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A demonstration of the tour the whale shark in Mexico. |
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| Gallery |
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Photo Gallery, some of them taken during our tours of holbox and contoy |
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| Tour Map |
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This is the route that we take during the tour of Holbox and Contoy. |
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- Scientific Name is RHINCODON TYPUS
- The whale shark is the biggest fish in the world
- Can grow to 18 meters
- TheWhale Shark is ovovivíparo
- They feed primarily on plancton
- The Whale Shark has a life expectancy of 70 to 120 years
- The Whale Shark is considered adult when it reaches 30 years old
- Whale Shark is completely harmless to humans
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- The whale shark is up to 46 feet (14 m), weighing up to 10 tons.
Why in Mexico?
The Whale Sharks come to the coast of Yucatan and Quintana Roo México to feed.
During the months of June to September the currents from the waters in the Gulf of Mexico meeting with the waters from the Caribbean Sea create the highest concentrations of Plankton in the world creating the ideal feeding grounds for Whale Sharks and Manta Rays.
The area where the Whale Sharks group in these months is an area of about 50 kms or 23 miles between Holbox Island and Contoy Island.
It is estimated that 4,000 whale sharks arrive each year to the warm waters off the coast of Mexico to feed. |
- Whale Shark Habitat |
The Mexican Caribbean is one of the few places in the world where the Whale Sharks group to feed. Other areas where the Whale Sharkes typically group are the coast of Australia and the Philippines.
After September the Whale Sharks migrates from the Gulf of Mexico through theMexican Caribbean to warmer waters. |
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The Whale Shark is known to inhabit warm tropical waters where the temperatures are between 18 degrees and 30 degrees centigrad and have be seen worldwide from latitude 30 north to latitude 35 south.
The Whale Shark life
The Whale Shark is the largest fish in the World, a mature whale shark can grow to 18 meters or 59.06 feet. The whale sharks that migrate to the Holbox Contoy area of the Mexican Caribbean are normally 8 to 12 meters or between 24 and 40 feet long.
The whale shark swims a speed of no more than 5 kilometers or 3 miles per hour which makes swimming with the whale sharks easy even for the beginner swimmer. The age of maturity of the whale shark is not precisely known but believed to be at 30 years o when the whale shark reaches 8 meters or 26 feet.
Feeding
The whale shark is a filter feeder that sieves small animals from the water. As it swims with its mouth open, it sucks masses of water filled with prey into its mouth and through spongy tissue between its 5 large gill arches on each side. After closing its mouth, the shark uses gills rakers that filter the nourishment from the water. Anything that doesn't pass through the gills is eaten. The water is expelled through the sharks 5 pairs of gill slits. The prey includes plankton, krill, small fish, and squid. The whale shark can process over 750 gallons (3000 liters) of water each hour.
The Whale Shark feeds on Plankton and Zooplancton basically and some small species of fish, we find the whale shark closet o the surface where there are the highest concentrations of Plankton, because of this we have the opportunity to swim and snorkel with these gentle giants. When the Whale Shark feels threatened he will descend to deeper waters and can dive to depths of 600 meters or nearly 2000 feet. The whale shark swims at a slow pace, about 5 kilometers per hour or 3.11 miles per hour making it easy to swim with them even for the novice swimmer.
Reproduction
The Whale Shark is Ovoviviparous, the eggs hatch and the babies develop inside the female's body. There is no placenta to nourish the p , newborns are generally over 2 feet (60 cm) long. The Whale Shark was long thought to be oviparous (an egg 14 inches (36 cm) long was found in the Gulf of Mexico in 1953; this would be the largest egg in the world). Recently, pregnant females have been found containing hundreds of PuPs, so, Whale sharks are actually Ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young. Newborns are generally over 2 feet (60 cm) long. |
Enjoy Swimming with the Whale Shark and a life long memory with
Whale Shark Discovery. Ocean Tours |
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