Swimming With Whale Sharks and the Bizarre Desert World of Lake Assale

Djibouti: The Backup Plan That Became an Adventure

November 2012: As part of a larger Middle East-Middle East | Venture The Planet and East Africa-East Africa | Venture The Planet trip, my friend Evan and I ended up in Djibouti for four days—a destination that, truthfully, wasn’t our first choice.

Originally, we had planned to visit Socotra, Yemen, but after failing to secure a visa, Djibouti became our backup plan.

What Did We Know About Djibouti? Not Much.

Aside from the inevitable jokes about its name, our knowledge of Djibouti was pretty limited.

We were vaguely aware that:

• The country is home to French Foreign Legion training bases.
• It sits at a strategic location at the mouth of the Red Sea, making it a hotspot for military bases from multiple countries.
• It has extreme desert landscapes and some of the hottest temperatures on Earth.

Beyond that? We were going in blind.

But sometimes, the best adventures come from the places you least expect.

Map of Djibouti

Djibouti: A Small Nation with Strategic Importance

Djibouti is a hot, humid desert nation on the Horn of Africa, where temperatures frequently soar to some of the highest on Earth. Historically, it was once part of the biblical Kingdom of Punt before becoming a French colony in the 1800s. It remained under French rule until the late 1960s, when it gained independence.

Today, Djibouti’s population is predominantly Muslim, with most people speaking Arabic and French. The country is home to two major ethnic groups—the Somali and Afar peoples.

A Geopolitical Crossroads

Djibouti’s strategic location near the inlet to the Red Sea has made it one of the most militarized regions in the world. Some of the world’s largest navies have a presence here, including:

• The United States, which operates Camp Lemonnier, its largest military base in Africa.
• China, which established its first overseas military base here in 2017.
• France, which maintains a long-standing military presence dating back to colonial rule.

Beyond military operations, Djibouti plays a crucial economic role as an important cargo port for East Africa. It remains one of the only stable nations along the Red Sea, making it a key trade and logistics hub.

The French Foreign Legion has also used Djibouti as a training ground for decades, drawn by its harsh desert conditions—ideal for preparing soldiers for operations in extreme environments.

Despite its small size, Djibouti is a nation that punches far above its weight on the global stage, serving as a bridge between Africa, the Middle East, and major world powers.

First Impressions of Djibouti City

Evan and I flew into Djibouti City via Addis Ababa, arriving in the evening. We stayed near the city center, eager to get a feel for the place before heading off on our planned adventures.

It didn’t take long to notice the impact of the Navy ships docked at Djibouti’s port. The city’s bars were overflowing with prostitutes, and despite Djibouti being a largely non-English-speaking country, many of these women spoke fluent English—a clear sign of the constant rotation of international military personnel passing through.

Djibouti: Expensive, Unfriendly, and Camera-Shy

For a country with rampant poverty and low-quality accommodations, Djibouti was surprisingly expensive. Food, lodging, and transport all seemed overpriced, likely due to foreign military money inflating prices.

The locals in Djibouti City weren’t particularly friendly, and carrying a camera in public was guaranteed to incite anger. Taking photos was possible, but I had to be discreet, often snapping shots covertly.

Despite this, I found the mix of Ottoman and French colonial architecture intriguing—even in its fading decay, there was a certain beauty to the city’s crumbling facades.

The Real Reason We Came to Djibouti

Our goal wasn’t to linger in Djibouti City—it was to get out and explore the country’s wild landscapes.

Two things had drawn us here:

1. Swimming with whale sharks, which were migrating off Djibouti’s shores during our visit.
2. Visiting Lac Assal, the lowest point in Africa at -500 feet and one of the lowest places in the world.

With these goals in mind, we were eager to escape the city and experience the raw, untamed side of Djibouti.

Market place

Djibouti City

Djibouti City Alleyway

Djibouti City

Djibouti City

Djibouti City Street Scene

Djibouti City Street Scene

A DIY Trip to Lac Assal

I wasn’t interested in paying for an overpriced package tour, where a middleman would take a cut of the profits. Instead, we did things the old-school way—we flagged down a taxi driver in the street and negotiated a fair price for the trip.

The drive to Lac Assal took a few hours, cutting through harsh, desolate desert landscapes. Along the way, we passed:

• Afar nomad settlements, with their traditional conical huts.
• Hamadryas baboons, loitering by the roadside, scheming to sneak into vehicles and steal food.

Arriving at Lac Assal

Lac Assal was incredible.

At 500 feet below sea level, it is the lowest point in Africa and one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. The lake’s crystalline salt crusts stretched across the landscape, forming otherworldly patterns that crunched beneath our feet.

The brilliant colors of the water, contrasted against the barren, lifeless desert, made for a truly surreal scene. The entire area felt untamed and forgotten, a place where nature still ruled.

