Articles with the theme whale shark tour
The Real Party Animals of Cancun
You may think of Cancun as a bustling hotspot filled with hotels, restaurants and discos, and you’d be right, but Cancun also possesses a lot of natural beauty and is increasingly becoming a destination that tourists visit in order to experience the best of both worlds, an urban tourist mecca, and a destination known for its natural attractions. Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya are not only home to Mexican nationals and expatriates, but also to many wild creatures.
Blue Crabs
Although urbanization has considerably diminished the number of Blue Crabs in Cancun, every night during September and October the organization Amigos de Sian Ka’an organizes volunteers to help the crabs cross the hotel zone highway safely so they can lay their eggs in the sea. There are still many blue crabs in Tulum and the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve living in their preserved natural habitat.
Dolphins are very social mammals that communicate with each other using clicks, whistles and other vocalizations. There are many companies in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya that offer a swim with dolphins experience, but there are also a lot of dolphins living in the Caribbean Sea in their natural habitat. Pay them a visit during a boating excursion.
Sea turtles are thought to have been in existence for over 100 million years, but sadly, they are now endangered. May through October is sea turtle nesting season and mama turtles can be observed laying their eggs on Cancun’s white sand beaches. Then, when the baby sea turtles begin to hatch, there are many programs in which locals and visitors can participate to help the babies make their way safely to the sea.
Crocodiles are thought to be descendents of dinosaurs. Cancun crocodiles are for the most part harmless and non-aggressive, their normal diet made up of fish and other small wildlife. However, there have been a few incidents of people being injured by crocs when they have ventured down through the mangroves to the edge of the lagoon to eh-hem, relieve themselves. It’s probably better to observe the crocs from a boat, the dock of a popular dining establishment or visit Crococun, a crocodile zoo!
Whale sharks aren’t whales, they are sharks. However, they feed on only plankton and small fish and are so docile that every year from mid-May to mid-September (July-August is peak whale shark season) locals and visitors jump into crystal clear Caribbean waters to swim with these gentle giants of the sea. There are whale shark tours available from Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox.
Be sure to always follow the directions that you are given by any tour guides or organizers when observing Mexico’s wildlife. We want all of these creatures to be around for our children, and their children to enjoy.
Come to Mexico and meet the creatures of Cancun!
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About the Author
Kristin Busse is an American expat who has been living in Cancun, Mexico since 2001. A wife, mother, singer, salsa dancer and now writer, she has worked in many different industries but is currently enjoying exploring the Yucatan Peninsula and sharing her expertise and experience with readers around the world. Follow Kristin on Twitter.
Whale Sharks: What you Probably Didn’t Know
Whale sharks are actually sharks, and sharks are a type of fish. They are one of only three filter feeding shark species. What does this mean? Well first of all it means that they aren’t a danger to humans, which is why we can swim with them. It also means that they eat by straining suspended food matter and particles from the water like plankton and macro-algae. They have huge mouths than can measure up to 1.5 yards across and have between 300 and 350 rows of tiny teeth, which strangely enough play no role in their feeding. Here on the Yucatan Peninsula local fisherman affectionately call them “dominos” due to their distinctive patterns of spots.
The largest confirmed documented whale shark was 41.5 feet in length. This is probably where they get the “whale” part of their name. The heaviest weighed in at more than 79,000 pounds. However, unconfirmed reports (perhaps “fish stories” and perhaps not) claim that whale sharks of up to 59 feet and 95,000 pounds have been spotted by fishermen and even scientists. Females give birth to hundreds of pups at the same time. Their lifespan is an amazing 70 to 100 years.
Whale sharks are found in all tropical and warm-temperate seas and scientists aren’t exactly sure why but every spring they migrate to certain regions around the globe, including off of Isla Mujeres and Holbox here in the plankton rich waters of the Yucatan Peninsula. Last August (2010) researchers counted 420 whale sharks in one area. They are docile creatures who sometimes even let humans grab on and go along for the ride. Formal “swim with whale sharks” tours started about 5 years ago and are available from mid-May through mid-September although July and August are the peak whale shark months.
Swimming with these gentle giants in the aqua blue waters of the Mexican Caribbean is an experience one will never forget. Take a look at the photos & video below!
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About the Author
Kristin Busse is an American expat who has been living in Cancun, Mexico since 2001. A wife, mother, singer, salsa dancer and now writer, she has worked in many different industries but is currently enjoying exploring the Yucatan Peninsula and sharing her expertise and experience with readers around the world. Follow Kristin on Twitter.
