Not just another big fish story – Snorkeling with the Whale Sharks

Before I moved to Playa del Carmen,Mexico I had never even heard of whale sharks.  Last year I had the unique opportunity to actually snorkel with them. 

My day began at the uncomfortably early hour of 3:00 am.  I was instructed to meet our local guide, Jason, at 3:30 am at a local hotel for our trip to Holbox Island and the Gulf of Mexico (not all tours depart at this time).  After sleepy introductions were made with my fellow whale shark ‘hunters’, a group of 8 from Colorado, we loaded into the van and began our journey to the other side of the Yucatan peninsula. 

The van was quiet and cool, and we all dozed during the 3 hour drive.  We woke to the sun rising as we reached the coastal town of Chiquila.  From the dock in Chiquila we boarded a speed boat for the trip to Holbox Island.  Once on Holbox, Jason checked in with our guide, Roberto, to obtain our permits while the rest of us used the time to stretch our legs, grab a ham and cheese croissant and use the facilities.  I headed straight for the coffee. 

We hopped back aboard the speed boat and we’re on our way.  During the 1.5-2 hour ride, Roberto gave us an informative talk on the whale sharks we hoped to see, as well as instructions on how we were allowed to interact with them.  We would be allowed to enter the water, two at a time, with our guide.  We would not be allowed to touch them or swim underneath them.  These rules were developed in an effort to cause as little stress to the whale sharks as possible and any breach of the rules could result in our tour being stopped. 

As we sped along the green waters of the Gulf, we all kept our eyes open for the other marine life that is frequently seen along the way.  Our group was elated to spot several wild dolphins as well as a manta ray.  Truly an added bonus! 

It wasn’t long and we got word to start watching for whale sharks!!!  Until that moment I hadn’t really given much thought to what I was about to do.  I was about to jump into the water with a shark.  Not just any shark, but a shark the size of a whale!  Even though I knew I would not be in any danger, I was more than a little anxious when our first whale shark was spotted.  This yellow-spotted fish seemed as large as our boat!

The boat maneuvered into position and I watched as the first group donned their masks and fins and entered the water.  The smiles on the faces of the other guests as they emerged from the water was enough to quell my fears and turn up my excitement. 

My turn, and I’m ready to go!  I lower myself into the water as Roberto reached for my hand.  Together we swam toward the enormous creature.  Had I not had my teeth firmly sunk into my snorkel, my jaw would have surely dropped in awe.  We kicked hard to keep up with the shark, but it was as if Roberto and I moved in slow motion as the whale shark swam effortlessly by.  My memories of this first encounter play like still photographs in my mind; the large, wide mouth, the deep blackness of its eye, the gaping gills so large they seemed as though I could swim right through them.  A flick of the tail fin and it was gone. 

For a couple of hours we motored around, stopping to snorkel with several different whale sharks, each of us having three or four chances to swim join them in the water.  All too soon it was time to say good bye to the whale sharks and make our return trip to Playa. 

The drive back was quiet as most of the other guests slept.  I was too exhilarated to sleep and chose to relive this once in a lifetime experience of swimming with the whale sharks. 

 - Tyra Hamilton

Whale sharks migrate to the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula during the months of June to September.  For more information about whale shark tours:  http://www.travelrm.com/activities/whale-shark-adventure-seasonal/.  For general information about the whale shark:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark.  Drawing by Robbie Cada, http://www.fishbase.org/; Photographs courtesy of Jason Sartain

Helping Animals in Chemuyil

This past weekend (March 17 & 18), I was involved with a free animal clinic in Chemuyil. Chemuyil is a small town in the Riviera Maya south of Akumal and north of Tulum.

Some local women with the support and assistance of Sandra Valdez (who holds a local office pertaining to animals in our state) were able to get enough government support to put on a well organized 2-day free spay-neuter and vaccination clinic.

There is a serious problem in this country of over-population of cats and dogs. I have been involved in helping this cause since the day I moved to Mexico in 2001. Over the past 5 years many of us have worked hard to get the support of the community and the government to assist in humanely addressing this problem. It has not been easy!

Many Local families do not have the education or funds to care for the animals they claim. Not to mention the great number of homeless animals without anyone to care for them. These free clinics are always located in areas of need and are designed to help the communities gain knowledge about the health of their animals and how to properly care for them.

I have long worked with http://www.vidas.org/ in free sterilization clinics they do in the Riviera Maya. Vidas group is based out of the states. The participants volunteer their time and skills to put on a large, highly organized clinic every year. It has been a huge success and we have been able to help so many animals in a short amount of time. But, as locals living in the Riviera Maya we needed to try to continue their efforts throughout the year. This Chemuyil clinic is a result of that effort. This has been a long process but appears to be turning the corner with some new support of the local Mexican government. They have begun to help cover costs of some of the drugs, supplies and vaccines needed.

As for my experience helping with the clinic, it was amazing! I help mostly in the recovery room making sure the animals are relaxed and doing fine while coming out of the anesthesia. We also clean ears, treat flea and tick problems and administer “TLC” to the recovering patients.

In this particular clinic the offer was free sterilization surgery with full vaccines for cats or dogs. If their animal had already been sterilized the year before, they could have all their needed vaccinations for free. If they chose not to sterilize their animal and still wanted vaccines, they were asked to pay only the “cost” of the vaccines which was $150 pesos (less than $15 US).This of course is to encourage the owners to sterilize their animals. The Government supplied rabies vaccines for any animal free regardless of owner decision.
The clinic organizers went into the schools before the scheduled clinic, talked to the children about the importance of the clinic and sent home notices to parents about the free event. This was a way to reach out to the children and have them share it with their parents. The notice acted as a permission slip to bring animals into the clinic.

It was great to see how many animals had already been sterilized in previous free clinics and came back to insure the good health of their animals with yearly vaccines. I have watched many owners come in for the free service and observe the kind of care the clinic workers give to their animals… it is as if they had never realized that their animal was something special until they see how the doctors and volunteers treat their animal. It appears to create a new level of pride they have for their animal that they had not known before.

The children come to see what is going on at the clinics since they heard about it in school. They spend the whole day watching through the surgery room windows and into the recovery room. On occasion, we get some help from the curious children and teach them simple things about proper care for animals. They soak it up like little sponges.

If anyone is interested in volunteering, learning more about this ongoing project or wanting to donate money or needed supplies, please let us know. We are always happy to find more supporters.
Please check out our page: http://www.travelrm.com/travel-tips/local-animal-charity/ – Sherry