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Finally! We are very
happy to announce that on June 1st, Whale Shark
season is finally opening the doors, in the warm waters of the Mexican
Caribbean.
Mexico is considered the
best destination worldwide to snorkel with these peaceful giants.
Swimming with Whale
Shark is often at the top of every diver`s bucket list and here’s why.
Whale Sharks (Rhincodon
Typus) are really amazing creatures. They are the biggest Sharks and the biggest
fish in the ocean. The largest Whale shark ever spotted had a length of 12.85
meters and weighted up to 21 t.
They love swimming in
the tropical warm waters, that`s why it is easy to spot them in our warm
waters. It is very uncommon to find them below 21 °C.
Whale Sharks have very large mouths and are filter feeders,
which is a feeding mode that occurs in only other two Sharks, the magamouth
Shark and the baskin shark.
They feed almost exclusively on plankton and are really
friendly giants.
The species was distinguished in April 1828 after the
harpooning of a 4.6 m (15 ft) specimen in Table
Bay,
South Africa. Andrew Smith, a military doctor
associated with British troops stationed in Cape
Town,
described it the following year.
The
name "whale shark" refers to the fish's size, being as large as some
species of whales, and also to its being a filter feeder like baleen
whales.
Whale sharks have a mouth that can be 1.5 m (4.9 ft)
wide, containing 300 to 350 rows of tiny teeth and 10 filter pads which it uses
to filter feed. Unlike many other sharks, whale sharks' mouths are
located at the front of the head rather than on the underside of the
head. They have five large pairs of gills. The head is wide and flat with two small eyes at the front.
Whale sharks are grey with a white belly. Their skin is marked with pale yellow
– white spots and stripes which are unique to each individual.
The whale shark is the largest non cetaceans animal in the world.
Regarding their reproduction neither mating nor pupping of whale
sharks has been observed.
The capture of a female in July 1996 that was pregnant with 300
pups indicated whale sharks are ovoviviparous The eggs remain in
the body and the females give birth to live young which are 40 to 60 cm
(16 to 24 in) long. Evidence indicates the pups are not all born at once, but
rather the female retains sperm from one mating and produces a steady stream of
pups over a prolonged period. They reach sexual maturity at around 30 years and
their lifespan is an estimated 70 to 100 years.
The whale shark inhabits all tropical and warm-temperate
seas. The fish is primarily pelagic, living
in the open sea but not in the greater depths of the ocean, although it is
known to occasionally dive to depths of as much as 1,800 metres
(5,900 ft). Seasonal feeding aggregations occur at several coastal sites
such as here in Mexico in the waters of Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox in Yucatan.
There is currently no robust estimate of the global whale
shark population. The species is considered endangered by
the IUCN,
the Intenational Union for Conseravtion of Nature
due
to the impacts of fisheries, bycatch losses, and vessel strikes, combined with
its long life span and late maturation.
Despite its size, the
whale shark does not pose significant danger to humans. Whale sharks are docile
fish and sometimes they even allow swimmers to catch a ride. However we do NOT
allow to get to touch them as it can disturb the Sharks and their feeding
movements.
Don`t miss this unique and amazing opportunity, come and swim
with these gentle giants of the sea. Book now for your Whale Shark Encounter with Phantom Divers!
