Whale Tale

whale shark

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Photo by: Ceviche Tours

The largest confirmed whale shark measured a whopping 41 feet long and weighed in at 47,000 pounds — just for comparison’s sake, the average 38-foot-long school bus, fully loaded with around 84 teenagers, weighs around 43,000 pounds. These gentle giants pose no threat to people, though, feeding mainly on plankton — a lot of plankton. As many as 1,400 of the fish migrate through Mexican waters each summer, gathering in Isla Holbox northwest of Cancún, passing Isla Mujeres along the way, and giving very excited snorkelers a chance to get within finning distance. The whale shark season begins in the spring, and you can jump in the water with them at either site on a day tour. If you’re headed to Cancún in July, Isla Mujeres puts on the Whale Shark Festival each year where you can also check out what the island is to protect the sharks and encourage sustainable tourism.