Since the start of the new season back in July there has hardly
been a whale shark spotted.
Normally a natural home for the species, the Bay of La Paz seems worryingly
empty with as few as 5 sightings reported so far. And those that have been seen
are far away from their usual spot.
No studies have been done on the locations of the populations
of whale sharks so it is impossible to know exactly where they are or how many there should be.
Whale sharks have recently been declared an endangered
species and all efforts must be made to protect them. So if you are here on
vacation and want to “swim with sharks” please make sure you go with a licensed
tourist provider.
But if you are worried about missing the evasive whale sharks, or dealing with pirate operators why not take a tour with Shark Encounters Mexico.
Created by marine biologists and entrepreneurs Shark Encounters Mexico have successfully combined eco tourism with bio research and a citizen science program.
All “citizens” go with trained guides to swim with the animals (sharks,
mantas and pelagic fish) and collect vital information
for scientific research purposes. Tasks can include - shark tagging with
conventional tags and acoustic tags, taking biopsies, photo ID, determining
species and sex, and estimating physical parameters.
Give it
a go and become a shark scientist for a day!