Meet the whale shark

Isla Holbox

Holbox island is located on the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is just over 1km wide and 12km long and home to some 1,500 inhabitants. It is not a place for the masses and it's not that easy to get to either.
The island is accessed by ferry (M$60) from the mainland town of Chiquila, which is approximately 2 hours drive from Cancun. There are no paved roads on Holbox so when I stepped off the ferry, all I could see were golf carts and bicycles moving slowly through the sandy streets. Note that there are no ATMs or banks on the island.

The northern shores of the island face the warm waters of Gulf of Mexico and offer a good chance to see whale sharks, dolphins and manta rays. In fact, Holbox island is now known as the top place in the world to see and swim with the ocean's largest fish, the whale shark.

The whale shark tour is an exceptional adventure and being the main reason for me to visit this island. For several years now, whale sharks have been coming to this area to feed and mate during the months of June through September. Local guides have been trained to give tours that are equally safe for the whale sharks as for human visitors. The trip takes about 4 hours and costs around US$70 to 80 per person; this includes water and snacks on board as well as a guide and snorkelling equipment.

Whale Shark Tour

The tour began at 8am with a light breakfast and a short briefing. Then we climbed aboard for the boat ride out to the whale sharks. After about an hour, we found ourselves somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico with no land in sight. The captain slowed the boat down and we eagerly scanned the water surface. Luckily, it took only a few minutes before we spotted a whale shark and a manta ray swimming next to each other. I put on a life vest, fins, mask and snorkel and got ready to get in the water. When the whale shark approached the boat, the guide told us to jump ...

Immediately, I jumped into the deep water and found myself fully submerged. Thanks to the life vest I popped up quickly and found myself literally next to the whale shark. It went past me at arm's length and I could get a good view of its massive blue body with its white dots. I forgot to swim and simply watched in awe whilst the life vest kept me afloat. The whale shark went past me within seconds, its tail fin leaving behind a whirl of bubbles. There was no chance I could catch up with it so I climbed back on the boat. Luckily, some people on the boat had decided not to enter the water as they felt much safer on the boat and I could go back into the water another three times. Every time, I managed to swim along the whale shark for a little while and take a good, close look at this fascinating fish from both above and under the water line.

It was a truly exciting and memorable experience and certainly one of the highlights from my visit to Mexico. If you are planning a visit to Yucatan during the summer months (June to mid September) you don't want to miss this exceptional tour.

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