The Whale Shark Adventure | Cancun – Isla Mujeres
If you visit Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Holbox or Isla Mujeres take one day off the beach and wake up early to enjoy one of the most exciting adventures. Join our expert tour guides for the unique experience of swimming with WHALE SHARKS; season is coming to an end next month!
Do you have an underwater camera? Don’t forget to bring it or get one for less than $20 USD! If you want to see all the photos, click in our Whale Shark Adventure Photo Album.
Have you ever image to swim with the biggest fish on earth? Will you do it? Share your thoughts in the comments below! We want to know!
How Your Swim with Whale Sharks Will Save the World
Being named the largest fish species with an estimated measurement of up to 20-35 feet, the whale shark tends to leave a large impression wherever it swims.
And now, the life-changing experience of swimming with the whale shark will not only affect how you view the world, but how the world sees the whale shark and the efforts being made to preserve the environment. These THREE contributions—by no means small—will be the result of your once in a lifetime experience with the whale shark.
1. Citizen Scientist Track Whale Sharks:
The ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-Identification Library is a virtual database of whale shark encounters. The pictures are uploaded by snorkelers—citizen scientists—and biologists use a system similar to the Hubble telescope used to identify stars to match the skin patterns behind the gills of each shark and any scars to distinguish between individual animals. The white, checkered-pattern is unique to each whale shark and functions as a fingerprint. The images are compared to existing photographs and categorized as a new sighting or flagged as a returning visitor. With cutting-edge software, biologists use these white-checkered designs to identify migratory patterns and learn more about this mysterious creature. To date, more than 28,000 photos have been collected from around the world. Tip: When photographing the whale shark, the most important thing to remember is to remain at least 3 meters (10 feet) away from the shark to not alter their behavior.
2. Awareness Leads to Conservation:
Despite an increase in research over the past decade, the biology and ecology of whale sharks remain an enigma, with still much to learn to assist efforts in conserving the species. The whale shark is currently listed as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Up to 1,000 whale sharks were hunted in Taiwan last century before a government ban in 2001. The change of attitude towards the world’s gentle giant is in large part due to the attention people like Dave Duran bring to the animals. Duran is a cameraman turned diver in Taiwan who 12 years ago shared his footage of the whale shark with the world and brought the international spotlight to that part of the world and to the whale shark. Because of this and the diffusion of information, in 2005, the Mexican government set aside 247,105 acres of Isla Mujeres ocean as a protected area for the whale shark. But despite all these advances, there is still a threat to the future of this beautiful creature. By bringing attention to the whale shark and this kind of tourism, travelers highlight the beauty of the world’s largest fish species, encouraging others to learn and preserve.
3. Economic Gain for Local Economies:
Well-managed ecotourism has a tremendous economic and ecologically sustainable impact. The economic gain—from a business perspective—generated from whale shark ecotourism benefits the local economy and the environment. Whale shark tourism first started in the late 1980s in Australia and has now proliferated to at least 20 other locations around the world, including several locations in Mexico. An estimated 100,000 people participate in whale shark tourism activities around the world annually, paying up to $350 USD for a single encounter, which in turn generates millions of dollars for local economies. In Donsol, Sorsogon in the Philippines, the whale shark ecotourism industry shifted the municipality poverty line from rank 76 amongst the poorest to a rank of 17. In Mexico, tourism represented income for the country in 12,900 million dollars in 2007. Tourism provided more than 180,000 jobs. Mexico is properly positioned for prosperity and growth in tourism, benefiting local communities throughout the country. The country’s leading tourism authorities are aware of the benefits of ecotourism and plan future investments with this in mind, including such things as the preservation of the whale shark in the warm waters of the Mexican Caribbean.
Will you contribute to saving the world?
About the Author.
Pamela Acosta is a travel photographer and writer for Yucatan Holidays. She is seeking to travel throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, Riviera Maya & Cancun in an attempt to capture beauty and wonder in words & pixels. Follow Pamela on Twitter.
Top 7 Must-Know Facts About the Whale Sharks
Did you know…?
1. In some other countries around the world, the whale shark is called: Shalaam Waan (Thai), Pez Dama (Spanish), Requin Baleine (French), Tiburon Ballena (Spanish), Tubarão Baleia (Portuguese), Tofu Shark (Taiwan), Tuki-Tuki (Visayan), Tuko (Tagalog), Vaame (Swahili), Walhai (German), Walvishaai (Afrikaans), among others.
