Swim with Whale Sharks in Isla Mujeres

(34 Reviews)
94% Recommended

Lia Pontarelli

Cedar Rapids, IA

European Travel Specialist

I'm enjoy being a travel agent with a strong focus on creating exceptional travel experiences throughout Europe. With an in-depth understanding of the diverse cultures and breathtaking destinations that Europe has to offer, I take great pride in c...

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Most everyone that has spent time with me knows that I say the beach is my happy place. I don't typically spend a lot of time in the water, but the beach has my heart. So when my mother brought up jumping into the ocean to swim with whale sharks, I was a little hesitant. Okay. I was very hesitant!! I figured I would just go along on the trip and enjoy the beach and break from work. But then I pushed myself! And I am so incredibly glad I faced a major fear of mine and jumped into the ocean to swim with these majestic creatures!

So, what is a whale shark, really? They are the largest fish, with the largest recorded one being 62 feet (but on average closer to 48 for females)! That's around 12 of me! They have lots of tiny teeth and a huge mouth, but the actual size of their throat is only about the size of a quarter! They're filter feeders, so they just swim around sucking in plankton and such. To see them we went down to Isla Mujeres, a small island just off Cancun. They migrate to this area around June - September, so we went in August! The cool thing about when you swim with whale sharks here is that it’s 100% on their terms. They’re out in the ocean living life.

When it was time to go out to see the whale sharks, we were with a group of 3 others who were planning on going in. I was all suited up and prepped as if I was going to get in, but I hadn’t made up my mind yet. The boat ride out was a little rough, and as I looked back at the hotel and Cancun area, everything just kept getting smaller and smaller. Finally, I couldn’t see it anymore. No more land in sight. Now, I’m not afraid of being on top of the water out in the ocean, but the idea that I might be jumping into the water that far away from land kept getting a little scarier for me.

So, we’re among all these other boats with people jumping off right and left of me. The first group from our boat jumps in and starts swimming off. I start crying. No joke! I began crying like a little baby. The more they were talking about what I needed to do, the more I freaked out. You can’t see the bottom. You don’t know what’s going to come up from the deep dark blue. I wasn’t afraid of the whale sharks. I'd done enough research to know they weren’t dangerous to me, but who’s to say what else was in there or could happen? I mean, I've watched Shark Week!

Well, now it was my group's turn to jump in and swim with the whale sharks. I got to the side of the boat and tried to get myself to do it, but unfortunately, I couldn’t stop crying enough and had to skip my turn. However, listening to everyone’s stories I knew I had to shake it off. I mean, there were little kids in there for crying out loud!

We got back around to my group's turn and this time I was put together enough to do it. I was going in but told my mom and the guide that they both had to hold my hands the whole time. Yes, I’m a grown woman who needed her mom! I took a deep breath, held on to my snorkel and goggles, and slipped right into the water to swim with the whale sharks.

They both held my hands as we swam closer and closer to the whale sharks. They. Were. Amazing! I mean, it’s hard to put into words how amazing I thought they were, and how life-changing the experience was. We swam around and they were everywhere, and they were HUGE! The pictures and videos, while amazing, just can’t capture that sensation you felt when they swam past you.

Our time was up, and we headed back to the boat. One of the members from the first group went back in, but it looked like everyone else on the boat was done. They asked if anyone else was going to want to go again, and I said, YES! Are you kidding me? Of course I wanted to get back in the water! This time I put my fins on and jumped into the water with a little more gusto! It was so peaceful in the water, and the whale sharks just kept swimming on by. If you were in their way, YOU were the one who better move!

I know I’ve said this a couple of times, but it truly was AMAZING! It wasn’t something that had been on my bucket list, but it was something that I will never forget! I’m afraid of things every day. We all are. They might be small fears, and they might be huge ones. However, we cannot let that keep us from living our lives the best we possibly can! We can’t allow ourselves to talk us out of experiencing all the wonders out there! Face your fears! Swim with whale sharks! It’s worth it, trust me!