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 Travel & Outdoors | January 2008 
Adventure Guide to Mexico
Snorkeling with Whale Sharks: Isla Holbox
 Bonnie Tsui - NYTimes
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| | Because the whale shark is a vulnerable species, and because coastal mangrove areas are also located here, the Yum Balam Biosphere Reserve was created in 1994 to protect Isla Holbox and its surrounding waters. | | |
Forty miles northwest of the party port of Cancún is little-known Isla Holbox (pronounced OLE-bosh), a narrow spit of white sand some 25 miles long and no more than two miles wide at its widest point, situated in the Gulf of Mexico. From June through September, the island’s offshore waters are the site of a large congregation of whale sharks, who come here to feed on seasonal plankton blooms.
The whale shark is the world’s biggest fish — it can grow to more than 50 feet in length — and its dark grayish-blue body is dotted with white spots, giving it the local nickname of “domino.” Because the whale shark is a vulnerable species, and because coastal mangrove areas are also located here, the Yum Balam Biosphere Reserve was created in 1994 to protect Isla Holbox and its surrounding waters. An active tourism industry has sprung up, providing travelers with the singular experience of snorkeling with whale sharks.
The population of Holbox — which was named for its proximity to a spring (Holbox is Mayan for “black hole”) — is less than 2,000. There are no cars; most people get around by bike, golf cart or motor scooter. The local economy is still based heavily on fishing, and there is an abundance of seafood restaurants in the main town serving up fresh daily catches of lobster, grouper, red snapper, conch and octopus. Adding to the picture-postcard prettiness are hundreds of flamingos that flock to the island.
From the Mexican mainland, most visitors get to Holbox by taking a ferry across the lagoon from Chiquilá, which takes less than 30 minutes. Day trips are the norm, with local guides taking tourists to see the whale sharks in season; Dove6 Water Tours (www.whalesharkexperience.com), run by a University of Georgia business graduate and his partner, also offers packages that include swimming with whale sharks and scuba diving elsewhere in the Maya Riviera.
The Canadian company Gap Adventures organizes an eight-day itinerary to Holbox from Cancún, coordinating accommodation, whale shark tours and other activities for travelers with local Holboxeño suppliers. Out in the waters, whale shark tourism is governed by environmental regulations: snorkelers must remain seven feet from sharks, and boats must stay 100 feet away. Guides are mandatory, scuba diving and fishing are prohibited, and all sunblock must be biodegradable.
“Swimming with the whale sharks was the main reason we went to Holbox, apart from the fact it’s a beautiful little island with gorgeous white sandy beaches and few tourists,” said Jessica Stone, 26, a reflexologist who lives in London and who visited Mexico last year. “They are just so huge you can’t believe you’re in the water with them.”
Gap Adventures, (800) 708-7761; www.gapadventures.com; eight-day Holbox trip from $875.
Bonnie Tsui is editor of “A Leaky Tent Is a Piece of Paradise” (Sierra Club), a collection of essays on the outdoors. |
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