Whale Bay Swimming Challenge: My First Open-Water Swim in Yilan’s Clear Coastal Waters

Introduction

Some places make you want to dive in the moment you lay eyes on them.

Whale Bay is one of them. Standing on the shore and gazing out to sea, the water is so clear you can almost count the outline of every reef below, with fish gliding silently beneath the surface as if inviting you to join them. That urge is real, but before I jumped in, I still took some time to do my homework.

This article documents my complete first-time swimming experience at Whale Bay—from pre-swim site assessment, to the surprises in the water, to reflections after coming ashore. If you’re also considering swimming here, I hope this first-hand account gives you a useful reference.

Geography and Environment of Whale Bay

Whale Bay is located near Dong’ao in Yilan County. It is a small crescent-shaped cove surrounded by mountains on three sides, with its mouth opening toward the Pacific Ocean. The origin of the name is debated—some say it’s because the bay’s shape resembles a whale’s back, while others claim whales once stranded here in earlier years.

Important Safety Notice: Whale Bay is not an officially designated swimming area and has no permanent lifeguard on duty. All activities require self-assessment of safety conditions. It is recommended that at least three people swim together and that inflatable swim buoys be carried.

Assessment Before the First Entry

Upon arrival, I spent about 20 minutes observing the sea conditions. This is a basic habit for open-water swimming and a discipline I’ve learned from several races:

• Observe wave patterns: Are the waves regular? Are there intermittent larger swells that suddenly build up?
• Identify current direction: Toss a small leaf or observe the movement of floating debris on the surface
• Confirm entry and exit routes: Reef positions, water depth at entry point, and backup routes for emergency exit
• Assess visibility: Clear water means you can spot underwater obstacles in advance

The sea conditions that day were good: wave height around 30-40 cm, no significant lateral current, and visibility exceeding 3 meters. I decided to enter the water.

The Surprising World Beneath the Surface

The first sensation was the temperature—warmer than expected, around 28°C, no wetsuit needed. The second sensation was the peculiar psychological effect of the water’s clarity: at Sun Moon Lake or Living Water Lake, you can also see underwater, but that’s the transparency of freshwater; seawater’s clarity carries a blue depth to it. Looking down at reefs 3 meters below, you feel both their reality and their remoteness at the same time.

After swimming about 50 meters, I encountered my first technical challenge: groundswell. The swell at Whale Bay is different from typical bays—there’s no surf break zone. Instead, the entire sea surface rises and falls as a whole, with the whole expanse lifting and dropping every few seconds. This undulation is visually beautiful, but it causes:

• Reference points for navigation (landmarks on shore, distant mountains) constantly moving up and down
• Breathing timing becoming unpredictable
• Your swimming direction easily drifting off course without you noticing

The coping strategy is to “breathe with the rhythm of the swell”—breathing at the wave crest gives the best visibility, while keeping your head down to advance during the trough. This requires a negotiation between body and ocean that can only be truly understood through actual experience, far beyond any written explanation.

An Unexpected Gift Underwater

Swimming near the bay’s mouth, I looked down and saw a school of tropical fish with white bodies and blue spots darting out from between the reef crevices, sweeping past just one meter beneath my feet. That moment stopped me cold—I forgot to keep swimming and simply floated still on the surface, watching them.

This is an experience that pools and enclosed waters can never replicate: while swimming, you are simultaneously an underwater observer. The fish don’t care about you, the reefs don’t care about you—the entire underwater world operates on its own rhythm, and you are merely passing through briefly. That feeling brings a peculiar sense of humility.

In the end, I only swam about 800 meters before turning back—not because I was exhausted, but because every few dozen meters presented new underwater scenery that made me stop and look. This is perhaps the biggest difference between swimming at Whale Bay and racing: there’s no timer chasing you from behind here. You can swim at your own pace.

Safety Guidelines for Self-Guided Open-Water Swimming

Open-water swimming in non-race, unmanaged locations requires extra caution:

• Swim with at least three people to look out for one another
• Carry an inflatable swim buoy at all times—not just as a rest aid, but also as a visual marker
• Check weather and sea conditions in advance (Central Weather Bureau, Windy, and other tools)
• Inform someone on shore of your swimming plan (route, estimated duration)
• Establish return signals: if swimming in pairs, confirm each other’s status at regular intervals
• Do not enter the water at the end of an outgoing tide: the ebb current can be stronger than expected

Practical Tips

• Visit between July and September in summer: the northeast monsoon hasn’t arrived, and sea conditions are most stable
• Avoid swimming after consecutive rainy days: land runoff temporarily reduces visibility
• Wear a thin UV-protective long-sleeve swimsuit: Yilan’s summer sun is intense, and sun exposure should not be underestimated during long-distance swims
• Watch out for sea urchin areas: some reefs have sea urchins; wear non-slip water shoes when wading if necessary

Conclusion

When I came ashore at Whale Bay, the sun was approaching noon, and the sea surface shimmered under the sunlight. I sat on the reef, letting the seawater evaporate from my clothes, gazing at the expanse of blue I had just swum through.

What open-water swimming has given me has never been merely physical exertion. What it gives me is a recurring reminder: “You are just a small part of the natural world.” Those blue-spotted fish at Whale Bay probably don’t remember that a person once swam above them; but I remember. And that memory is worth all the driving and preparation.

Related Reading

• Yilan Nan’ao: Swimming Experience and Ecological Conservation at a Secluded Beach
• Swimming in Kenting Waters: Notes on the Coral Reef Areas of Nanwan and Houbihu
• Hualien Qixingtan: Challenges and Safety Tips for Sea Swimming in a Pebble Bay
• Green Island Snorkeling and Swimming: Exploring the Underwater World Among Tropical Fish