Did you have the opportunity to see this in the papers and on the internet? I found the link bookmarked so I can always look back at it and then I realized that I did not share this on our blog. All I can say is WOW!! Can you imagine jumping in the water and snorkeling with these beautiful creatures? What a fantastic opportunity to jump in the water with your snorkel gear… a memory to last a lifetime.
Mr. Nick Allen, had this published on Telegraph.co.uk, June 26, 2008. Sandra Critellis, an amature photographer ran across the beautiful Golden Rays and this is her story….
Amateur photographer captures stunning Golden Rays massing off coast of Mexico
Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea thousands of Golden Rays are seen here gathering off the coast of Mexico. The spectacular scene was captured as the magnificent creatures made one of their biannual mass migrations to more agreeable waters. Gliding silently beneath the waves they turned vast areas of blue water to gold off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Sandra Critelli, an amateur photographer, stumbled across the phenomenon while looking for whale sharks. She said: “It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind.
“It’s hard to say exactly how many there were but in the range of a few thousand. We were surrounded by them without seeing the edge of the school and we could see many under the water surface too. I feel very fortunate I was there in the right place at the right time to experienced nature at his best.”
Measuring up to 7ft (2.1 metres) from wing-tip to wing-tip, Golden rays are also more prosaically known as cow nose rays. They have long, pointed pectoral fins that separate into two lobes in front of their high-domed heads and give them a cow-like appearance. Despite having poisonous stingers they are known to be shy and non-threatening when in large schools.
The population in the Gulf of Mexico migrates, in schools of as many as 10,000, clockwise from western Florida to the Yucatan.
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.
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.
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.
