In Why Amy Goes Solo I explained why I’m on a mission to be in a new country every September 14th—to celebrate my and my late husband Ken’s wedding anniversary. For this year’s special day, I asked the owner of the guesthouse where I stayed on Isla Holbox about different things to do, and he immediately recommended a favorite of his. I took his advice and hopped in my golf cart taxi early on September 14th, VERY excited to start this wild activity.
Well, wild enough for me! I was on my way with four other people to spend the day Swimming with Whale Sharks!
I had no idea what a whale shark is. The dive master talked to us about them when we began the boat trip, but the noise of the engine and my decent-but-not-fluent Spanish got in the way of my hearing and understanding everything. Later from online research, I learned that these creatures are indeed a type of shark, but the whale part of the name is just because it feeds like whales–opening its big mouth to let the plankton flow in, and because of its whale-like size. They’re harmless, docile, gentle giants of the sea. And did I tell you how BIG they are?
Now friends, I’m not necessarily someone who gets seasick easily, and I was fine during the fast, bumpy ride to get to the spot where the sharks might be gathering. But once the captain slowed the boat and began maneuvering it around the whale sharks, other boats, and the waves; the slow up and down and side to side movements started sending my stomach into defense mode. I won’t go into details (You’re welcome!), but let’s just say I let the other two couples go first while I…uh…got ready for my turn.
It was amazing! The dive master called me and my clumsy flippered feet to the side of the boat, where I oh-so-gracefully swung my legs over, sat precariously for a few seconds, and then jumped in close to the shark! Underwater with my snorkel gear I was looking at this magnificent creature that was SO big and so placid, even with all the movement around it. I could’ve easily touched it many times, but we were warned not to—not because they were dangerous, but in the animal’s interest. So sometimes I was just treading water watching it slither along, and other times I was actively swimming alongside it! WOO-HOO!
Check out this short video: That flash of orange at the very beginning is me in my life jacket. I had just snorkeled all around the giant and finished my turn as it swam away. LOOK AT THAT BIG SHARK/FISH CREATURE! (Important! If you’re on a phone, you’ll need to expand the video to watch it!)
Once the five of us had taken our two turns in the water, we started back. But we made a stop on the return trip. We pulled up to beach where a family that coordinates with the tours ran a snack bar and watering hole.
It looked like a deserted island until we saw the few buildings among palm trees. I took some time alone to walk around and explore. There was a lighthouse, lots of pelicans, and hammocks and swings scattered near the snack bar. The sand was white, the water was multicolored, and the air was clean. AHHHHHH! I just looked at the beauty all around and then–of course–I had to swing!
A ceviche lunch was included in the tour price, and the picnic table was where my companions and I finally got to talk with each other without screaming over the roar of the boat engine. There were two couples on this tour with me, one Mexican and the other French. The man from France, appropriately named Francoise, didn’t speak a lot of Spanish; the Mexican couple knew only a very little English; and I spoke no French, so sometimes we had three languages going on–English, French, and Spanish–in order to make sure everybody knew what we were talking about! Luckily the woman from France, Audrey, could speak all three languages, so she got a workout. As usual, this time interacting with other travelers was one of the best parts of my adventure: Pictures were taken, contact information was exchanged, and happy times were shared all around!
The remaining boat ride was slower and quieter, so I got a chance to talk with the dive master. He told me that he was Nahua, an ancient people that included Aztecs, and he showed me a shark tooth he had on a leather necklace that his grandfather has passed down through his father. He was very proud of it and what it represented. He also proudly said that he could speak Nahua, a language that is in endanger of extinction. So many fascinating stories out there!
At the dock we all said goodbye, promising to send each other pictures and repeating invitations to visit each other during our future travels. There were lots of taxi carts (basically golf carts on steroids) waiting to take folks to their respective hotels, but I decided to walk. Although I was tired from the boat ride and swim, I was also energized from the experiences of the day. I took ‘the long way home”–a meandering path along the dirt streets of the town–taking in and appreciating a culture and vibe that was different from my own.
After a quick shower and cool down at my apartment, I opened a beer and walked along the beach as the day’s light began fading, thinking of how much Kenny would have loved to be experiencing all the wonders of my travels. I laughed out loud imagining his excitement swimming with the whale sharks and then cried as more memories flooded me. Finally, I stopped in front of my hotel and turned to watch the sunset.
As the sky’s colors changed like a kaleidoscope in slow motion, I was smiling again. On this September 14th, which would have been our 36th anniversary, I felt that Kenny was still there with me and sharing in all the fun.
P.S.! I have one more post to share about my Isla Holbox adventure–look for it Friday!
