Isla Holbox, Mexico
At the northernmost tip of the Yucatan peninsula, lies Isla Holbox (Holbox Island). This is an amazing out-of-the-way place where nature lovers can find paradise. This island is in the middle of the Mexican Whale shark migration route.
We hired a company specializing in Whale shark tours. We went on a small boat with 8 passengers and scoured the waters surrounding the island until the crew spotted a very large one. Mexico prohibits scuba diving with Whale sharks, so only snorkeling is allowed, with only two people in the water at a time. The boat pulls way ahead of the shark to lessen distress to the animal and allow the snorkelers to enter the water. It's necessary to start swimming immediately, because this giant fish will close ground very quickly. Even though they appear to move slowly, one flip of their tail will propel them a long distance. We spent a long time snorkeling, each pair taking their turn, returning to the boat, and the next pair entering the water. Each duo was able to snorkel several times before leaving the shark to continue its migration. On the return trip, we spotted a breaching Manta ray and a huge school of Mobula rays.
The next day, we hired a ponga for just 3 of us to do a full day nature tour. We started by going to a shallow bay where we found a flock of hundreds of flamingos. We approached as slowly and quietly as possible and the captain then gunned the engine causing the flamboyance (the name for a flock of flamingos) to take to the air. What a glorious sight!
Next, we headed for Bird Island, a nesting sanctuary for several species of birds, depending on the season. A dock has been built for boats to tie up and observation towers for watching the birds. We observed the ongoing struggle of the birds trying to protect their eggs and chicks from being eaten by the iguanas also living on the island. Be sure to bring binoculars! By this time, it was approaching midday and the temperature was climbing.
We reboarded the boat and headed for another island covered with vegetation and went ashore. After a short walk through the jungle, we came to a spring-fed oasis with a large, fresh water pool. We stayed and swam for over two hours and had lunch.
Our next stop was a deserted sandy island on which we were able to beachcomb and search for interesting shells and other flotsam and jetsam. It was a very special day in a very special place!
We stayed at one of several small boutique hotels on the island which was very lovely and had a lot of personality. There are also several international style restaurants in town. All of our meals were very good. The only transportation on the island is by golf cart or ATV.
Isla Holbox should be visited before this natural treasure dissappears!