We spent time:

• Meeting Afar nomads, who live in the harsh desert near the lake.
• Visiting a hot spring, bubbling up in the middle of this extreme landscape.
• Wading into the lake, feeling the buoyant, high-salinity water that left our skin coated in a thick layer of salt.

At the time of our visit, there were no structures, no hotels, no tourist infrastructure—just raw wilderness.

A Missed Opportunity for Camping

As the sun began to set, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we had missed an incredible opportunity—camping at Lac Assal would have been unforgettable.

The isolation, the eerie silence, and the otherworldly beauty of the salt flats under a star-filled sky would have made for an epic night in the desert.

Still, even without a tent, Lac Assal was one of the most unique places I had ever visited—a place that felt like it belonged to another planet.

Afar Nomad Huts

Eager Hamadrya baboon Trying to Enter Our Vehicle-Needless to say we locked the doors and rolled up the windows

Hamadrya baboons

Lac Assal

Lac Assal

Me at Lac Assal

Swimming with Whale Sharks in the Red Sea

Evan and I took the DIY approach to swimming with whale sharks—instead of booking an expensive tour, we headed down to the fishing docks and negotiated with a local fisherman for a day trip in his small, open-top boat.

The boat was basic, to say the least—no life jackets, no emergency supplies, and just a couple of busted-up snorkel masks we had haggled for at the fishing market.

As we set off into the Red Sea, I couldn’t help but think:

• What if the motor broke down?
• We had no drinking water.
• The Djibouti coastline was one of the most desolate places on Earth.

But adventure often comes with risk, and we were willing to take it.

Fins in the Water

After some time, we approached a remote stretch of coastline. The captain pointed to a beach about 100 yards away, informing us that it was near a French Foreign Legion training base.

Then—movement in the water.

Suddenly, multiple fins broke the surface, gliding silently toward us.

The captain smiled and nodded—”Get ready. Jump in.”

Face-to-Face with a Giant

As one of the fins approached, I took a deep breath and leaped into the water, landing directly in front of it.

For a moment, I was suspended in the blue silence, the sunlight filtering through the water.

Then—out of the depths, a massive 30-foot whale shark appeared, its gaping mouth wide open, inhaling clouds of minnows and plankton-rich water.

The gentle giant was completely unaware of my presence.

But I quickly realized I was in its path.

As it turned, its huge dorsal fin sliced through the water right between my legs, nearly decapitating my manhood.

I twisted my body, trying to avoid the worst of the impact. Its rough, sandpaper-like tail brushed against my leg, but thankfully, I managed to escape a full-force slap from its enormous tail fin.

Hours in the Water with the Giants

For the next few hours, Evan and I had the ocean to ourselves, swimming alongside multiple whale sharks.

No other tourists. No crowds. Just us and these magnificent creatures, moving gracefully through the water.

That was until a U.S. Navy boat appeared on the horizon.

A group of young enlisted servicemen had arrived—eager to jump in and experience the magic of swimming with whale sharks themselves.

Even with company, the experience remained breathtaking—one of those rare moments when you feel completely immersed in nature, sharing the sea with some of the largest, most peaceful creatures on the planet.

Days catch of fish at the fishing market

Evan sitting on the bow of our hired boat

Whale shark

Me Swimming with Whale shark

Feeding whale shark 

Me Swimming with Whale shark

Solo Journey into Somaliland

With Evan heading back to Dubai for work before rejoining me later in Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression-Lava Lakes, Bubbling Acid Pools and Nomadic Camel Caravans Carrying Salt Across the Lowest and Hottest Desert in Africa | Venture The Planet, I decided to continue my travels solo—this time into Somaliland-Traveling Overnight Through the Somaliland Desert in a Bush Taxi and Being Detained in a Remote Village for a Day During an Election | Venture The Planet, an unrecognized but self-declared independent state neighboring Djibouti.

Crossing the Border into Somaliland

I reached the border in the evening, crossing over in a small, shared taxi bus packed with locals and traders. The process was straightforward, though the atmosphere at the border was chaotic, with merchants and money changers shouting out rates and people haggling over goods.

Once on the Somaliland side, I quickly arranged another shared taxi bus to take me on the overnight journey to Hargeisa, the capital.

A Long Night in the Somaliland Desert

The drive was an adventure in itself. The road was barely a road at all—just a network of sandy desert tracks that cut through the vast, barren landscape of Somaliland.

The bus bounced and swayed violently over the uneven terrain, with the occasional jolt launching passengers into the air. Sleep was impossible.

Despite the discomfort, the journey was fascinating—outside the windows, the desert stretched endlessly, with the occasional camel caravan appearing in the moonlight. The passengers were mostly Somali traders, some wrapping themselves in traditional shawls, while others leaned against bundles of cargo destined for the markets of Hargeisa.

The stars burned brightly overhead, the sky untouched by light pollution, making the desolation of the landscape even more striking.

By morning, we would reach Hargeisa, and my solo adventure in Somaliland would begin.