Whale Sharks: Tofo, Mozambique

Tofo, Mozambique, is about as exotic and out-of-the-way as any dive site — and it’s also one of a handful of locales where you can reliably count on face time with whale sharks. Drop your gear at one of a handful of rustic waterfront digs, head to Tofo Scuba and sign up for an “ocean safari,” to snorkel with the biggest fish in the sea. Once a whale shark is spotted, the captain will stop his skiff just a few feet away, and you’ll soon find yourself staring eye-to-eye with these majestic behemoths. The whale sharks come up from the deep with their mouths agape to gorge on tons of plankton. But until you’re swimming beside or underneath them, you can’t really appreciate how massive they are — so big you can’t see from tip to tail without turning your head or backing up.