19-20/08 - Isla Holbox

After our first week of lectures, we (Melli, me & Antonio, Isabel & Igor from Amsterdam, and Moa & Ian from Brazil) treated ourselves to a break in paradise on the island of Holbox over the weekend. On this small Caribbean island, there are no cars and time seems to stand still.

Saturday: Bicycle Tour on the Island

As is fitting for a trip to Holbox, on Saturday we rented bikes and a golf cart to explore the island and its beautiful beaches in peace.

Sunday: Swimming with Whale Sharks

After a very relaxing Saturday, we set off early on Sunday morning on a small boat to the open sea to a spot where a large number of whale sharks gather from July to September to feed on the abundant plankton at the water's surface.

After a good two-hour boat ride and with mixed feelings, we finally arrived and saw the giant creatures from the boat for the first time.

Now it was time to get ready in pairs (flippers, snorkel, mask), and as soon as we were right in front of a whale shark with the boat, two of us were allowed to jump into the water with our guide and then: swim, swim, swim... as fast as we could. Because from the boat, the movements of the ocean giant may seem extremely slow, but when you're in the water trying not to get left behind, you have to go full speed ahead.

Underwater, you can see the true size of the whale shark (from the boat, it looks much smaller) and especially how beautiful these creatures are. Swimming next to such a huge sea beauty just an arm's length away was one of the most impressing experiences I've had so far and definitely unforgettable! (We have a really cool GoPro video, but unfortunately I can't upload it here. But if you'd like to see it, just let me know and I'll send you the video.)

Still overwhelmed by what we had just seen and experienced, we continued to another spot for snorkeling. And there was a lot to discover there as well...

After this impressive morning, we anchored with our boat guides at a nearby beach to eat fresh ceviche and rest for a while.

After eating and taking a long walk on the beach, we headed back to Holbox on the boat. While we were still enjoying the fresh breeze and daydreaming, our boat guide spotted dolphins. He only had to tell us once and we were all wide awake again, able to observe over 10 dolphins gliding gracefully through the water and occasionally leaping out in unison. We were truly speechless. What a day trip!

Back on Holbox, we immediately laid down on the beach to reflect on the impressive experiences of the day before we sadly had to make our way back to Mérida.