Articles with the theme whale sharks swim

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.