The spotted whale shark, or Rhincodon typus, is the largest living fish species. They can reach up to 41 feet in length and weigh more than 79 thousand lb. The shark lives in tropical and warm oceans, with a lifespan of about 70 years. The name "whale shark" comes from the fish's physiology; it is as large as a whale, but is a slow-moving filter feeding shark. Although whale sharks have very large mouths, they feed mainly on plankton, microscopic plants, animals, and occasionally schools of small fish. During certain times of the year, you can take a tour out to where they are known to feed off the coast of Mexico and swim with them.
I was very excited about this trip, it was the whole reason I came to Cancun! I was picked up at 7:30 from the hostel and dropped off at Punta Sam to meet up with the tour guide. We got on the boat and headed to one other pier to pick up a few more people, then headed out. The trip out to the spot where the whale sharks were feeding took about an hour and a half. We were told that there had been about a hundred of them the day before, so there was a good chance that we'd see quite a few that day. The rules were, only two people we allowed at a time, with a guide, into the waters with the sharks, so as to not disturb them. We weren't allowed to try and touch them although not much could be done if they bumped into you :). Also, we were only allowed to apply sunscreen at the beginning of our trip, as too much sunscreen in the water could adversely affect the health of the plankton the sharks fed on.
When we arrived at the site, there were about 6 other boats with groups of people, surrounding by about 30 whale sharks, maybe more. My partner and I, a Canadian gentleman who had just gone on the same tour a couple of days before, went in first. We had to be quick! Basically the boat would slowly maneuver into position along side an approaching whale shark. You had to jump in as soon as they called out and swim as quickly as possible to catch up with a gliding shark. It was very tiring but exhilarating. I managed to get within a couple of feet of one before we were called back to let the next couple go.
Over the next hour or so, all six couples went three times. My last time in was amazing but also pretty funny. I basically jumped in and began to swim as hard as I could, determined to make the most my last chance to get close to them. I had just reached the side of the shark, when it suddenly changed direction slightly and I was partially on top of it. I tried to back off, but got whacked by its massive tail as it passed by. It didn't hurt, but it was kind of a surprise, it all happened so quickly. Apparently, I am just as accident prone on sea as I am on land :)
One other surprise was that most of us suffered from motion sickness as the boat idled in the water while the couples were swimming. I have been on boats since I can remember and never gotten sea-sick, but something about the combination exerting yourself to keep up with the sharks, and swell of the ocean was enough to make most of us have to stick our heads over the side of the boat for relief. I didn't get that sick, but I did have to put my head down for a few minutes. It was really weird.
After we'd all had our turns, we headed back to Isla Mujeres to snorkel, rest on the beach, and eat. Our guides served fresh cerviche and Coronas from the boat while we stood in the water to cool off. Excellente! All in all a lovely day, so glad I was able to do it. What an amazing experience!
Underwater pics to be posted soon!
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