The poem I perform in this video was inspired by a trip I took to Mexico in 2016 where I was privileged to snorkel with Whale Shark near to Isla Mujeres.
Before I visited Mexico I was unaware what a group of whale sharks were called, in fact, I couldn’t even imagine what a group of whale sharks would look like or why they might gather!
Every year between June and September the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula near to Isla Mujeres (Women’s Isle) sees the greatest aggregation of whale sharks ever recorded. The world record of 420 whale sharks were observed here in a single aerial survey. The whale sharks were all gathered in an elliptical patch of ocean approximately 18 km2.
This cacophony of shark is attracted by a mass spawning of little tunny (tuna offspring). Throughout the summer months, the sharks can be found languidly swimming at the surface scooping up gargantuan mouthfuls of the microscopic tuna roe. Manta rays, golden eagle rays, sailfish and marlin are also common visitors to this feast throughout the summer months.
I can still remember the bumpy 5 am ride from my hostel in Tulum to the marina where the boat was moored at Puerto Morelos. After a 1.5 hour commute, I was raring to get on the boat and out on to the water.
The tour operators, Mexicowhalesharktours were very professional and insisted on going over the rules before we set out. When I first researched the tours that operated these snorkelling trips, my primary concern was for the wellbeing of these majestic creatures. I wrestled with my desire to swim with the whale sharks and the potential disturbance that we would be creating to their natural environment.
After a good deal of research, I discovered that the authorities in Cancun had recently put regulations in place to limit the number of boats allowed per day in the aggregation area. Additionally, there are fines to enforce these regulations. I felt satisfied that the benefits that eco-tourism brings (eliminating any chance of illegal shark fin fishing in the area) far outweighed the disturbance to the sharks. You can read more about responsible swimming practices when in the water with these gentle giants here.
As can be seen in the video poetry reading the boat powered over the waves, its bob and sway loosing butterflies in my stomach as I stared at the horizon to counter any motion sickness.
Seeing whale sharks is near the top of every divers bucket list and my excitement was bubbling over as I chatted with the other tourists and the boat operator. There was a young marine biologist from Cancun University along on the trip, I tried to chat to her about feeding habits and age ranges of the whale sharks in the area but her English wasn’t very good so most of our conversation was lost in translation. I remember thinking how much I regret giving up my Rosetta stone Spanish studies.
As my trip to Mexico was at the beginning of the season and I was flying back to the UK the next day it was not guaranteed that we would see any whale shark, the boat captain and the tour operators were explicit in stating that it was 50/50 at this time of year. I strained my neck to look over the bow of the boat as we powered along and eventually after about an hour of wondering and waiting I saw 3 boats in the distance! The captain spotted them at exactly the same time and as I pointed he grinned at me and nodded, “good sign”.
We approached slowly, the engine now a melodious purr as the other boats grew larger and suddenly they were all around us. To port and starboard large shapes could be seen gliding through the water. Only their mouths can be clearly seen above the water and due to the refraction of light, the scale of these creatures is not immediately apparent.
I counted at least 15 whale shark that I could see and as we marvelled at them swimming around the boat the marine biologist re-stated the rules and explained the procedure for swimming safely with the shark. The captain would move the boat into the path of a whale shark, and then we would jump off the side of the boat; 2 snorkelers at a time and the guide. The guide explained that the shark would veer to side past us and then we were to swim as fast as possible next to it.
As I leapt off the side of the boat I have to admit to feeling a little flutter of nerves. Whale sharks are harmless filter feeders and despite their massive size, they command a serine and gentle presence in the water. I swam for dear life! Finning manically next to this wonderful goliath, the sheer power of the shark astounded me! They move in a languid dance, a perfect balance between power and motion and their tails movement can be felt in the wake of the current.
I managed to have three encounters with these magnificent creatures throughout the day and each was as exciting as the previous. The whale sharks were all different sizes, although the largest was still an adolescent, maybe the size of a small single deck bus. On my final encounter, I was determined to free dive down to a reasonable depth to get a better perspective and maybe some better footage. Unfortunately, my fitness levels let me down as I found it difficult to swim at the surface to keep up while taking in enough oxygen to sustain any reasonable amount of time underwater. I did get some footage on the video but it is very shaky.
The day stretched on; a dream of grey and blue spotted mottled whale sharks, sculling through the turquoise fog of roe. I felt a contentment that I honestly believe was a kind of unconscious connection with the shark. As they idly zigzagged through the midday sun, caressed by the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea it struck me that this was an all-inclusive whale shark party going on right here and I felt privileged to be a part of it!
That night I returned to Tulum and decided to sleep on the beach. I have rarely felt so at peace than that night watching the sun go down and the murmur of the swell lapping at the tide line. I felt that unfathomable satisfaction when you realise a dream that you’ve held dear for a long time, when the reality is more fantastic than any of your previous imaginings.
It was while watching the sun set that I wrote the first draft of the poem ‘The Mother of Oceans.’
Thanks for reading 🦈
The music used in this video is creative commons licence, by Whitecat from the album: Beautiful Piano
All video footage (and pictures) are my own, filmed at the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico off the coast of Isla Mujeres in 2016.
Poetry is ©
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