Rumor: Holbox only port that can offer trips to swim with whale sharks now?

[DandyDon]

Update from another thread...

I just received an email from Searious Diving and states the Formmers print was incorrect regarding Whale Sharks from only Isla Holbox... Isla Mujeres can swim with the Whale Sharks as well...

Hi Mr Sorenson: thanks a lot for asking, here I send copies of the e-mail that Formmer's mistake caused on the internet.

"Our comments did good. Frommer information added Isla Mujeres. Thanks to all

Change is coming, however: The Mexican government has designated Isla Holbox as one of the few ports allowed to offer trips to swim with whale sharks (another is Isla Mujeres). The larges fish in the ocean has been parking in these warm Yucatan waters every summer for the past six years -- and tourists are starting to follow. Who can blame them?"

So their authority was a guide book? :shocked2: Frommer's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I often wonder if the authors of those have ever been to the places they report on.

So some guidebook heard something, then said something, and by the time it got to Yucatan Today, it was accepted. See why I am skeptical?

I hope the national government does improve things, but keep it real...

 

[scubafanatic]

Ok, we're talking about the shoal off of Cancun here, and they do not stop. I've read that they do in other locations, but not there! And many of them do have boat scars so I don't know that they are overly protected.

Galapagos may be okay scuba diving with them, but Honduras does not allow it either. I have been on two different boats there that specialized in Dominoes and their rules are the same as in Mexico - snorkeling only.

....noticed you said 'boat scars', and not 'scuba fin scars', so it appears the injuries are caused by boats, not scuba divers...... BOTH snorklers and scuba divers use boats, so for all anyone knows, it could be either group causing imjuries to whale sharks, and since they only allow snorkeling in Mexico/Honduras, it's highly probable the injuries seen are actually being caused by snorkeling boats, especially given that it's the snorkeling boats that are doing massive amounts of chasing (repeatedly dropping off snorkelers who can only swim for a min or two until they are left behind, have to be recovered, then chase after the sharks again...over and over and over....)

 

[DandyDon]

Uh, yeah I guess. Why ever Mexico and Honduras have their rules is their call. Whether scuba divers bother them or not, it'd be impossible to keep up with the ones I swam with in scuba, and pointless since they're on the surface.

I did ask on the other thread you linked and there is a different deal at least once place in Belize where they are found deep and you can scuba with them. Let us know how it works out.

 

[DIVECOZUMEL]

Update from another thread...

So their authority was a guide book? :shocked2: Frommer's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I often wonder if the authors of those have ever been to the places they report on.

So some guidebook heard something, then said something, and by the time it got to Yucatan Today, it was accepted. See why I am skeptical?

I hope the national government does improve things, but keep it real...

Yucatan Today got their info from Frommers, who states their info is based on what the Mexican Govt said. Somebody pointed this out on a chat board on Frommers and someone replied stating that the info on Frommers site was corrected.

BTW here is the link to that chat:

Incorrect info on this site in Frommers.com Cancun and the Yucatan Forums

 

[DIVECOZUMEL]

What is the Mexican term for speaking with two mouths? You want to scuba with them or enforce rules? As far as that goes, have you ever swam with them yourself? If so, did you ever see one stop, or go slow enough for a diver in scuba kit to keep up with?

Scuba with them as in where it is permitted like Galapagos for instance? Yes I would rather scuba and also enforce the rules if any for a spot like this since it is apparently 1 of only 2 places in the world like this. If I were taking pictures or video it would be a much better vantage point diving period. IMO having a Manta or Whale Sharks grace your presence is a blessing but you talk about it like some typical tourist who DEMANDS to get what they paid for and if you did not see them you would be mad and want your money back. No I have never swam with them but if I did the point would not be to keep up. Your speaking from a point of having done it yourself that whatever you say should be somehow taken as expert opinion. Your responses to me and others on the subject of it's better to snorkel than dive with them are typical of your rants that you have posted so many times over the years as if to say you are an expert and everybody should listen to you. Hey I got news for you.......it is obvious that me and others would rather dive so get over it.

 

[BettyfromToronto]

I have 2 co-workers who are going to Belize in April specifically so they can dive with the whalesharks. $200 for a two-tank dive. They've booked two days of this and then the rest of the days are just regular dives at a lesser cost.

 

[scubawife]

I had a pretty amazing encounter at about 12-15ft with a Whaleshark on a dive site off the mainland some years ago. Totally out of season and out of place. As big as it was, it was probably a young one. It stayed with us for about 5 minutes, did a swim by, came back twice. Just amazing.

We've seen manatas in Hawaii, both on the manta night dives and just cruising by us in the afternoon. Also very memorable.

It's up to Mexico what they want to allow and where. Whaleshark tourism has really grown in Isla and Holbox in recent years and some arial shots I've seen sure look like there are way too many boats out at once.

 

[ggunn]

I had a pretty amazing encounter at about 12-15ft with a Whaleshark on a dive site off the mainland some years ago. Totally out of season and out of place. As big as it was, it was probably a young one. It stayed with us for about 5 minutes, did a swim by, came back twice. Just amazing

We encountered one off Playa about 20 years ago on a fishing trip. It was June, I believe. It was at least 20 feet long and cruising just under the surface. We pulled up right along side it and it totally ignored us.

 

[lsorenson]

Ok, so I see where this pissing mach started from... I wrote a dive shop in Isla Mujeres that I would expect to know whether or not they (the dive shop located in Isla Mujeres) would know if in fact, they could still take folks like ME out to snorkel with the whale sharks... They (the dive shop) responded with a "yes" and referenced how the rumor came about... My understanding is, this is a pretty good shop and I would find it somewhat strange they would mislead me. To come all the way out to there shop just to find out we could not dive with the W/S would somehow be to their advantage??? Makes no sense...

DiveCozumel, please give us the link that states the Mexican Government has done as you said.... Please, an official Mexican Government site if possible...

Regards, lee

 

[Rick Murchison]

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