Citizen science with Whale shark encounters.
Whale shark Rhincodon typus is the biggest fish of the world. Despite their huge size, this specie are docile and cruise the world´s oceans looking for planktoon to feed.
¿Whale or shark? A Whale shark is a fish and breathes via its gills. The name whale shark comes from the fact these animals are so large (as big as whales) and that they filter feed (like baleen whales such as the humpback) However, they have cartilage instead of bone, making them a true shark.
The Whale shark has a unique spot pattern on its body, which has allowed photo identification of individuals. There is currently a registration base of whale shark sightings called Wildbook for Whale sharks, which operates publicly online and is fed by observations made by tourist, fishermen and researchers. Until february 2018, it have been able to identify 8,890 whale sharks and registered 43,676 sightings in more than 50 countries. This type of effort allows the design of international conservation strategies.
If you have the opportunity to swim with Whale sharks and want to contribute to your research, prepare the camera and follow it the instructions in wildbook for whale sharks. You will not regret!
Protecting and contributing to the investigations of threatened species gives us the opportunity to be agents of change and be part of a great team that takes care of an entire ecosystem.
Source: Museo de la Ballena y Ciencias del Mar
Wildbook for Whale sharks.
This, by far, is the coolest excursion I’ve done. I mean, really: How many people can say they swam with Whale Sharks? How many people have even heard of a Whale Shark? Please, if you have a day – do this tour! Our Tour Guide was a gentleman named Ernesto. My group of 4 ladies took the 7am ferry from Cozumel to Cancun and met EA (Eco Adventures) at 8am. We drove about an hour to the pier, where we had a quick breakfast before heading out to the open water. About 1.5 hours, we arrive in the middle of the ocean. During this time, we’d been educated on the Whale Shark and the upcoming adventure by Ernesto. We were one of the last boats to arrive on the scene, so we were ready to enter the ocean when we arrived. We are only allowed in 2 at a time (plus your water guide) for about 15 minutes. The Mexican government takes this seriously, and has police out there keeping an eye on all the boats. Our day, there were only about 12-15 boats. Usually, you only get one chance to swim, since most boats have 10 or so participants. We got lucky-there were 4 of us, and we hit the water 3 times each. OMG! They are the coolest creatures. Breathtaking! I can’t say enough about the swim. After we were done, the crew had sandwiches on the boat, so we had a snack before doing a bit of snorkeling and then joining The Land Of The Beautiful People. We sat on our boat, having home-made ceviche and beers, and did a walk along the beach. After we were done, we headed into port. It’s not a short day, but it’s worth every minute and every penny. EA does a great job and Ernesto was a great tour guide. Did I mention the pictures/film taken while aboard the tour? Those I will enjoy for years to come!