Whale shark snorkeling is one of the things you shouldn’t miss when visiting Isla Mujeres. These gentle giants enjoy swimming in warm seas, and Isla Mujeres’s waters are just idyllic to them since they are both warm and nutrient-rich, attracting plankton, nekton, and other species that are part of the whale shark diet. However, this phenomenon doesn’t occur every day of the year, there’s an Isla Mujeres whale shark season in which these creatures are gladly received to then continue their journey, and here we’ll tell you all about it.
When is The Best Time to Swim With Whale Sharks
Every year during the Isla Mujeres whale shark season during the summer months, this Island is visited by arguably the world’s greatest number of Whale Sharks, creating the perfect chance to see these creatures peacefully enjoy their natural habitat. There are two main reasons, the first one is that they love warm temperatures, so summer is the perfect time for them, drawing whale sharks to different areas of this coast, especially during the peak season months (from May to September).
The other reason is that they feed on plankton and a special type of fish egg “bonito eggs” which can be found on the abounding fish reproductive grounds formed by the convergence of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. An investigation of these waters done by Rafael de la Parra’s team, it was found that the Isla Mujeres waters are very rich in nutrients and draw plankton formed by a diverse variety of microscopic animals and Bonito fish eggs, which explains why whale sharks love to visit the waters around Isla Mujeres. Actually, we have an amazing Isla Mujeres whale shark tour, where our professional and trained staff will take you to the greatest spot to see tons of these animals up close.
If this article helped you and you’d like to visit these beautiful creatures, visit our Instagram and check out all our amazing tours.
