Well it wasn’t on my Life’s Greatest Hits checklist however with a birthday developing and a son graduating from faculty I couldn’t resist the chance to swim with whale sharks on a latest press journey to Cancun.
Really? “Swim with whale sharks” was what it mentioned on the itinerary for the day following a “Swim with Dolphins” tour. Sounded equally innocent. And PR individuals are recognized to be very cautious to not hurt media on these journeys.
The description continued, “The whale shark is the largest fish exisiting in the ocean today; they can grow to be up to 60 feet (18 meters) in length. The whale shark prefers waters of warm surface temperature, in areas where there are upwellings of nutrient rich colder water — these conditions favor blooms of plankton on which the sharks feed.”
Ok. I used to be sport, as had been Christy, Lucas, Kim, her daughter Sadie, Gina, Adriana and Cessie. At 6:30am we began chugging the Dramamine; good factor too. A van introduced us to Solo Buceo, an area dive store the place Tiburon Ballena, Observo, No Toco! was the message.
A Whale Shark Encounter Mexico Style
After a fast orientation by their crew, our information Nicos grabbed some gear and led us to a velocity boat. The hunt, taking anyplace from 1.5 to 4 hours, was on. We had been going to seek out the place the whale sharks had been hanging out, and be part of them within the Caribbean.
I don’t assume anybody actually believed they had been truly going to swim with 60-foot-long fish.
We sped previous a pod of dolphins frolicking within the white caps… Then whizzed by Isla Mujeres… Everyone had watched the large inexperienced sea turtle lumber by… Most had been engaged on our tans… That was absolutely sufficient for one trip day.
I’m positive all of us secretly assumed the sharks would by no means be discovered.
Suddenly, on the horizon, our driver noticed another boats. We pulled up… swarms of Jaws-like fins immediately circling our boat. Nicos distributed life jackets, flippers, a masks and snorkel and pointed at me, “You! Swim?” he requested. “Let’s go.”
Not one to carry up the group, and wanting to strive the waterproof GoPro digicam I used to be reviewing, in I went.
And it was heavenly. My GoPro video can solely offer you a style of the expertise.
Amazing, worthwhile, presumably life-changing — how? I now have large respect for a creature I by no means even knew co-existed on my planet. These dozens of whale sharks appeared incredbily disinterested in us, however we had been enthralled with them.
Watching them lazily swimming round, making an attempt to remain out of their approach, recoiling once we by chance bumped one developing behind, admiring the tiny algae eaters who rode on their backs whereas feeding… the ten minutes I spent down under was thrilling.
You Can Swim with Whale Sharks Too.
Solo Buceo (855-980-6736) is positioned on the Real Inn Hotel, Cancun Mexico. They have been doing this (and main diving journeys, and so on) for the reason that Nineteen Nineties. The Swim with Whale Shark snorkeling journeys run in the course of the June to September migration season of those majestic creatures. The value is US$159 per particular person, booked on-line prematurely. Our information Nico mentioned that youngsters as younger as 10 may do that, since solely snorkeling (and confidence) is concerned. It’s principally about physique weight so households with greater and braver youthful youngsters ought to get in contact.
Don’t wait until you’re my age. Just do it.
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