Whale Shark Pics

Red1der1 · 09-11-2006

Thanks everyone who helped me with some whale shark info prior to my trip. I did get to go swimming with the whale sharks last Tuesday and it was amazing. The company I booked through was great. The guide picked us up at our hotel at 6 am. Boy was it early! We drove up to Punta Sam where we waited for other guest. The guides had juices, fruit and granola bars for breakfast for us. We then boarded the boat and were off. We headed up the coast for about 40 minutes. The water was so smooth it was like glass. We checked in at Isla Contoy to get our whaleshark registration and then were off again to the Gulf waters in search of the whalesharks. We started searching and were a little worried since it is the end of the season for their migration but after a few minutes, we found them. There was about 8 of them along with some Manta Rays with about a 10 ft wing span. We quickly got ready and were given the go ahead to jump in. My BF and I were first to go. They seem like they swim so slow but they are much quicker than you realize. It was hard to keep up. You only see the tip of their mouths, fin and tip of their tales sticking out but when you look under water, they are HUGE!!! You really can not appreciate how big they are until you see them below. They would only allow 2 people in the water ate once but they would let you keep going in as long as you want. There was one time I swallowed a mouth full of water and then I looked down and there was 2 of the giant whalesharkes right below me. It did make me panic a bit. I thought they would surface and make me pop out of the water even though I know that would never happen. We swam with them for about 2 hours and then we headed to a reef just south of Isla Contoy for some snorkeling. The water was gorgeous! We saw many parrotfish, angel fish and even saw a turtle. The guides had snack of salsa with shrimp and crackers and some cold Sol Cerveza waiting for us. We relaxed, sunbathed and snorkled some more. We then headed to Isla Mujeres where we had a buffet lunch waiting for us. We had some free time to explore the beach afterwards. It was beautiful. We then headed back ovber to Punta Sam where we ended the tour. This was an incredible experience I will never forget. Thanks to everyone who gave me information before. Here is also a link to some more pics. Thanks!!!http://s52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...rks/?start=all

stonecold · 09-11-2006

very cool pics....thanks for the link....

Red1der1 · 09-11-2006

I will post my underwater camera pics when I get the disk back. Thanks!

Loree · 09-11-2006

Great pictures!

**TeeZet** · 09-12-2006

Really awesome!

Seems you had perfect conditions to go out there.
Can't wait to see those underwater pics!

Andiline · 09-12-2006

WOW!!!!!!

How does Isla Contoy look? I was worried about the island when the hurricanes hit last year as it is very exposed and I thought a lot ot things on the island might have been destroyed. Was never able to find any info on it. I was there 2 years ago and was fascinated by the island and the snorkelling in the lagoon there....

Red1der1 · 09-12-2006

I thought the island was beautiful. There were plenty of lush green plants and trees. We did not go into the lagoon but we did get to peek into it. I do not know what ths island looked like before the hurricane but IMO, it looked like it was thriving now. The tour company that we took only does whaleshark excursions right now but they said they are getting a tour together for the whalesharke off season that you go bird watching on Contoy and then snorkle somewhere else as well. I was never into bird watching but I was blown away by the amount of and different variety of birds there, I would consider doing that tour once it is up and running.

UGAplaya · 09-12-2006

Sounds like the trip of a lifetime. One day I'm going to have to book a trip like yours. Great memories!!

Sourcerer · 09-15-2006

We swam with the whale sharks 3 weeks ago. Photo really don't convey how big these are or how you feel near them. But this image comes close. Our guide managed to get my Sourceress, me and the fish in the same frame.

Under full disclosure, I admit I had to stitch 2 shots together to get all of him in the picture.

Tinabean2 · 09-15-2006

Whoa!

Way cool! You're super brave!

Thanks for sharing, maybe one day I'll get the guts!

They're soooo beautiful.

Tina

playatom · 09-16-2006

can you give me the name and web address of the tour company? thanks

beer_dude · 09-16-2006

Very cool! I want to see a Whale Shark next time I am down there. I saw a giant Manta when I was in Maui last January. That was the largest thing in the ocean that I have seen so far.

Here a pic!

