Have you ever seen a sweeter moment than the encounter between a Golden Retriever and a whale shark? The unlikely pair even shared a small kiss, and fortunately, the moment was caught on camera.
Jade Pursell, an Australian diver, often brings her dog Sailor on her boat trips. Recently, Sailor had her first encounter with a marine creature when Jade was sailing off the coast of Australia and a 22-foot-long shark appeared next to the boat.
Jade was ecstatic to see the shark, but she wasn’t expecting Sailor to be so thrilled too. “She has never met a marine life before, let alone a whale shark,” said Jade. “I always wanted to arrange such a meeting, but this encounter was more than I hoped for. Sailor got so excited she started to sniff and kiss the whale shark despite me telling her to stay away.”
Jade was initially concerned about how Sailor would react, but her worries disappeared as she saw how gentle Sailor was with the shark. “It was truly an adorable scene,” said Jade. “I was just overjoyed with how well she behaved. Animals are amazing, and I couldn’t have hoped for more. I was obviously very worried at first, but once the shark got too close, and I saw Sailor’s calm reaction, I relaxed too.”
Sailor is most likely the first and only dog to have ever kissed a whale shark, and Jade couldn’t be prouder. “They both seemed so happy and innocent, and I honestly felt very lucky to witness such a scene,” she said. “Just to think that my best friend, my dog, is the first-ever dog to have had such an encounter with a whale shark makes me feel very special.”