Highlight of our trip

Something I have wanted to do for ten years is swim with the whale sharks---the biggest shark in the world.  I finally did it last week.

Even the two hour boat ride that led to puking for many more hours was worth it.  They are the most incredible animals--so huge, but so peaceful. We were off the coast of Isla Mujeres, near Cozumel, where they hang out during certain parts of the year.





Whale sharks can be around 40 feet long, and weigh from 10-25 tons. They live about 70 years, and mostly eat plankton. That is kind of weird since they have mouths that can be five feet across and you can feel the current when he opens his mouth to draw in the water and plankton. Last year, the largest gathering of whale sharks was seen right where we went to swim with them--more than 400 of them.  I cannot imagine how cool that was, as ten or twelve was incredible.



 Swimming along with them is the strangest feeling because you forget how big they are, and they are kind of playful.  They look like they are not moving at all, but they glide through the water.  When you first get in with them, they are near the surface, and eventually they dive down for a while.   Soon though they pop back up and will swim with you some more.


One more thing marked off my bucket list!  It has been a pretty big year of doing that, so I may have to add some things to my list! Any suggestions?