The seasons and the migration Holbox Officially, the season starts on May 15th and ends on September 17th. This period has been determined by the Mexican authorities because it is in these months when the species are in the region according to their migration patterns. Weather conditions We have to be especially aware of the weather conditions. Weather is not only important for safety reasons, it will also affect the tour in other aspects, for example on a windy day, we will have more waves, we will not be able to drive so fast, the boat ride can be bumpy and seeing a whale shark in a distance will be more difficult. On the other hand, on a calm day, we can reach the area faster and smoother and it will be easier to see the whale sharks from a larger distance. We always have to follow the directions of the authorities. The regional and the local Harbor Masters will determine if specific weather conditions are suitable or not to do our Whale Shark Tour. Besides the official instructions of the Harbor Master, we will also determine, in certain cases, if the conditions are good to do the tour or not, considering safety, comfort and the chances to find whale sharks on a specific day. Generally speaking, weather conditions in our area are very good and stable during the summer, but it is always possible to have a tropical system close to us that might affect the tour for two or three days by not being able to go out in a boat. We could say that weather can be windier during the first 3 or 4 weeks of the season and then calm until the third week of August. After that and until the end of the season, the chances to have a tropical system affecting our area is higher. The area The total area where we can find whale sharks and where we have the permits to do this activity is 6,300 square kilometres (more than 1.5 million acres). The distance from one extreme to the other is about 150 nautical miles (this distance can take us 6 hours to cover under optimal conditions and at a maximum allowed speed of 25 knots). Within this area, we have specific places where we know that there is a higher chance to find a whale shark. Whale sharks don’t move that much from one day to the next, so we try searching the area where we saw them in the previous days. We also have local fishermen as our informants, and they will tell us if whale sharks have been sighted in a specific area. The time it will take us to find a whale shark once the boat leaves the pier can be between 45 minutes and up to three hours. This will depend on the place where the whale sharks can be found on a specific day and on the prevailing weather conditions (wind and waves). This location can be closer to Holbox or closer to Isla Mujeres and it is impossible to know this more than 3-5 days in advance. Whale shark move within the whole area and if it could take us three hours to get to the place where they are on a specific day, for them it could be like moving from the kitchen to the living room if we imagine the whole area as their home. It is also important to mention that while we are searching for whale sharks on the surface (covering a 2-D area), whale sharks can also sink to the bottom and they might not come to the surface on certain days. Whale sharks are plankton eaters and they follow the food. The vertical movement of plankton depends on different factors like water temperature, streams or currents, salinity, etc. In our experience, we can say that plankton is more likely to be on the surface between 9:00 and 13:00, so that is the optimal time to search for whale sharks in a given area. This is also the reason why it might not make much sense to start the tour earlier (i.e. to avoid seeing other boats in the area). We have also observed that whale sharks are sensitive to atmospheric pressure and they might not come to the surface when we have lower barometric pressure.

Whale Shark Facts about whale sharks Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the sea! The biggest one ever recorded was 12.65m. However there are stories of Whale Sharks reaching 18-20m!! The ones we get on HOLBOX can range from ___m to __m. Whale Sharks are a Shark and NOT a Whale. This is because they have gills and can breathe underwater. 00-00 Whale Sharks come to Holbox each year to feed. Whale Sharks are solitary creatures and travel the seas on their own, however they gather in the same place when there is lots of food in the water. Whale Sharks have 3000 teeth, but they are so small you can’t see them! Whale sharks are filter-feeders and like to eat plankton, squid, krill and small fish so they don’t really need teeth! Whale Sharks mouths’ can reach up to 1.5m wide yet their throats are the size of an orange! It’s not just that a whale shark doesn’t want to eat you, they can’t eat you, because you wouldn’t fit down their throat! They may be big, but they are relatively slow! They swim on average 5 km/3 miles per hour, making it easy for us to swim along side them. Their beautiful spots are to help them camouflage. The topside of a Whale Shark is covered in a mesmerizing array of spots! This is to help them camouflage when they want to be invisible! The lifespan of a Whale Shark is similar to a human. Whale Sharks can live up to 70-100 years and they reach sexual maturity around 30 years old, which is relatively late for a shark. Humans are the biggest threat to the Whale Shark. Juvenile Whale Sharks may be hunted by other sharks, Killers Whales or even Blue Marlin. When they grow up, their size protects them from most predators. Humans however continue to hunt them for their valuable fins, which is one of the reasons they are on the Red List of Endangered Species. Other reasons include getting caught in fishing nets, struck by propellers and consuming the plastic in the oceans today.

Families and Whale Sharks Is the whale shark suitable for me? If you’re wondering whether swimming with whale sharks is for you – let us reassure you right now. We’ve had four to eighty year olds (it doesn’t matter how old you are) come out with us on the best whale shark tour, and have a truly amazing and enjoyable day out . So if you are prepared to give it a go, and have no medical conditions that could stop you enjoying yourself, we will be doing everything we can to help you experience wonder and swim with a whale shark yourself. Our crew includes numerous trained Snorkel Instructors with years of experience teaching people how to snorkel.   Our team specialises in helping less confident, nervous and less experienced swimmers into the water, and swimming with a whale shark. Children six years or younger are not allowed to swim with a whale Sharks