Scorpio Divers
Registered
Hola Divers!!!!
Whaleshark season is coming soon and we wanted to give divers / snorkelers a heads up.
As many know, this business has grown over the years a lot. It started with a few boats and now we have a LOT of boats in the area.
Mexican government has declared the site a Sanctuary and has year by year tried to keep it safe for all: whalesharks and humans.
Some years ago we had chartered Yatchs in the area, causing a lot of accidents due to the size of the boats and nature of maneuvering and all types of boats.
In the past years it was said that only boats with around 40 feet distance and twin engines would be allowed in the area. Now, as rules are made, some families and businesses that have been operating for years get the permits to operate making it that only few will be able to operate in the area legally. Some operators work together with others to ensure the legality of the activity and respect for the rules of the sanctuary.
About the activity:
- The area is only snorkel. NO scuba diving allowed.
- Whalesharks are already in the surface, not even 2 feet of water deep!
- Flotation devices MUST be worn at all times: could be a life jacket or a wetsuit. Wetsuits allow better movement when in the water.
- There is a lot of operators that offer the tour in a variety of pricing ranging from $150usd to $250usd per person, depending on the experience and boat, choose on various research and ask all your doubts before booking so this goes as smooth as desired.
- It is a unique experience in the world as the place where they are found is blue waters normally, making this amazing viz to see.
- The site is around 45/55mins distance depending on the whalesharks and ocean conditions. On choppy days this might be a bit rough.
- Once on the site, groups of 4 or less are divided to jump in the water to swim "next" to them take pics, etc, but reality is that keeping up with them can be a challenge, so before feeling extra tired, let you guide know. Whalesharks look to move slow but actually swim quite a distance fast.
- When the first group is done, around 5-10mins, the other group jumps in the water, and so on, around 2 to 4 times depending on the boat and clientele.
- Park / Sanctuary has operating hours, for what boats must enter and leave at a certain time.
On a side note:
- Hurricane season is May to September/November. This means that out of the blue weather gets bad and oceans get choppy. Choose an operator that will look after your safety, not your money. Harbor Master doesn't allow boats out on certain days that they consider the weather too rough and hazardous.
- On a Choppy Day, it can be a not so nice experience, personally I would move my date of reservation to a better day as it makes a world of difference.
- Even in the calmest days, some might get seasick and this makes it a 3 to 4 hour activity out to sea and no land to stop by. So please do take precautions with this.
- Some boats have cover some don't, but even with cover, the sun reflects from the water and can easily burn. Wearing a hat, sunglasses, long sleeve rash guard is recommendable at all times. Sun protection lotion MUST be biodegradable! all other is NOT allowed.
All Operators must respect and follow the stablished rules of operation, time in the Sanctuary, and handling of people as fines and sanctions will be emitted to the operator.
On the season:
Season is supposed to be May 15th to Sept 15th... some times permits and the OK! is released later than day accorded and depending on the weather, more days could be added to the season at the end.
There is population of whalesharks and mantas that feed on a specific site and thats where we find them, but like all in nature, some days they might not be there.
What I would BEST time to see them is late July, early august as its when we've seen the most concentration.... but as said all can change due to nature.
As advice, if making a trip only for this, id buy the airline ticket flexibility as with the weather you never know. We've had the case where weather has been bad out of the blue for a whole week! and also the case where it has been amazing for a full month. You never know....
Its an activity where guidelines must be followed and this year a new director has been appointed who's done an amazing job in the south of Quintana Roo, so we all expect it to be great!
Hope this info helps!
Jorge
Whaleshark season is coming soon and we wanted to give divers / snorkelers a heads up.
As many know, this business has grown over the years a lot. It started with a few boats and now we have a LOT of boats in the area.
Mexican government has declared the site a Sanctuary and has year by year tried to keep it safe for all: whalesharks and humans.
Some years ago we had chartered Yatchs in the area, causing a lot of accidents due to the size of the boats and nature of maneuvering and all types of boats.
In the past years it was said that only boats with around 40 feet distance and twin engines would be allowed in the area. Now, as rules are made, some families and businesses that have been operating for years get the permits to operate making it that only few will be able to operate in the area legally. Some operators work together with others to ensure the legality of the activity and respect for the rules of the sanctuary.
About the activity:
- The area is only snorkel. NO scuba diving allowed.
- Whalesharks are already in the surface, not even 2 feet of water deep!
- Flotation devices MUST be worn at all times: could be a life jacket or a wetsuit. Wetsuits allow better movement when in the water.
- There is a lot of operators that offer the tour in a variety of pricing ranging from $150usd to $250usd per person, depending on the experience and boat, choose on various research and ask all your doubts before booking so this goes as smooth as desired.
- It is a unique experience in the world as the place where they are found is blue waters normally, making this amazing viz to see.
- The site is around 45/55mins distance depending on the whalesharks and ocean conditions. On choppy days this might be a bit rough.
- Once on the site, groups of 4 or less are divided to jump in the water to swim "next" to them take pics, etc, but reality is that keeping up with them can be a challenge, so before feeling extra tired, let you guide know. Whalesharks look to move slow but actually swim quite a distance fast.
- When the first group is done, around 5-10mins, the other group jumps in the water, and so on, around 2 to 4 times depending on the boat and clientele.
- Park / Sanctuary has operating hours, for what boats must enter and leave at a certain time.
On a side note:
- Hurricane season is May to September/November. This means that out of the blue weather gets bad and oceans get choppy. Choose an operator that will look after your safety, not your money. Harbor Master doesn't allow boats out on certain days that they consider the weather too rough and hazardous.
- On a Choppy Day, it can be a not so nice experience, personally I would move my date of reservation to a better day as it makes a world of difference.
- Even in the calmest days, some might get seasick and this makes it a 3 to 4 hour activity out to sea and no land to stop by. So please do take precautions with this.
- Some boats have cover some don't, but even with cover, the sun reflects from the water and can easily burn. Wearing a hat, sunglasses, long sleeve rash guard is recommendable at all times. Sun protection lotion MUST be biodegradable! all other is NOT allowed.
All Operators must respect and follow the stablished rules of operation, time in the Sanctuary, and handling of people as fines and sanctions will be emitted to the operator.
On the season:
Season is supposed to be May 15th to Sept 15th... some times permits and the OK! is released later than day accorded and depending on the weather, more days could be added to the season at the end.
There is population of whalesharks and mantas that feed on a specific site and thats where we find them, but like all in nature, some days they might not be there.
What I would BEST time to see them is late July, early august as its when we've seen the most concentration.... but as said all can change due to nature.
As advice, if making a trip only for this, id buy the airline ticket flexibility as with the weather you never know. We've had the case where weather has been bad out of the blue for a whole week! and also the case where it has been amazing for a full month. You never know....
Its an activity where guidelines must be followed and this year a new director has been appointed who's done an amazing job in the south of Quintana Roo, so we all expect it to be great!
Hope this info helps!
Jorge