2. Whale sharks are grayish, bluish or brownish above, with an upper surface pattern of creamy white spots between pale, vertical and horizontal stripes. Each fish has a distinct pattern of this unique “checkerboard” and it serves as a fingerprint to identify and help scientists track migratory patterns.
3. The largest size reported is about 65 ft., but no scientific data supports it. The smallest free-living individual is 21.7- inches long. Sexual maturity in both sexes may not occur until the sharks are approximately 29.53 ft in length. Age estimates for whale sharks are as high as 60 years, but no certainty is placed in that fact.
4. The whale shark feeds actively by opening its mouth, distending the jaws and sucking. Then it closes its mouth and the water flow out its gills. Whale sharks feed on a wide variety of microscopic creature (plankton) and small crustaceans, schooling fishes, and occasionally on tuna, squids as well as microscopic and large plants.
5. The species is a live bearer, with an ovoviviparous (internal fertilization and the young are born live) mode of development. The egg capsules are amber-colored, with a smooth texture, and possess a respiratory opening on each side. It appears that female whale sharks give birth as they feed in the rich waters of the Kuroshio Current. The southeast waters off Taiwan are also an important birthing area.
6. Whale sharks have no known predators. However, in recent years, the threat imposed by humans and commercial fisheries has increased. In Taiwan, approximately 100 whale sharks are taken annually due to the demand for food products and the high prices of the meat. Fishing for this shark also occurs in the Philippines, even though the country has established regulations to stop the whale shark fishing industry. Whale shark fins are also sold in the Orient, especially in Hong Kong. Other products such as oils and skin treatments are derived from the whale shark.
7. The whale shark is listed on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Animals as “indeterminate” status. The category applies to species that are endangered, vulnerable or rare, but there is still little information to place it properly. Under the American Fisheries Society (AFS), the whale shark is listed as “conservation dependent”—reduced but recovering under a continuing conservation plan. The whale shark is listed as “Vulnerable” with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
BONUS FACT. As a company working towards Responsible Tourism, Yucatan Holidays offers visitors the opportunity to swim with the whale sharks and in that way share more information about this fascinating creature and offer tourists the experience of a lifetime.
About the Author
Pamela Acosta is a travel photographer and writer for Yucatan Holidays. She is seeking to travel throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, Riviera Maya & Cancun in an attempt to capture beauty and wonder in words & pixels.
Swimming with Whale Sharks | The Adventures of Yucatan Holidays
“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” Eden Phillpotts
The great American author Mark Twain—seeker of adventures and new discoveries—once said “twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do, than by the ones you did do.”
Without knowing it, Twain was referring to an unforgettable vacation attraction in the best beaches in Mexico right off Cancun, where the largest fish species—the whale shark—makes the warm waters of the Mexico Caribbean Sea its home from May to September.
Immerse in that blue, turquoise water waiting to see the whale sharks will seem as an eternity. The adrenalin pulsates through your bloodstream with a nervous excitement that makes your fingertips and toes tingle as you scan the open blue abyss for something, anything.
Then suddenly, out of the ubiquitous silence, the blues of the sea are broken by the sway of the approaching whale shark. Its enormity and beauty sends a wave of awe-striking excitement felt very rarely in a lifetime. The white-checkered dots on its back that identify it from every other whale shark in the world glide underneath you as you observe these inspiring creatures in their natural habitat. With its overpowering 20-35 ft and gentle, calm presence, the whale shark swim transports you into a transcendental world of wonder, beauty and magic.
As you shakily step unto the boat, your companion’s face mirrors the fiery excitement that fills your core. The whale shark experience is over and it is only after seeing your diminutive dimension in comparison to these marvelous and mysterious creatures that you discover a world of wonder you thought only existed in the pristine corners of your mind.
The whale shark is the largest fish species, but despite its colossal size, the creature has been sighted in only 14 places in the world, one being the Mexico beaches right off Cancun. Adding this amazing experience to your dos will not be something you will regret. The information on this fascinating animal is still very limited and although the exact number of whale sharks is unknown, they are considered to be a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The world has provided us with the infinite opportunity to discover a world outside of ourselves. Nothing will be able to compare to this once in a lifetime experience. Would you like to try it? Join us and swim with whale sharks in Cancun!
About the Author:
Pamela Acosta is a travel photographer and writer for Yucatan Holidays. She is seeking to travel throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, Riviera Maya & Cancun in an attempt to capture beauty and wonder in words & pixels.
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