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appeared — five, 10, 50 … hundreds. Our team erupted into
cheers — we had found it.
Whale sharks were everywhere, feeding on the surface for
as far as the eye could see. Like combines harvesting a field,
lines of whale sharks with mouths agape plowed back and
forth in the water. We could not believe our eyes, and we
had no idea how long the feeding would continue. A mad
scramble ensued as each of us fumbled for our snorkel gear,
snatched our cameras and tumbled into the sea. When the
bubbles cleared, what I witnessed was beyond anything I had
ever imagined possible.
The whale sharks appeared as dark silhouettes against the
deep, blue water in the early morning light, and they were
bearing down on me from all directions. Closer and closer
they approached until I realized they were not going to stop.
These whale sharks were on a mission, and my presence
was of no concern. At the last moment I kicked out of the
way, just as the huge mouth of a gulping shark filled my
viewfinder. There were spots, a dorsal fin and more spots
followed by powerful surge from a massive tail that brushed
within inches of my mask. I whooped and hollered, but my
celebration was premature. In averting this group of whale
sharks, I had landed in front of another one coming from
behind me. Moments later I felt my back being sucked into a
shark’s mouth, and suddenly I was tumbling in its slipstream.
A group of whale sharks steamed by, running headlong into
another whale-shark train and colliding like a rush-hour
pileup. The action continued well into the afternoon until
our bodies were spent, our batteries drained and flash cards
full. Exhausted and all grins, we headed back to Isla Mujeres
to celebrate with cervezas and guacamole.
TRANSFORMATION
For the next two days we were the only boat interacting with
this gathering of more than 300 whale sharks. But a secret of
this magnitude was impossible keep on such a small island. Half
a dozen boats packed with excited tourists joined us on day
three, and the following day brought another two dozen tourist
boats along with film crews and scientists. As the days passed,
the number of boats and tourists steadily increased. Overnight,
an ecotourism industry had sprung up — one that would
transform the island and the livelihood of its community.
Four years have passed since we swam with that whale
shark aggregation off Isla Mujeres, and the whale sharks
continue to return by the hundreds each summer. For how
long this been happening, nobody knows for sure, but it
is astounding that the greatest whale-shark aggregation
ever discovered could go unnoticed until a few years ago,
especially considering its proximity to a bustling urban
center. Fishermen have become tour guides, and more than
50 day boats now ferry tourists out to swim with the whale
sharks. Hotels are full, restaurants are packed, and business is
The world’s largest known whale-shark aggregation was discovered only a few years
ago off Isla Mujeres. The sharks gather each year to feed on the eggs of little tunny.