It was late July in Cancun, and the whale sharks were starting to gather to feast on the abundance of plankton off the shores of Cancun. I love the ocean and the creatures in it, so I jumped at the opportunity to go swimming with whale sharks. This had been a bucket list item for quite some time, and I was super excited to go on this adventure.
After about an hour and half boat ride, we had arrived at our destination. Several boats had arrived before us and you could see the swimmers in the water with the whale sharks. My anticipation was growing. I could not wait to jump in the water. After a short safety briefing, my boyfriend and I volunteered to go first. Only two people per boat were allowed in the water at a time with the safety guide. The guide was there to ensure our safety as well as the safety of the whale sharks. Our first swim was a bit of a disappointment. By the time I got my bearings in the water, the whale shark had turned and swam the other direction and just like that our swim was over. Everyone gets a chance to swim with the whale sharks two to three times, so I had at least one more chance to get up close and personal with a whale shark.
On the second attempt, we had better luck and we were able to swim along side the whale shark. This was an incredible experience. The whale sharks are such majestic creatures. If you have a love of the ocean and the creatures in it, you need experience this for yourself. This is a picture from our second swim. This whale shark was approximately thirty feet long. Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the ocean and are called whale sharks because they are baleen feeders like whales. They live on a diet of plankton and small fish.
Now, if I have peaked your interest, you are probably wondering how I was almost eaten by the whale shark. Well, we were lucky enough to get a third swim with the whale sharks. This time I was having some trouble with my snorkel gear. I was treading water trying to clear my snorkel and breath. I was so focused on not drowning that I forgot to watch what was going on around me. Next thing I know, my safety guide is shoving me out of the way of the oncoming whale shark. Close call! Thank goodness the safety guide was looking out for me and the whale shark. I really didn't give this much thought until I was telling a friend this story. Whale sharks don't have teeth, really how bad could it have been if the whale shark bumped into me? She asked me, "Can you imagine something that big running into you?" That's when it hit me, this story could have had a very different ending. Luckily this story has a happy ending, and both the whale shark and I were not harmed. Swimming with the whale sharks is one of the most memorable experiences I have had. I can't wait to get back to Cancun to swim with whale sharks again.
Wow!!
Such an awesome experience!