for anything different. I didn’t even know it was on my bucket list until I did it.”

Another area local also had a friendly encounter with a whale shark June 27. Steve Moore, the captain of "the Stalker" with Stalker Sportfishing Charters in West Ocean City, spotted one of the gigantic sea-dwellers shortly after midnight about 68 miles off the coast.

Moore said this was the first time he saw a whale shark in all the years he has spent on the waters between New Jersey and Ocean City.

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 feet or more, according to See The Wild. These gentle giants are harmless to humans and are often found in Mexico, Belize, Japan, Thailand, Australia, India and South Africa.

"Josh might be the only person to ever touch a whale shark in OC," said Rob Skillman, the captain of the boat Schleupner was on. "We’re not 100 percent sure, but I'd bet on it."

See the DelMarvaNow post here.

Photo: wplynn/Flickr