Have you ever dreamt of swimming with Whale Sharks? Is it on your bucket list yet?
Did you know that we have the largest gathering of these gentle giants each year in the Caribbean?
From June to September, around 400 filter feeding Whale Sharks come near the coast of the crystal-clear water of the Caribbean Sea to feed on fish eggs and plankton. They are the biggest fish and sharks in the ocean!
Although their name may be misleading, they are indeed sharks, not whales. The name comes from their size being the one of a small whale. They are the average size of a bus, from 30 to 40 feet long with a 3 feet-wide mouth.
Fun facts: each one of them has a unique pattern of white dots on their grey skin, like human fingerprints. This fish has 5 large pairs of gills and 300 teeth. (Don’t worry, they have tiny teeth, almost invisible and anyways, it’s more likely to get swallowed by them then eaten!!! Just kidding!)
In fact, there is no danger at all since the throat of this fish is the size of a golf ball and they are not interested in feeding on humans! Also, did you know that no one has ever seen a whale shark give birth?
Several companies offer the Whale shark tour from Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Holbox. Departures are usually early in the morning since it’s about an hour boat ride. The Whale Shark area is located between Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy. It is protected and regulated by CONANP, which is the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas in Mexico.
Imagine if you lived on the Riviera Maya and could swim with whale sharks whenever you wanted!!! Going on the ocean is different every time and it’s always a unique experience. On certain days, you may even see flying fish, dolphins or turtles… Beware of the big waves especially if you get seasick, make sure to take the appropriate measures to ensure a splendid day!
Around the full moon cycle, the fish spawn and fill the water with food for Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. We strongly recommend that you go during this time of the month if possible, for the chance to see tons of them while swimming and even from the boat. We had the opportunity to swim with them many times and every time we left filled with joy and were grateful for this one-of-a-kind adventure. Once, not only did we see two Whale Sharks, but also three Manta Rays were swimming around us as if we were flying and dancing together in the water. A-MA-ZING!!! It was by far our favorite experience swimming with these beautiful creatures.
If it wasn’t on your bucket list already, is it now?
