Boaters, anglers and early-morning coffee drinkers were left doing double takes this week after reports a whale shark had entered the Gippsland Lakes via the entrance — apparently taking a wrong turn somewhere near Bass Strait.
The enormous but famously gentle creature, typically found in tropical waters, was first “spotted” near the footbridge, with one onlooker claiming it “looked about the size of a small bus… or a very large tinnie.”
Local fisherman Dave “Snapper” Collins said he knew something was up when his bait disappeared in one gulp.
“I thought I’d hooked the big one — turns out, it was just having a snack and kept going,” he said.
Experts (or at least people willing to sound like experts) suggest the whale shark may have been lured in by the promise of fresh prawns, or possibly a rumour of half-price flake at a nearby takeaway shop.
Tourism operators are already capitalising on the sighting, with one proposing a new cruise, guaranteeing sightings “most of the time, depending on imagination levels”.
Authorities have not confirmed the sighting, but have noted a report urging the public to “keep a sense of humour and maybe check the calendar before rigging the heavy tackle”.
Meanwhile, the whale shark was last seen heading towards the channel, reportedly disappointed to learn there were no booking options for a lake-front holiday home.
