Swimming With Whale Sharks In The Yucatan Peninsula - The Sleepy Fishing Village Of Holbox Mexico
I've seen some beautiful beaches in my life, but one of the most beautiful beaches ever is in Holbox (pronounced Hōl-Bōwsh) in the northern Yucatan Peninsula, an easy day of travel from Cancun by car or flight in a Cessna and well worth it.
Holbox is a sleepy little fishing village with plenty to offer to the adventurous traveler and it's notorious for its annual, visiting whale sharks.
Swimming With The Whale Sharks
The best time to see the whale sharks is from May through September when they do their yearly rise to the surface of the ocean to feed on plankton.
)Whale sharks do not migrate as most people believe. They are in deeper waters during the winter months, but as the sun shines longer during the summer, plankton grows thicker on the oceans surface and the whale sharks return to feed on the bounty.
My friends and I decided to go there for a few days in September, rent a bungalow, some golf carts to get around in and a boat to go see the whale sharks.
I drove there and paid a private parking lot for three days to keep my car, walked to the boat dock and flagged a fisherman down to taxi me over for the 20-minute ride to the island.
Pulling up to the island dock, my friends met me with a golf cart all gassed up cart ready to go. So I packed my stuff onto it and we drove to a bungalow on the beach and I checked into my room.
The room was beautiful and had an ocean view. I threw my bag on the bed, changed into some swim trunks and jumped back on the cart to cruise around the island.
Doing 12-Ounce Curls. Lot's Of Reps
My friends were already a few beers and shots in so I had some catching up to do. First stop, the bar.
It couldn't have been more perfect. A simple palapa bar full of interesting people with just the right amount of alcohol flying around like the breeze coming off the ocean, Bob Marley's, "Don't Worry" playing and ice cold beer backs with tequila shots.
We mingled with the crowd and I did a few 12-ounce curls until I was speaking fluent Tequilish. I had so much fun I can't remember the name of the bar but you can't miss it. It's a grass hut sitting all alone in the open on a beach that stretches for miles in either direction. Just follow the stumbling drunk people, they'll know where it is.
After getting tuned up we decided to grab a bite to eat. We had lunch at this great little restaurant and ordered some fresh fish and split a lobster pizza.
Touring The Island
Then we did a quick drive around the island to have a look around before it got dark. We drove around the whole island in about two hours taking our time to stop for frequent swims in the womb temperature, crystal clear water.
The amazing thing about the beaches in the Riviera Maya is no matter how hot the sun shines, the sand will never burn your feet. It's close to 100% limestone so it doesn't conduct heat. You can lay right on the sand comfortably.
Seeing Pink Flamingos
After making the entire loop around the island and dropping off the golf carts at the room, we somehow, mysteriously ended up at the bar again. It was like there was some kind of vortex drawing us in. We did our best to resist, but the force was too strong. Besides, everyone was hanging out there by now to catch the sunset.
As we got closer to the bar, on foot this time, we saw some flamingos walking along the beach. They looked surreal the way they move so elegantly, looking like a bright piece of fruit against the turquoise Caribbean sea.
Glow-In-The-Dark Beaches
We continued the party well into midnight on a moonless night and the stars looked like diamonds on the water, but we forced ourselves to walk back to our rooms and get some sleep. We had a big day of adventure ahead of us in the morning.
On the way back, I thought I was hallucinating. As I walked along the beach, the water seemed to be glowing in the dark, like a scene from the movie Avatar.
The further away the light from the tiki torches at the bar faded behind us, the more the ocean seemed to be glowing until it was clear. It was glowing with bioluminescent tides.
We went for a midnight swim, splashing in the glowing waves like children, making our bodies glow in the dark till we looked like we played in the Blue Man Group when suddenly, some headlights beamed on us like a prison guards' spot light.
Two Mexican police officers got out of their jeep and approached us. "What are you doing there?", they asked suspiciously. "Playing in the water.", we told them. "Oh, have fun.", they said and drove away. Mexican cops are so cool. We giggled as they drove away, stood up and walked back to our rooms.
The next morning we grabbed some coffee and breakfast, hopped on the golf cart to get tickets for a whale shark tour.
We climbed aboard the boat and headed out to sea until we couldn't see land anymore, as the captain kept his eyes peeled in search of a whale shark. Finally, he spotted one and maneuvered the boat in its direction.
As we got closer we realized it wasn't a whale shark, it was a giant stingray, bigger than any I had ever seen before. It looked like a UFO flying in the water and was easily twenty feet in diameter. I didn't know they got that big. It was bigger than the boat. The captain asked if we wanted to swim with it, but no one felt that brave.
We continued our search and found some whale sharks swimming together in a group and pulled along side of the matching their speed.
I was the first one in the water and it took all my strength to keep up with them. It's deceiving the way they seem to be slowly moving along their gentle paths, but once you're swimming side by side with them, it's all you can do to keep up.
Whale sharks are not really sharks and are completely harmless to humans even though their mouths are big enough to swallow you.
Wikipedia has this to say about them.
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving filter feeding shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 12.65 m (41.5 ft) and a weight of about 21.5 t (47,000 lb).[3] Unconfirmed claims of considerably larger individuals, over 14 m (46 ft) long and weighing at least 30 t (66,000 lb), are not uncommon. Modeling suggests a lifespan of about 70 years, but measurements have proven difficult. Credit
Holbox is a beautiful place for relaxing or adventure and is still one of the best-kept secrets of the Yucatan Peninsula. If you're looking for some time in Mexico that's more authentic than the usual tourist fare, you'll find an unforgettable experience any direction you explore in Holbox.
Hope you enjoyed my post and thanks for reading it.
O yeah whale sharks are awesome @luzcypher and I like the flamingo's too ..even dough I find them little bit strange I simple canot look away, the are stunning!
Flamingos are funny looking to me. I saw them by the hundreds of thousands migrating to Celestun, so many the water looked pink from their reflections.
You very beautifully write, I will follow you I hope, mutually
Great article Luz. Thanks. Even if they are harmless, this could be pretty unnerving. ;)
Cool video. Looks like it was just curious to me. Definitely would get your adrenaline going though.
I've spent some time with whale sharks and they are magnificent creatures. I swam with one shark for 45 minutes straight and it felt like we were one.
Great post, thanks for sharing.
It's an amazing experience, right? Thanks for reading.
It's an experience that everyone should do at least once. I'm a diver but I've only snorkelled with them which in some respects is better.
On my 45m encounter I spent a lot of time swimming at eye level with the shark (eye to eye) and I swapped sides by diving under him while looking up at his belly and coming up on his other side and repeating the process. It felt so natural and beautiful.
I love the water (and nature) and it was one of the best, if not the best experience that I have ever had.
I snorkelled with them too, just as you described.