Gigantic whale shark comes for back scratch on small scuba boat

Whale sharks are one of the most awe inspiring animals in the ocean. Except for a few species of whale, they are the largest living creature on earth. They are the biggest fish in the ocean, and the biggest of the shark family. They measure up to 17m (55 feet) in length and can reach an estimated weight of more than 45,000 kg (100,000lbs).
For nature lovers and scuba divers, few sights are as awe-inspiring as one of these magnificent beasts cruising past. They are as immense as a school bus, yet completely gentle and harmless. There have been no recorded injuries inflicted on a human by a whale shark and they are incapable of biting anyone. Whale sharks are filter feeders, inhaling water full of plankton, shrimp, krill, fish eggs, and small fish. They filter the water in a fashion similar to baleen whales like the humpbacks. Giant combs catch the food which is then swallowed, while water is expelled through the huge gills.
These scuba divers were loading into the panga, a small boat that brings divers from the main boat to the dive sites. They had been exploring the waters around Darwin Island in the Galapagos. When they returned to the surface, they found a curious whale shark swimming around the panga. It's possible it was looking at the boat and divers with interest, but it's more likely that the giant creature was looking for a place to scratch its back. It repeatedly circled the boat and passed underneath, making contact with the boat and seemingly looking for contact with the divers in the water too.
Whale sharks and other large animals are troubled by remora fish that swim up to them and latch on for a ride. The remoras are able to travel with no effort and they detach to swim around their hosts as they eat feces and fish scraps. But, for the large hosts, the remoras can be annoying and can interfere with hydrodynamics, making swimming more of an effort. Large animals will often seek other animals or moving objects in the hope that the remoras will detach and switch to the new animal. Occasionally, sharks and large predator fish will take a remora as a meal. It's possible that this whale shark was looking to rid itself of a few hitchhikers.
Regardless of the reason, these scuba divers were ecstatic over the chance to see whale shark for such a close and prolonged encounter. The beautiful markings of the whale shark can also be seen very clearly in this video.