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Mexico’s Isla Mujeres Department of Tourism recently announced the Fourth Annual Whale Shark Festival. The Festival will be held July 15-17th, 2011, in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
The event offers an opportunity for locals & travelers to participate in ecotourism adventures such as swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean and an endangered species; traditional dancing performed by local troupes; exploring ancient Mayan ruins and much more. A portion of the festival proceeds will be donated to several environmental not-for-profit organizations.
The annual Whale Shark Festival is an effort to raise awareness for the need to preserve the area’s marine ecosystem. Isla Mujeres is part of the second-largest barrier reef in the world, and serves as the nursery of the Caribbean and the migratory path of whale sharks, sea turtles, water foul and game fishes.
Kicking off the festival will be the whale shark bloom, when hundreds of these gentle giants will come together to swim in a group near the coast of Isla Mujeres. As many as 1,400 whale sharks may make their way through the waters north of Isla Mujeres every summer, according to Dr. Robert Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory and scheduled speaker at the 2011 Whale Shark Festival.
For a complete listing of 2011 Whale Shark Festival activities and more information, visit www.whalesharkfest.com.
Image: www.whalesharkfest.com
Im hoping this is truly eco tourism. There are no studies as of yet as to what effect having hundreds of tourists snorkeling around them is having on these gentle giants. This tourism is fairly new, for the masses in the last 7 or 8 years or so. Now with the festivals on Isla Mujeres it is really ramping up. That being said, we did do this tour last summer and it is an awe inspiring adventure. I realize they only allow licensed operators and only 3 people per boat but that was not followed on our tour. The entire tour boat of 10 or so were eventually allowed in with the whale sharks. I wonder if they will change their migratory habit because of it?
We went on a swim with whale shark tour from Cancun last year, and it was an amazing, life-changing experience. The outfit we went with offers a no-fee rescheduling and cancellation policy, and they even have their license number on their website. Not only do you get to swim with whale sharks, but we were taken on a snorkel tour of Isla Che, where we saw a sea turtle, manta ray, and all kinds of tropical fish. I cannot recommend this trip enough, and if you are considering taking the tour, the company we went with and will go with again is:
http://www.swimwithwhalesharks.com
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