Authorities Look To Mitigate Impact Of Whale Shark Swimming In Mexico

[Judi Lynn]

Last update: 19/01/2018

LA PAZ, Mexico, Jan 19 (BERNAMA)-- Whale shark swimming is one of the most popular tourist attractions in northwestern Mexico´s Bay of La Paz, although those encounters entail dangers for this massive fish that authorities are trying to mitigate.

During the recently concluded tourist season, "around 62 percent of the whale sharks that visited Bay of La Paz " were injured as a result of tourist activities, Benito Bermudez, regional director of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, told EFE.

Several tourist agencies in the northwestern state of Baja California Sur, which occupies the southern half of the Baja California Peninsula, offer excursions that allow visitors to snorkel alongside these slow-moving sharks (Rhincodon typus), the largest-known fish species.

To prevent tourist overexploitation of the area where whale sharks concentrate, authorities have imposed some restrictions.

More:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/wn/newsworld.php?id=1429050



Whale Shark and friend.

[lunasun]

1. Friend or trouble?

[Judi Lynn]

2. You got it. As soon as the word got out they are gentle, they got too much company.

Looks as if they became viewed as something more like a Disneyland ride, meant to entertain, amaze, and amuse human divers.

Impulse control is hard to learn in a society of self-indulgent, self-centered babies.

As much as Mexico appreciates the tourist business, they have to actually tell them not to crowd the water with boats, and to stop getting in the whale-sharks' faces.

It's really odd common sense is more common, isn't it?