We arrived in Holbox (prounounced Hole-bosh), Mexico on the 19th of August. Never heard of the island? Well neither did I, until some friends who went to Cancun for their anniversary told me about their adventure with the whale sharks. After I heard about it, I knew I had to go soon.
The scientists predict that the whale sharks have been in Holbox for hundreds of years but it wasnt until almost 5 years ago that some fishermen spotted them, not realizing what they really discovered. Holbox was/is a fishing village (only 7 miles long & 1 mile wide) that provided fish to surrounding Mexican communities including lobster & octopus to the tourists in Cancun. The first season, which is middle of June through early September, Holbox only had 1500 tourists which included Europeans & Americans. In 2007, this little island had over 17,000 tourists.
What is a whale shark? It is a shark and the largest fish in the world. These gentle giants can grow up to 60 feet long and up to 15 tons in weight. The whale sharks visit Holbox to feed on plankton in the summer that swim near the surface of the waters. The filter feeding fish, sieve the tiny food, plankton, through their large gills. This offers us a great opportunity to see the docile creatures in their natural habitat. Notice in this picture, our guide, Diego, compared to the whale shark in size.
Our day in the water was a spectacular experience and something everyone should do at least once in their life. We used Holbox Whale Shark Tours and was thrilled with our guide, Diego who spoke excellent english. They provided mask, fins & snorkels but I prefer to use my own, as I am fussy with using rental gear and having other peoples body fluids on my mask & snorkel. I wore the U.S. Divers Trek Fins, the Aeris Moray 2 Mask and the Oceanic Ultra Dry Snorkel.
We went in teams of 2 with Diego and sat on the edge of the boat and waited for the Captain to get the boat in front of the whale sharks mouth. He told us when to go and when to slide in the water. (No jumping in the water was allowed, as this might scare the whale sharks.) This video will show you how the boat was close to the whale shark and how snorkelers (swimmers in their case) were following the whale shark.
I was the last to go in the water and I was anxious. As I watched everyone take their turns, I could not wait to see these beautiful creatures up close. I was like a kid in a candy store. So my first reaction was, OH MY GOD… I am in the water with the largest fish in the world, how exciting for me. But there was a trick that was not explained. When you slide in the water, the whale shark is coming at you and you need to hurry to their side as their eyes are on the side of their body and you dont want them to ram you.
When you get to the side you better start kicking to keep up with this large fish. In this video you will be able to see Diego in size compared to the whale shark. And when you are kicking to keep up, dont forget to breathe.
Because it can be exhausting, snorkelers had the option to take a second & third time in the water with the whale sharks but many denied their turns. And this is why I had the opportunity to get in the water 8 times. Lucky me!
This was such a great opportunity that I am making plans already to go back in July. If you would like to join me for 3 nights, watch here for our announcement or email me and I will put you on my list to email.
Holbox is an island that is northwest of Cancun, in Mexico. To get to Holbox, we flew into Cancun and then took a 2 hour taxi ride to the Port of Chiquila. Now depending on the traffic, it could take up to 3 hours, but we were lucky. The taxi driver took us to the ferry which only took a 1/2 hour. A golf cart was waiting for us, to take us to our hotel, Faro Viejo.
Because of the Cancun Airport rules, you should get a one way transfers from the property you are staying at, which will run about $60-$90 per person. If you choose to take a taxi from the airport, it will cost $300.00… way to much. But your other option is to take a taxi to the Cancun Bus Station and take the bus or taxi from that location and pay very little compared from the airport. The ferry cost $4.50 per person, one way. Now you can fly from Cancun or Cozumel but the prices are around $500 a person each way. Dont expect much of an airport though, I have to admit, it is unique as the airport is outlined in conch shells.
When we arrived, I was impressed with the sandy streets, lots of bicycles, even 3 wheelers with carts and rows of golf carts to take you were you are going. The majority of tourists are from the mainland in Mexico but I was surprised with a large community of Europeans.
