Technology. Ecology. Cojones.
“When I say go, you must jump. Be ready,” Andrea instructed us as our pasty legs hung over the boat, masks pressed against our faces.
“Is it on?” I nudged my husband, motioning towards our GoPro. Before he could say "yeah," Andrea said "go."
In other corners of the world, tourists ride the backs of these gentle giants, swim close enough to take a selfie, and do things that put whale sharks into duress. In some places, guides feed whale sharks to corral them for tourist consumption. Here in the Sea of Cortez, thanks to outfitters like Red Travel Mexico, the experience looks much different.
We jumped flippers-first into the Sea of Cortez. Our mission: swim with whale sharks, the largest fish on earth, sustainably.
The sea engulfed me. I saw blue and an instant later—that massive mouth coming for me like something out of a VR headset. Only real. There I was with a whale shark coming straight for my full-face-snorkel-masked face, which had arrived to my house via Amazon Prime the day before. My house, where I had a toddler, a Jeep, a life I’d left behind.
I want to thank our guide, Andrea, who’d given us a talk leading up to swimming with sharks. I’d also like to thank my parents for raising me well, and our step daughter who’d give our son Reuben a good life without—
Kidding. I’m not dead. Truth is, I’ve never felt more alive.
The Eco-Friendly Whale Shark Experience
Before we jumped, shark specialist Dr. James Ketchum hopped aboard to share his research. There were many unknowns, but he set the stage: we’d visit a nursery of juveniles who were about six meters long and spend their days eating zooplankton in La Paz.
Andrea set boundaries. We’d jump and remain three meters from the whale sharks on all sides. We were not to touch them because we’d leave a mark and remove their protective UV coat. Ideally, we’d swim alongside the docile dinosaurs. Above all, these were wild animals and we must respect them. Oh and one last thing: if it happened that the whale shark was coming towards us head first, just float to the top.
There I was, letting a 20-foot shark pass below me, as if we’d choreographed it all along.
Photo still from Joyce’s incredible video. I’ve got a bit more to learn about the ‘ole GoPro.
Outside the water, I chatted with Andrea before we’d jump again. Yes, I’d do that whole thing again. Andrea commanded our group of 11. She was bright, well-spoken and confident. She studied biology at the university in La Paz, grew up in mainland Mexico, and spent a year studying in Germany. She’d traveled to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria with a classmate overseas and fell in love with the people. I could relate. Andrea would stay home from work the following day in honor of International Women’s Day—violence against women in Latin countries is endemic and must change. Andrea is 20 years old.
Our guide, Andrea.
Our fellow travelers were reviewing takes from their cameras as the boat bobbed along. Joyce, a nurse from San Diego had captured the whale shark’s unmistakable jawline coming straight for her. Joyce floated to the top, just like me, and captured it on film.
“I want that video,” Andrea exclaimed.
“Me too,” cried Celia, a traveler from the UK.
“I’ll Airdrop it.”
This wasn’t a commercial for the latest iPhone. This was a real moment on the Sea of Cortez, with a boatful of international travelers and whale sharks below. In an instant, we shared the video on our phones amidst a chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs."
I jumped with our small group again and this time, I managed to swim out to the left of the shark coming our way. As soon as he was upon us, we swam hard alongside him.
I wish I could say this was my photo. It’s another still from Joyce’s incredible video!
Each whale shark’s markings are like a fingerprint. Biologists study individual whale sharks based on their markings, using the same technology astronomers use to study constellations.
After swimming several meters, I came up for air. Led by Andrea, swimming with whale sharks, discovering how technology can bring humans and the natural world closer together, made me stop and think—our future really is bright.
This post was sponsored by Red Travel Mexico, but you can trust that my opinion is my own.
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