Whale Sharks – Isla Holbox

Thank you to Alberto and Arturo Morteo (Banana Tours and Puesta del Sol) for guiding us on an amazing whale shark adventure Monday! We were off the coast of Holbox Island at the very northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, where unique upwelling conditions attract whale sharks and other sea animals to feed in the nutrient-rich waters. We swam with several beautiful whale sharks, who actually came to us when we entered the water. We also watched graceful rays ‘fly’ just below the surface, and dolphins with their calves, one of which was nursing. Wow! As we headed back to shore, a huge swath of orange along the beach turned out to be a flock of brilliantly colored flamingos! And hundreds of pelicans filled other beaches. Holbox is a very special place. The people are trying to protect their natural resources by directing their economy toward tourism to take some of the pressure away from excessive fishing. Hooray!

^ Swimming with WS

^ WS

^ a Manta Ray flaps by!

^ Flamingos!

^ Alberto and his son Arturo with their green boat The Ely Queen

^ Returning to shore, we saw this whale-shark-shaped image in the sky, which was an ominous dark cloud. We were a bit concerned but Alberto and the other locals were unfazed. Sure enough, the storm completely missed us.