Very few creatures in the sea are as awe-inspiring to divers and snorkelers as whale sharks. These gentle giants grow to some 40-feet, but there is no reason to fear them. Instead, we are always amazed by them! We have been lucky enough to see them on many Rec Diving trips around the world including Indonesia, Maldives, Galapagos, off the coast of Costa Rica and Honduras. But our favorite “guaranteed” gathering place for whale sharks is surely off a small island in crystal clear water near Cancun.
Our summer Rec Diving group this year was an experience of a lifetime. Our adventure in a protected area off the coast of Isla Mujeres was planned during prime time and we were not disappointed. Hundreds of whale sharks were in the water. Everyone one of us enjoyed up close and personal encounters.
Along the way we saw mantas, turtles, flying fish and a pod of playful dolphins. It was a trip to remember with a great Rec Diving group, as always!
Let us know if you would like to live this snorkeling adventure. We are happy to help make it happen for you!
This Whale Shark needs a name!
The spring Rec Diving group trip to the Maldives introduced us to this gentle giant.
Did you know each whale shark has its own “bodyprint”? Scientists use software pattern recognition algorithms to identify an animal within a catalog of thousands of spot patterning images using a whale shark’s unique “bodyprint” as an identifier.
One of our favorite Rec Divers, John Koh, captured images of this whale shark with his GoPro on the Maldives trip. He shared them on social media and the folks from whalesharks.org contacted him with the big news that this particular whale shark had not been identified!
John gets to name the whale shark and he is asking for help from fellow Rec Divers. If you’d like to get in on the fun Click here! It’s a Rec Diving contest so it means you could win some cool Rec Diving swag! 🙂
