A Big Fish Expeditions Trip Report
This year’s action-packed whale shark snorkeling expedition
We headed to Isla Mujeres for an amazing adventure with the endangered whale shark. We visit the Yucatan Peninsula to observe the largest aggregation of whale sharks in the world. In four days on the water, we saw even more whale sharks than last year and plentiful tuna eggs, their food source. This year’s trip was filled with momentous encounters, fabulous guests, and excellent food.
The migration
As with any wild encounter, we never truly know what to expect. We plan our trips around the times when the behavior we’re seeking to encounter will most likely to be at its peak. For whale sharks in Mexico, this aggregation varies with the full moon and from season to season. We adapt our schedule to meet that need.
When we arrived this year, the migration kicked off with whale sharks in all directions. Our trip coincided with the full moon, when they were actively feeding on tuna eggs that spawn.
Deep bottle feeding
When whale sharks feed in a vertical position, they spin in one place. This year, bottle-feeding action was often deeper so we looked down at them as they hovered in the water. It is an exciting encounter because an undisturbed whale shark can stay feeding vertically for a long time, allowing everyone to observe.
How to observe whales sharks
When we take turns observing the whale sharks, we not only have more personal encounters, but we also are better able to stay on one side of a shark and keep a stationary shark calm and in place. This leads to my favorite moments with whale sharks as we observe them spinning gracefully in the water.
The benefit of a multi-day trip
By joining a dedicated and permitted dive trip, our guests can be the first and last snorkelers observing whale sharks. We enjoy action-packed jumps at the beginning of the day and break for snacks and lunch while we observe the activity above water. After a few hours, the day boats leave and we are left with what feels like a private ocean filled with the peace of meandering whale sharks.
Our first two days saw far fewer operators out than have historically been out. On our third day, more operators were out but by our last day we were rewarded with good shark encounters and our own time on the water away from boats. It never feels like enough days on the water, but four days seems like just the right amount of time to get good encounters and get used to the open sea. We are eager to return!
Creature feature
We never know who will show up. Although we saw a manta at the surface, we were unable to catch up to it underwater. However, we did see these strange salps, barrel-shaped planktonic tunicates. They are not jellyfish and are more closely related to fish and are completely harmless albeit weird.
With mouths wide open
It’s a joy to observe the ocean being sucked through the giant mouths of the biggest fish in the sea. It’s a rewarding adventure that brings us heaps of stories and memories.
Whale Shark Snorkeling July 2024
Next year, we’ll be back in Mexico over the August full moon, when the whale shark snorkeling should be excellent. If you would like to encounter the largest shark in the world, please join us! Big Fish Expeditions Whale Sharks Snorkeling Adventure 2025
