DRIFT Travel Summer 2018

than four feet from my face. My
initial reaction was fear, but I
quickly noticed this animal had no
interest in me. With a flick of its
tail the shark changed directions
and continued its feeding path.
After the shock of the sheer
size of these animals subsided,
I soaked in the spectacular
experience. Looking into the
shark’s enormous yet gentle
eyes, it was hard not to wonder
what things these fish have seen.
The speckled leviathans are
surprisingly quick for their
size. Just a few swoops of
their powerful tailfins and
they were out of visibility.
By the end of the tour we had seen
at least 20 sharks and that was
a slow day for the world’s largest
concentration of whale sharks.
During the hour and a half boat
ride back to the main land, my
mind thought about the amazing
experience. Not many people get
to swim with sharks in their life, let
alone the largest sharks in the ocean.
My only fear is that experiences
like this may not be available for
future generations. Overfishing
and human stress on marine
environments threatens the future
of whale sharks. I am convinced
that if more people took
opportunities like this to witness
first-hand the beauty of the ocean,
the fight to protect the seas would
take a dramatic turn for the best.
So if you are visiting Cancun
and up for an adventure, a whale
shark snorkel trip is an absolute
must. Memories of sipping
cocktails by the pool will fade, but
swimming with these creatures is
something you will remember and
cherish for the rest of your life.
12 . DRIFTTRAVEL.COM