A Not So Scary Shark Encounter

This summer, I had the opportunity of a lifetime. As some of you may know, my family and I are avid travelers. We enjoy going to new places to try new food, see landmarks, and learn about the history and culture of the area. This year we went to Mexico. People visit Mexico for all kinds of reasons, but I had one in particular – to see whale sharks.

Whale sharks are huge filter-feeding sharks. They get their name because of their size, but they are not whales. Whales are mammals that breathe from the surface. Whale sharks have gills which make them a fish, and specifically, a shark. Whale sharks have mouths that are about 5 feet wide across which can be pretty intimidating at first, but don’t worry, they don’t eat humans. They mostly eat teeny tiny plants and animals in the water called plankton. For a shark approximately the size of a bus, that means they have to eat a LOT of plankton. Roughly 45 pounds worth! Unlike carnivores like the Great White Shark, they don’t have to hunt for their food. They can just swim gracefully at the surface of the water letting all that food just fall in their mouths. Sometimes they just sit in the water vertically because there’s so much food!

Whale sharks are such beautiful, harmless creatures. Unfortunately, like many species around the world, their numbers are rapidly declining. They are classified as an endangered species, because they cannot produce enough offspring to make up for the rate they are dying. Scientists can’t predict what will happen, but like many large marine species our bad practices are sending them closer and closer to extinction. There are few places in the world that you can still see and swim with them. Their main breeding and feeding ground during the summer is the Gulf of Mexico. And I, being the self-proclaimed biggest shark enthusiast, had to see them.

In Mexico, there are many tours you can take to see the whale sharks, because they congregate only a couple hours off the coast from some of the main tourist areas. The Mexican government monitors all of the groups that go out with the whale sharks and has strict rules that must be followed. They limit the hours boats are allowed to be in the area with them, so the whale sharks don’t constantly have people around them. Though the whale sharks are generally unbothered by human presence, having groups of people around for a long time may affect their natural behaviors. It is also required that people cannot touch the shark or use regular sunscreen that has toxins in it. (A note for anyone that goes swimming near reefs or sensitive aquatic wildlife to check the ingredients in your sunscreen to make sure it’s safe!) I really like how conscious the tour guides and the government are about protecting these creatures and educating tourists. A great inspiration for proper care of our environment!

Now that you read the important background, I can tell about my individual experience. When you see whale sharks on a screen they look big, but you can’t fathom their size until you see them in person. It was so crazy to be side-by-side with this massive animal. In total, I got to see a large collection of sharks, but I was in the water with three. We also got to see a manta ray jump while a different group was swimming.

When you swim in the water, the boat positions itself in the direction the whale shark is swimming. Then you hop off the side and wait. Then the whale shark swims either beside you or under. In some cases (I had one shark that decided to do this), it will sit vertical in the water. I had a longer time with that shark than the others because it wasn’t moving.

Seeing them in the water is the most unreal experience I’ve ever had, and I recommend it for anyone who has the opportunity and ability. Whale sharks are the most amazing creatures that I wish everyone could see up close and in their native habitat.

Thank you to my mom who brought me to Mexico and all the cute whale sharks that decided to show up.