WhaleShark Adventure
(Notice: Whaleshark adventure is seasonal from May to September)We are now offering 2 different Whale Shark Adventure Tours for our clients:
1. Whale Shark Tour with Cholenco ( owner of boats)
Experience local Mayan villages and sights on two hour trip (from Dive Center) to speedboats that await to take you on your whale shark adventure. Once on the equipped boats, you will experience the excitement of watching for wildlife: whale sharks, dolphins, manta rays, turtles, etc. The captains are all knowledgeable on the best spots to spot this wildlife and will take you where you have the best chance of spotting them. And be ready to snorkel with the creatures as you are in for a thrill of a lifetime! $185 usd is the price for this adventure and includes transport, refreshments, water and a box lunch. This option is best for groups of 5 or more so that it we are able to cater to specific needs. Ask about having a special lunch on Isla Hol Box or adding some time to explore a village. Approximate travel time can vary.
The villages offer possible shopping as well as eating for the curious. Driving through the jungle adds adventure and interest to this tour. If you have the time, it is worth the trip!
2. Whale Shark Adventure through Cancun
Take a 1.5 hour van ride up (from Play del Carmen location) to a brand new pier outside of Cancun where you will be greeted by guides who will explain to you interesting Whale Shark facts including conservation and history. Then climb aboard a speedboat in search of the large animal. This tour offers a 100% guarantee of a sighting. After you snorkel with the Whale Shark you are taken to a reef to snorkel with other local wildlife and enjoy a light lunch. The van awaits your return and you are then taken back to Playa del Carmen by approximately 4pm. The price of this tour is $185 usd departing from Playa del Carmen.
Biggest Whale Shark "Swarm" Found
Plenty of Fish
Photograph courtesy Smithsonian Institution
You could call it a whale of a "swarm"—the biggest observed gathering of whale sharks was spotted off the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula (see map) in 2009, according to a recent study. Snapped from a small plane, the above picture shows a white boat (bottom right) amid the fishy gathering.
Usually the oceans' biggest fish—which reach lengths of up to 40 feet (12 meters)—stick to themselves as they cruise the world's tropical waters looking for plankton and other small prey. (See picture: "Smallest Whale Shark Discovered—On a Leash.")
But aerial and surface surveys spotted at least 420 of the sharks rubbing fins as they gorged on eggs freshly spawned by little tunny fish, a relative of the mackerel.
"To see a group of that many all in one place was phenomenal—to the point where you couldn't navigate a boat through that without having concern for the fish. That's impressive," said study co-author Mike Maslanka, head of the Nutrition Science Department at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia.
Other organizations that contributed to the study include the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas in Cancún, Mexico; the Center for Shark Research in Sarasota, Florida; the Mexico-based conservation group Project Domino; and Atlanta's Georgia Aquarium.