30 August is the international whale sharks day. The largest fish in the sea are notable for their size and the fact that we know precious little about them. We know precious little about how and where whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) breed, their migratory patterns or any social structures. Even their lifespans remain a mystery with estimates from field data suggesting they may live for 130 years.
Part 2 of our coverage of the 2019 Wetpixel Whale Sharks trip described the incredible encounters our second group had with huge numbers of whale sharks off Isla Mujeres. The action was amazing with several days when we had huge numbers of sharks and returned with empty camera batteries and full memory cards.
Wetpixel has been running trips to Isla Mujeres, Mexico since 2011 to witness and document the amazing whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregation that occurs here. Perhaps uniquely, this is an opportunity to join literally 100s of the world’s largest fishes as they feed on the plentiful plankton that abounds in the area. For those that could not be with us this year, here is an illustrated account of our trip that ran from 06 to 10 August.
Wetpixel is running two trips to Isla Mujeres to snorkel, photograph and video the amazing whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregation. An annual event, our experience is that early to mid-August is the prime time with the sharks being most concentrated and in large numbers. Hence our trips for 2019 will run from 4 to 10 August and then from 10 to 16 August.