Whale Shark Festival 2011

(Dive Travel Business - March 1, 2011) -- Mexico’s Isla Mujeres Department of Tourism announced the Fourth Annual Whale Shark Festival. The Festival will be held July 15 to 17, 2011, in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The event offers an opportunity to participate in ecotourism adventures such as swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean and an endangered species; traditional dancing performed by local troupes; exploring ancient Mayan ruins and much more. A portion of the festival proceeds will be donated to several environmental not-for-profit organizations.

The Whale Shark Festival is an effort to raise awareness for the need to preserve the area’s marine ecosystem. Isla Mujeres is part of the second-largest barrier reef on the planet, and serves as the nursery of the Caribbean and the migratory path of whale sharks, sea turtles, water foul and game fishes. Kicking off the festival will be the whale shark bloom, when hundreds of these gentle giants will come together to swim in a group near the coast of Isla Mujeres. As many as 1,400 whale sharks may make their way through the waters north of Isla Mujeres every summer, according to Dr. Robert Hueter, director of the Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory and scheduled speaker at the 2011 Whale Shark Festival. For a complete listing of 2011 Whale Shark Festival activities and more information, visit WhaleSharkFest.

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