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What on Earth were these magnificent creatures, with their soft, gaping mouths and mile-long tails?

Known as gentle giants — each one can be up to 60 feet long and weigh 20 tons — are the largest type of shark and also the largest living fish. Preferring warm tropical water, the endangered species is found in Australia, the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, and the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

Swimming with whale sharks is just one of the activities offered to guests of , a traditional phinisi yacht that first set sail last year, but it’s the reason many people venture out on these waters. I floated gently near the free-roaming animals, careful not to get too close to the swishing of their enormous tails.

While I hadn’t initially understood the fuss, it took me just a second in their presence — three of the creatures swimming peacefully near my fins — to recognize their majesty.

After my trip, curious about whale shark tourism and whether it can be done responsibly, I contacted Ian Campbell, a shark scientist and the associate director for policy and campaigns at , a non-profit that works to protect the world’s oceans. While he isn’t sure exactly when whale shark tourism became mainstream or evolved from “opportunistic to operational,” he says it’s been a popular activity for at least a decade.

One of PADI Aware’s goals is to educate tour operators so swimming with whale sharks is done responsibly. For example, touching the creatures has “huge potential negative implications for the species,” Campbell says. “You’re potentially adding a stress factor onto an animal.” Now that swimming with whale sharks is popular, the risk of over-exploitation exists, he adds, so best practices are essential for conservation.

To encourage responsible shark tourism, PADI Aware, in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and the Manta Trust, developed a . PADI Aware believes it is just as important to educate travellers as it is to teach local tour operators.

Before you sign up with a tour operator, Campbell recommends paying attention to key details to gauge the company’s trustworthiness. For example, “if an operator is not able to easily tell you what they’re doing from a conservation perspective or to give you any information on the species itself, that would raise questions,” Campbell says. The operator should also be dispensing basic instructions on how to behave around the whale sharks.

Local fishermen in Indonesia used to hunt whale sharks because they saw them as competition for other fish, Jennifer Tan, Celestia’s cruise director and a master diver with deep knowledge of the ocean’s inhabitants, told me. But once the people discovered whale sharks could be a part of the tourism sector, they stopped hunting — and started feeding.

This fishermen’s practice falls in a bit of an ethical grey zone, for it’s changing the behaviour of the sharks, which are being lured by plankton to a specific spot. The wildlife is not kept in an enclosed area, however, and can swim freely.

As Celestia’s guests, we are warned not to touch, pet or corner the whale sharks, as well as not to take flash photos or feed them. Coexisting in the same water for a short period is permitted, but we’re reminded to respect the animals’ space.

In fact, “responsible shark tourism can benefit shark conservation,” Campbell says, noting that PADI Aware recognizes the activity can provide sustainable income for local coastal communities. “What we have started to see more and more is dive operators and tourism operators clubbing together, approaching the government and starting to develop guidelines for species of their regions.”

Travellers must play their part as well, by choosing responsible tour operators and abiding by the guidelines set by conservationists. Above all, it’s about giving the wildlife the respect they deserve. After all, we are just temporary visitors in their home.

Stacey Lastoe travelled as a guest of Celestia, which did not review or approve this article.