When we arrived at our hotel, which was down the street from the ferry, I was not impressed. Faro Viejo is an old property and has not been updated for years. Though the staff was very friendly, for the price they charged, we could of done better. We did not have a lot of choices of properties because we booked so late. We had a 3 bedroom unit with a nice sandy patio with a fence which was cute and had an excellent view. With it being over 100degrees not counting humidity, we did not use the patio as much as we should.
Holbox was/is a fishing village (only 7 miles long & 1 mile wide) that provided fish to surrounding Mexican communities including lobster & octopus to the tourists in Cancun. We rented a golf cart and found this fisherman cutting up his catch for his family. When we were out on the boats looking 
for the whale sharks, we saw hundreds of small red row boats and asked about it. They were fishermen fishing for octopus and hired by one company. The fishermen fish with 4 poles with a hook at the end. And they only get 3$ a kilo which is 3$ for 2 1/4 pounds. Talk about a long day at the office… Fresh fish is standard on all menus on Holbox and caught daily to add to the menus. 
Myself and the friends I was traveling with, were not fish eaters so I can not tell you how good it was but from observing people at other tables, they all had smiles on their faces.
The days we were not in the water, snorkeling with whale sharks, we rented golf carts. How fun that was! There was so much exploring to do, something I love to do when I go to a new island. The price was $50 for 12 hours or $80 for 24 hours and the same price all over the island. I love beaches and the water and Holbox has my thumbs up for both! As we drove around (and on the beach) I was quite surprised that in some areas the water was shallow for a mile. Great island for shelling also.
When we were driving around in our golf cart, I stopped at the properties that I would book and I want to share them with you. Some properties have air-conditioned and some not, some have television and others not, so please ask the right questions. During whale shark season, booking are made 4 months in advance, so dont wait. The island can be dirty, much garbage everywhere and a problem that the island will have unless it is taken care of, but the owners of these properties keep it spotless.
SAN LEANDRO – Oceanic is proud to announce their latest success story: Pierre the Penguin’s Custom Wetsuit. Working closely with the Steinhart Aquarium’s Senior Aquatic Biologist, Pam Schaller, Oceanic has manufactured a wetsuit fitted for a South African penguin named Pierre.
Schaller contacted Oceanic with a unique request in early February asking if it would be possible to create a wetsuit for the Steinhart Aquarium’s 25 year old alpha-male Penguin, Pierre. He was having a difficult time re-growing his waterproof feathers which are vital to maintaining their core body temperature. With the life expectancy of these penguins at 20 years, something had to be done quickly.
Oceanic was excited at the opportunity to participate in this project, and donated the material and expertise required. With the help of the company’s very talented Senior Sample Maker, Lok Ho, and Marketing Specialist, Teo Tertel, prototypes of the wetsuit were designed and fitted onto Pierre in a few weeks time. Initial concepts of the wetsuit included an Oceanic logo across the chest while another concept included a tuxedo design. After discussing these concepts with Schaller, Oceanic felt it was in Pierre’s best interest not to have any “unnatural” designs placed on the wetsuit. Concerns over fellow penguins attacking and biting Pierre due to “unnatural” designs were taken into consideration as Oceanic moved forward with an all-black 3/2mm Neoprene wetsuit.
The final product was delivered to this lucky penguin for his 25th birthday. Factors such as expansion and contraction in the areas around the neck and waistline played an important role in the wetsuit’s design. Known for having a 2 lb. fluctuation in weight in a few weeks time, specially designed Velcro seals were used in the construction of the wetsuit so that Pierre could have sizing adjustments. While wearing the wetsuit, he would have a thin layer of warm water between the Neoprene and his body to stabilize his core temperature and trigger the re-growth of his waterproof feathers.
After six weeks of wearing the specially designed wetsuit, Pierre has gained weight and grown back his feathers. He no longer needs to wear the wetsuit with every swim and is free to go about living a normal Penguin life again. Oceanic wishes Pierre the best of luck.
