Main objective, Whale Sharks...

[lsorenson]

There is lots of east in East Texas and rolling hills would be the proper description... I think its all perspective anyhow. I still love the hills down around San Marcos

How do you read hills from Texas High Plains?

I think I got hung up when reading one km high... Does not seem like much until you really look at the number... 3280'

Location: One kilometer high on the Texas High Plains

and I do forget about the lay of the land, so to speak, up in your neck of the woods.... You got woods up there?

I have worked in Lubbock (easiest town ever to get around in) and I was high tailing it from Dallas to Alaska back in the 80's in April; I was worried about catching a snow storm up in the Yukon or such and of all places to get struck due to a snow storm... Amarillo!!! Took 2 days to open the highways...

Anyways... many thanks about the airlines as we will fly out of Charlotte... I hope that fare from Raleigh holds true for Charlotte... 409.00 has a nice ring to it...

 

[DIVECOZUMEL]

You may want to consider Isla Holbox also......

Travel Guide For Holbox Island Mexico A Quiet Birding and Whale Shark Watching Paradise

BTW if you are extremely lucky you may even catch a migration of Golden Rays passing by:

 

[DandyDon]

Holbox is a delightful island town. Hope it doesn't change too much before I get back, never pave the streets or allow cars, etc. I don't think those rays migrate thru there tho? I've seen pics like those on the net; are you sure they're from Holbox, DIVECOZUMEL?

Haha the only native trees were in the draws. Plainview was original call Hackberry Grove or something similar for the trees on the draw there where travelers camped. They're long gone but the camping persisted and now it's a small city on I-27. They replanted some Hackberry trees but the person in charge ordered the wrong kind so they didn't survive the winters. Don't know if they ever got the right ones in any of the parks. Elms trees are a problem we try not to let reproduce so I hope they are rotating some in as those fall.

So you have been here ok. I've been to some places in east Texas over the years other than thru Paris, Tyler once, Orange, Kaufman, some other places that also looked like swamps, but just never noticed any hills. Ever been to Medicine Mound on the way to Amarillo? That's what I called hills.

Like the old saying goes: "If you find Medicine Mound - you had to have been looking for it." It's not that it's difficult to find - since it still appears on the state map - it's just that it is on a long extended spur off of Highway 287. (FM 91 on the east and FM 1167) on the west. The mountains that comprise the mounds are visible from Highway 287. There are actually four elevations that rise 200-250 feet above the landscape. These are natural mounds that were held sacred by the Comanches.

I think there is only one brick building now, a private museum full of local keepsakes. Don't know if it ever opens tho?

Let us know how your plans develop. Love to offer ideas when I can...

 

[DIVECOZUMEL]

Yes as a matter of fact they do............

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3345275/Golden-Ray-photos-of-amazing-mass-migration.html

The population in the Gulf of Mexico migrates, in schools of as many as 10,000, clockwise from western Florida to the Yucatan.

 

[DIVECOZUMEL]

Here is the story I was thinking of and it does say these photos were taken near Holbox.

The great ocean migration... thousands of majestic stingrays swim to new seas | Mail Online

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks. Those pics have also been attributed to other places, but it seems you are correct. snopes.com: Mass Migration of Cownose Rays

 

[DIVECOZUMEL]

The very first thing I thought of when the oil spill happened was what happens when a group of 10000 Rays runs into miles of oil underwater? Hopefully they had some sort of warning or sense to avoid the area an alter the migration route.

 

[Ms. Ann Thrope]

Don, were you not on the same Holbox boat as we were? There were tons of little rays flying by under us. The water wasn't as clear as it looks in those pictures, but they were there. I'd love to go back as well and enjoy its sleepy charms. I keep reading about some big resort that's supposed to be built.

 

[robbcayman]

Any chance of seeing whale sharks in May? I'll be down there the 2nd week of May and would love to see one if there's a chance.

 

[CozumelAntonio]

I went to Holbox in 2002, we actually dove back then. Then I went back in 2004, but from Isla Mujeres. BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!!

Holbox is in green gulf water, Isla Mujeres in blue caribbean water. 15-20 foot viz vs 100+ foot viz. Go from ISLA MUJERES!!!

Here's the video of the 2004 trip to Isla:

Isla Mujeres Pelagic Snorkeling

I will try to attach some pics of both trips for comparison.