Whale Sharks in Mexico (Jul 2023)

Be sure to scroll below to view our photos and videos after our story for this trip.

Whale Shark Encounters Off Isla Blanca

*Whale sharks are fish (sharks) not whales. Look at those gills!*

The world is so vast that often we can’t even see or begin to imagine the largest of marine phenomenon occurring right before our eyes. When you fly into Cancun International Airport and see the vast Caribbean blue waters from the air, little do you realize that during the months of May to September, the largest whale shark migration in the world is occurring. Known as a “whale” for its sheer size, these animals are in fact fish and not mammals. They are sharks, to be exact, and both the world’s largest shark and fish species growing up to 30-40 feet in length.

The magic for me in visiting these beauties is that no matter how many whale shark encounters I’ve experienced, I always tell people that it feels like the first time every time I see one. If hammerheads are my favorite species of shark, the whale shark still manages to steal my heart with its majestic presence and gracefulness. Little is known in terms of absolute regarding their migration patterns, but what is generally agreed to is that these creatures make their way north up the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef—just after the start of the calendar year—following the plankton-rich currents and their favorite treat: bonito tuna broadcasting their spawn of eggs and gametes. Case in point, whale shark season runs March to June in Belize, and then June to September in Mexico.

Leading up to this trip I had inquired extensively with locals about the latest migrations habits and numbers of the previous few seasons. The inquiries were well deserved—our last whale shark trip was pre-pandemic, and constant word about dwindling numbers year after year gets around. With global warming and its effects on migration patterns garnering the brunt of the blame, this season was especially concerning given it’s an El Niño year—the 3-5 year phenomena that disrupts normal trade winds and water temperature, causing unknown effects to migration patterns and marine wildlife.

I started asking in May about a possible quick trip late June in order to squeeze another one in July. No dice. I was warned that the whale sharks had arrived later in the season, and with so few sightings to speak of, responsible operators were scarcely running trips. However, the gamble was still good for mid-July when whale shark numbers tend to peak anyway. Off we went.

*An aerial drone view of beautiful Isla Blanca with its white beaches and turquoise water*

A little history. The area around Holbox—a town that lies at the northern tip of the state of Quintana Roo and in the Gulf of Mexico, not the Caribbean Sea—was considered the capital of whale shark encounters many years ago. Slowly the operators migrated their operations southeast towards Isla Mujeres once they realized that the migration area spanned hundreds of linear kilometers. It makes sense; Holbox is hard to access and has much less tourism than Isla Mujeres, which is located a short boat ride away from the tourism capital that is Cancun. Our operator, Buceo Xtabay, is based near Isla Blanca, which makes the green waters of the west towards Holbox just as accessible as the eastern blue waters towards Isla Mujeres. This advantage will make sense in a minute.

We decided to spread our boat trips out over 2 weeks. Experience has told us that it’s not good to bundle all your eggs in one basket—pun intended—when looking for whale sharks, especially in less than peak conditions. This way we could skip a few days while operators adjusted tactics if sightings were hard to come by or the sharks were not surfacing.

The first day in the blue waters east of Isla Blanca was great. We only encountered a couple of whale sharks in the water, but the operators were very well organized and gave ample time to each customer with the sharks. Adding to our luck, the whale sharks were busy feeding and paid us no mind as they stayed near the surface feasting on plankton. The second day was not so great. We encountered two whale sharks, but one was a calf. The park ranger—the area where the whale sharks migrate to is a federal reserve, closely watched and protected by rangers—chose to isolate the calf from the operators, leaving only one shark to the masses. Unfortunately, said shark was in no mood to deal with the fanfare, only coming up a few seconds at a time before retreating into the deep blue. I was one of the few who caught a brief view, but the encounter certainly ended up on the side of a disappointing day.

*The lighthouse at Isla Contoy serves as a visual marker for heading east and west*

The next few trips ranged from excellent to average to a complete shutout day. The operators learned that whale sharks were spotted in the green waters slightly northwest of Isla Blanca. There, the water is colder and with poorer visibility than the eastern blue water, but we were thankful that the green water was accessible due to the location of Buceo Xtabay’s marina—in comparison, the operators from Isla Mujeres had a very long trip, with some choosing to skip the trip altogether. However, the success was short-lived as the sightings dried up, eventually culminating in a day of no sightings at all.

Our strategy of spreading out boat days paid off. After the shutout day, the frustrated operators re-grouped and canceled all trips the next day. Instead, a few strategic boats would head different directions hoping to find a large group of whale sharks they would continue to track.

Immediate success.

*Though not mentioned, we spotted giant manta rays and plenty of dolphin pods along the way*

Groups of dozens of whale sharks were spotted back in the blue waters east of Isla Blanca, slightly off-course from our previous sites but an ideal location from Buceo Xtabay’s marina. We left on our final morning with high hopes that we would end the trip on a great note. Sure enough, we were rewarded with a scene that somewhat resembled the normal peak season; multiple whale sharks with fewer operators per shark, making for an enjoyable afternoon filled with pictures and videos to document the experience. While we would have enjoyed this type of success every boat trip, it served as a humbling reminder that “sure thing” doesn’t exist when it comes to the ocean. Our overall experience was extremely positive, and we’re glad we carved out some time this year to re-visit these majestic beauties. Here’s to continued success for these hard-working operators, and the thousands of people who flock to these parts to experience this yearly phenomenon. CaaS

Note: I touched a little upon the speculation of why whale shark sightings have dwindled over the years. While much of the current discussion is theory and hypothesis, we were very fortunate to spend many days with biologist and dive shop owner, Luz Maria Guzman. A very important person in the biological history of modern Quintana Roo, her story and impact are the subject of our Spotlight, which you can read here.

Check out these photos from our trip: