Please see the below article published by BBC NEWS earlier today. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6955163.stm

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6955163.stm

Published: 2007/08/21 12:25:08 GMT

© BBC MMVII

Hurricane Dean hits Mexico coast
The storm is expected to cause widespread flooding
Dean hits Mexico 
Hurricane Dean has struck Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula near the border with Belize, bringing driving winds and lashing rain.
Cancun and other tourist resorts were spared a direct hit as the storm came ashore at 0330 (0830 GMT) about 40 miles (65km) north-east of Chetumal.

The storm has weakened to Category Three, with winds of 125mph (205km/h) as it crosses land.

It could strengthen when it hits sea again after crossing the Yucatan.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Florida said the eye of the storm had made landfall near the town of Majahual.

At 1200 GMT the centre of the storm had moved inland about 40 miles (65km) north-west of Chetumal, travelling west at about 20mph (62km/h).

‘Windows shattered’

Last-minute evacuations took place along the coast as Dean was expected to bring a heavy flood surge.
The NHC said the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize as well as Guatemala and northern Honduras could expect heavy rainfall which could cause flash floods and landslides.

Tens of thousands of tourists have been evacuated from resorts in the Yucatan but many others are still there, huddling in shelters.

The resorts have been boarded up and offshore oil facilities are closed but there is concern for residents of poor communities living in flimsy homes.

Andrea Montalvo, of the US-based Spanish-language Telemundo television network, said the storm was wreaking havoc in the Mexican city of Chetumal.

“Inside the hotel it is really bad, every 10 or 15 minutes you can hear windows shattering and people are coming out of their rooms in panic,” she said.
 
City officials said there were power outages as the wind knocked over trees and sent debris flying through the air.

Ernesto Calzada from Quintana Roo radio and TV told the BBC: “I looked out of my office window and saw an enormous tree close by topple over.”

Further south, in Belize City, officials closed the hospitals and urged people to head inland, saying the town’s shelters were not strong enough to withstand the hurricane.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who is attending a trade summit in Canada, said that he would leave on Tuesday after a meeting with his US and Canadian counterparts.

Looting fears

The hurricane has already claimed at least 11 lives in the eastern Caribbean, but largely spared the low-lying Cayman Islands on Monday.
Cancun and other popular Mexican resorts are escaping a “direct hit” but that has not stopped around two-thirds of Cancun’s tourists leaving the area.

Some holidaymakers camped overnight at Cancun’s airport to find a flight while others were turned away.

Police officers have been deployed to prevent looting while residents boarded up their homes ahead of the storm.

Mexico’s state-oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, has evacuated its workers and shut down production on the offshore rigs.

The hurricane is moving steadily west over the Yucatan and may regain strength when it hits sea again over the Bay of Campeche on Tuesday night, the NHC said.
It is due to hit Mexico’s coast for a second time near Tampico in the state of Veracruz.

Dean is expected to be less damaging than the Category Five Hurricane Wilma in 2005, which lingered over the Yucatan for a day, killing 10 people and wrecking large areas of Cancun.

Category Five storms are rare – only three have hit the US since record-keeping began.

In the US, the return of the space shuttle Endeavour was brought forward by a day, to Tuesday, in an attempt to beat the hurricane should it eventually reach Texas, where Nasa’s mission control is based.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6955163.stm

Published: 2007/08/21 12:25:08 GMT

© BBC MMVII

Along The Riviera Maya coast, we are preparing with boarding up windows, gathering water and non perishable foods, candles etc. It is routine for us living in this area and it is not difficult to prepare. It is always possible to change course but at this moment it appears that it could reach land on the Yucatan Peninsula Monday sometime. If you are traveling to this area in the next few weeks or so, please check the above website and watch the storm. Our community seems to get things back in order pretty rapidly even if we get hit by a hurricane so don’t assume your vacation plans are ruined. I will be posting what it looks like on our end as soon as possible. – Sherry

If you would like to plan a tour while in the Riviera Maya, Mexico we have a Private Official Guide that is available for persoanlized day tours or  we can offer you a bus tour to Chichén Itzá.
To view the official 7 wonders site, http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=315 
Come see it for yourself! – Sherry

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

Here is a funny photo from my weekend. This was taken while driving through small pueblos/towns on the way back to Playa del Carmen from Merida. Merida is located inland on the peninsula in the state of Yucatan. Approx. a 4 hour drive from Playa del Carmen. This is an example of what you might see if you drive on the Cancun Libre (free) highway. Enjoy! – Sherry Stevens