09-11-2006	#1 (permalink)
Red1der1 toe in water Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 56	Whale Shark Pics Thanks everyone who helped me with some whale shark info prior to my trip. I did get to go swimming with the whale sharks last Tuesday and it was amazing. The company I booked through was great. The guide picked us up at our hotel at 6 am. Boy was it early! We drove up to Punta Sam where we waited for other guest. The guides had juices, fruit and granola bars for breakfast for us. We then boarded the boat and were off. We headed up the coast for about 40 minutes. The water was so smooth it was like glass. We checked in at Isla Contoy to get our whaleshark registration and then were off again to the Gulf waters in search of the whalesharks. We started searching and were a little worried since it is the end of the season for their migration but after a few minutes, we found them. There was about 8 of them along with some Manta Rays with about a 10 ft wing span. We quickly got ready and were given the go ahead to jump in. My BF and I were first to go. They seem like they swim so slow but they are much quicker than you realize. It was hard to keep up. You only see the tip of their mouths, fin and tip of their tales sticking out but when you look under water, they are HUGE!!! You really can not appreciate how big they are until you see them below. They would only allow 2 people in the water ate once but they would let you keep going in as long as you want. There was one time I swallowed a mouth full of water and then I looked down and there was 2 of the giant whalesharkes right below me. It did make me panic a bit. I thought they would surface and make me pop out of the water even though I know that would never happen. We swam with them for about 2 hours and then we headed to a reef just south of Isla Contoy for some snorkeling. The water was gorgeous! We saw many parrotfish, angel fish and even saw a turtle. The guides had snack of salsa with shrimp and crackers and some cold Sol Cerveza waiting for us. We relaxed, sunbathed and snorkled some more. We then headed to Isla Mujeres where we had a buffet lunch waiting for us. We had some free time to explore the beach afterwards. It was beautiful. We then headed back ovber to Punta Sam where we ended the tour. This was an incredible experience I will never forget. Thanks to everyone who gave me information before. Here is also a link to some more pics. Thanks!!!http://s52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...rks/?start=all __________________ Isn't that Ducky!!!!!

09-15-2006	#9 (permalink)
Sourcerer beachaholic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Exit 9, New Jersey Posts: 432	We swam with the whale sharks 3 weeks ago. Photo really don't convey how big these are or how you feel near them. But this image comes close. Our guide managed to get my Sourceress, me and the fish in the same frame. Under full disclosure, I admit I had to stitch 2 shots together to get all of him in the picture. Last edited by Sourcerer : 09-15-2006 at 09:42 PM.

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09-11-2006	#2 (permalink)
stonecold life=playa Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: central mo Posts: 837	very cool pics....thanks for the link....

09-11-2006	#3 (permalink)
Red1der1 toe in water Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 56	I will post my underwater camera pics when I get the disk back. Thanks!

09-11-2006	#4 (permalink)
Loree añejo Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: north of Pittsburgh Posts: 9,477	Great pictures!

09-12-2006	#5 (permalink)
TeeZet Non-aggressive Dutch dude Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Uithoorn, The Netherlands Posts: 7,629	Really awesome! Seems you had perfect conditions to go out there. Can't wait to see those underwater pics!

09-12-2006	#6 (permalink)
Andiline añejo Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Cologne, Germany Posts: 7,445	WOW!!!!!! How does Isla Contoy look? I was worried about the island when the hurricanes hit last year as it is very exposed and I thought a lot ot things on the island might have been destroyed. Was never able to find any info on it. I was there 2 years ago and was fascinated by the island and the snorkelling in the lagoon there....

09-12-2006	#7 (permalink)
Red1der1 toe in water Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 56	I thought the island was beautiful. There were plenty of lush green plants and trees. We did not go into the lagoon but we did get to peek into it. I do not know what ths island looked like before the hurricane but IMO, it looked like it was thriving now. The tour company that we took only does whaleshark excursions right now but they said they are getting a tour together for the whalesharke off season that you go bird watching on Contoy and then snorkle somewhere else as well. I was never into bird watching but I was blown away by the amount of and different variety of birds there, I would consider doing that tour once it is up and running.

09-12-2006	#8 (permalink)
UGAplaya añejo Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Just a little south of Atlanta Posts: 2,240	Sounds like the trip of a lifetime. One day I'm going to have to book a trip like yours. Great memories!!

09-15-2006	#10 (permalink)
Tinabean2 way into it Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Forked River, NJ Posts: 141	Whoa! Way cool! You're super brave! Thanks for sharing, maybe one day I'll get the guts! They're soooo beautiful. Tina

09-16-2006	#11 (permalink)
playatom very sparkly Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: oxford michigan Posts: 31	can you give me the name and web address of the tour company? thanks

09-16-2006	#12 (permalink)
beer_dude reposado Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,202	Very cool! I want to see a Whale Shark next time I am down there. I saw a giant Manta when I was in Maui last January. That was the largest thing in the ocean that I have seen so far. Here a pic!

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