Wetpixel expedition announcement: Every summer, hundreds of whale sharks aggregate off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to feed on bonito spawn. Last year, we had a group of at least 250 whale sharks In an area the size of a couple football fields. Wetpixel has chartered the Lilly M, a comfortable sportfish boat, and will be bringing a few photographers along to capture the incredible experience. Although there are typically 40+ boats on the whale shark site on a given day, most boats are casual tourist boats that leave after a couple hours. Last year, our boat had the sharks to ourselves for at least two hours each day. We anticipate more photographer traffic this year, but it is still almost certain that the site will remain relatively uncrowded after the big rush each morning.

Here’s a video taken by Eric Cheng at least year’s aggregation that shows an encounter with 11 whale sharks in 70 seconds. Photos and other media from last year’s trip are available on his online journal.

World-renowned photographer Douglas Seifert will be leading two Wetpixel expeditions this year:

Trip 1: August 5-9, 2011 (5 days in the water) - FULL
Trip 2: August 10-14, 2011 (5 days in the water) - FULL

The trip cost is $1,850 per person, which includes 5 days on the water, lunch on the boat, and golf carts to get around the island. Not included: airfare to Cancun, ferry to Isla Mujeres (not expensive), hotel stay (~$100/night), breakfast and dinner.

Spots are extremely limited, so get in touch ASAP if you are interested! Bookings will be handled by Eric Cheng, who can be contacted directly on his contact page at Wetpixel.