La Paz: Season Two

Swimming with Whale Sharks

I have always wanted to see a whale shark. I had kind of given up on it though because I thought I would have to spend tens of thousands of dollars go to the Galapagos Islands so we could scuba dive to see the sharks. While it is true that one could see the older and larger whale sharks in those seas, it’s possible to see smaller ones here in the Gulf of California from November through April. 

Whale shark. Photo courtesy of "The Baja Citizen"

The whale sharks here are younger, up to about the age of 20, according to our guide, Mario. These younger whales will head out of the Gulf for the summer, but return in the winter again. I guess once they get to a certain age and size, they don’t return and head out to open tropical seas. Scientific data continues to be collected, but it suggests that whale sharks can live 70-130 years.

Swimming with whale sharks is a highly regulated activity in La Paz in order to better protect the fish. A boat can carry no more than 10 passengers, and only five people and the guide may swim with the shark at one time. 

Each boat must first stop at a checkpoint on the way out to the nursery area and show the required licenses. Then the boat receives a number. We were four, meaning that we were fourth in line to go into the area and try to find some sharks to swim with.

Our boat left from the downtown Malecón, and it was a short ride out to the checkpoint. Then we rode another five minutes or so until the captain slowed the boat and we idled, awaiting our turn. The time provided an opportunity to learn more about the other passengers and hear about whale sharks.

There was a couple from Mexico City, both students at the University. They were on holiday for Santa Semana, Easter week. La Paz was packed, and the only reason we were on these tours was because our B&B host, Richard, knew to book us as soon as possible after we arrived. There were also two sisters from London, a couple from Livingstone, Montana, and two young women from Sonora.

We watched as a boat raced through the nursery area, and I asked if there was a speed limit for boats. Mario said there was, but often the fishermen didn’t follow the rules. He said they don’t like to be regulated. The boat did eventually slow down, so apparently someone had reported them.

Whale sharks, the largest known extant fish species, are filter-feeding and slow-moving, making them vulnerable to boat injuries and fatalities. Whale Shark Mexico, a non-profit dedicated to conservation and research about whale sharks, found that from 2003-2009 some 66% of juvenile sharks had boat injuries. Through education and working with the government, the injury rate decreased to 35% by 2012. Hopefully, as of 2019 it has improved even further.

After some 30-45 minutes it was time to go. We all had the expectation of seeing a shark, but we knew it might not happen.

The plan was that group one would be ready to go, sitting on the edge of the boat with fins, snorkel and mask (we had our wetsuits for this excursion). The boat captains communicated with each other so the guides would better know where the sharks were located. Once a shark was sighted, the boat moved closer, and Mario jumped in, found the shark and signaled the group to come. Supposedly we would jump one at a time off the boat, but more often it was two or three at a time and chaos ensued.

Ed was in group one and I was in group two. Group one had an excellent look at the first shark, a medium-sized one (about 15-feet long) that was swimming on the surface of the water. Mario sent back group one, and as we were already hanging on the edge of the boat, he yelled for us to come and swim hard! I was the first one in and swam like crazy. There was the whale shark six feet below me.

It was huge and beautiful and appeared to be hardly moving at all, and yet I was losing it.

Follow it, Mario commanded. We all swam and swam. I was losing ground. I stopped, exhausted from the adrenaline rush and the swimming.  I looked down. The shark was nowhere to be seen. Mario sent us back to the boat. Our group clambered back on board, giddy with our success, but all panting as if we had just swum a mile.

The first group was already on the side of the boat, ready to jump. The boat slowed as Mario pointed out a shadow in the water. Another shark! Group one jumped in. We all put our fins back on and readied ourselves to go. Mario sent group one back in and called us out. Chaos, splashing, swimming, and there we were next to a smaller whale shark, but still about 10 feet long, and this one was swimming on the surface. I was trying to keep a healthy distance from the shark (four arm lengths or so), and Mario grabbed my arm and yanked me within two feet of the shark. Wow!

His or her large wide mouth was slightly agape, gathering plankton and other edibles. Her small eye was at the front of her head, and I wondered if she might be looking at me. On her skin were yellow-white spots, which are unique to each shark. A remora, about a foot long, was attached to the shark’s belly between the pectoral fins, giving the shark a cleaning. 

We swam along with the shark for a while, and then Mario called us off, and we headed back to the boat. Time to give the shark a break.

At this point, most of us in group two were chilly and heading to the front of the boat for some sun. My legs were shaking I was so cold. I wondered if I could go again, but the call came, and I went. 

This shark was the largest yet. Gigante! It must have been 20+ feet long and swam lazily along the surface. I got caught in the wake of the two sisters in front of me, so I spent more time looking at the latter half of this fish and its enormous tail…a large upper fin and smaller lower fin. Apparently as the fish ages, the tail becomes more crescent-shaped.

Turns out Ed was swimming alongside the head of this big guy, and it suddenly turned directions and almost ran into him. Mario had to pull him out of the way. Ed thought his head about three to four feet wide.

While these sharks looked big to all of us, adults can range from 32 to 42-feet long and weigh from 20,000 to 45,000 pounds. The largest confirmed shark had a length of 62 feet. I’m quite certain that I don’t need to swim alongside something so large.

Mario called it a wrap after the third shark, and we all peeled off our wet suits and tried to warm up. 

This was an incredible experience, and I would encourage anyone to do it. If we do find that La Paz is our winter destination spot, I would do this again in the winter, when there are said to be more whales present.

In the moments I could relax, as I swam side by side with this huge creature, it all felt timeless, or of one continuous piece, the here and now connecting me to the distant past. I had this feeling only once before while swaying in the Kauai surf with giant sea turtles as they grazed on sea grass. It’s an awesome feeling.