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TOP INSTAGRAM TRAVEL MOMENTS!
TOP INSTAGRAM TRAVEL MOMENTS! 1568 1048 Keir Alexa


Top Travel


Tulum Mexico Travel Keir AlexaNORTH CAROLINA Keir AlexaBurning Man Nevada Keir AlexaBali Indonesia Keir AlexaItaly Positano Capri Travel Keir AlexaFrench Polynesia Keir AlexaLooking back on all the memorable Instagram travel moments with my new blog series. I’m hoping to inspire you to plan your next trip emojis and all!  Let me know below or post a link with your top Instagram travel moments. Follow my Instagram travel adventures including Instagram stories ? KEIRALEXA and Snapchat ? KeirAlexaKeir Snap
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A Quick Guide to Swimming with Whale Sharks
A Quick Guide to Swimming with Whale Sharks 4777 3184 Keir Alexa

Whale Sharks are the largest fish on this planet, some growing to forty-feet or longer. They’re bus length. These gentle giants migrate around the world in enormous packs, camping out in dozens of tropical feeding grounds — from Australia to Belize to Indonesia. But one of the best spots is the waters of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico where nearly three to five hundred have been reported in one season.

Lucky for us, whale sharks are harmless to humans, making it possible to swim with them! Don’t worry, they eat plankton. Focus on the whale part of their name, not so much the shark, and your nerves will settle. Get ready for an adventure!

THE TREK
Isla Mujeres, an island off the coast of Cancun, is the closest land you’ll find to the whale shark feeding ground. After flying into Cancun, the island is easily accessibly by 20-minute ferry ride.

I chose WildAid for my guide, and was very happy with the experience. A shuttle picked us up directly from the airport and drove us thirty minutes to the harbor where we boarded our ferry to Isla Mujeres.

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BOOK AT ULTRAMAR

THE SEASON
Whale Sharks migrate every year traveling to warm waters, so you have to catch them before they leave! Whale season off the Yucatan Peninsula usually lasts from June 1 to September 15. Tours run throughout this season, but the third week of July, during the full moon, attracts the most whale sharks at one time.

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THE HOTEL

Our WildAid package set us up at Privilege Aluxes hotel located on the northern tip of the island. The luxury resort is extremely clean and comfortable with a beautiful location, overlooking the ocean and close to nearby shops and restaurants. Equipped with three restaurants and a spa, the hotel has a lot to offer. A great oasis to rest up for all your whale shark swimming adventures!

Although I loved my stay, Isla Mujeres is well-equipped with several other great hotels from the luxurious to the very affordable.

Luxury —Zoëtry Villa Rolandi is a picturesque oceanfront resort complete with spa, fine dining and an assortment of activities including snorkeling, golf and even culinary classes. With only 35 suites, Zoëtry has an intimate retreat vibe.

Mid-Range — Ixchel Beach Hotel, as suggested by the name, is located right on the beach just a few miles away from Cancun. The hotel has everything you’d need — relaxing pool, comfortable and sleek rooms, a close proximity to the island’s main drag, and a wonderful staff.

Steal — Hotel Rocamar starts at $80 a night, though rates increase during high season. The hotel is located oceanfront with a patio overlooking a reef. The decor is all wood and ceramic combined with hoop chairs and open white rooms. It creates a fusion between the authentic and the modern. Very close to shops and dining, the hotel is great place to crash if you plan to be on-the-go throughout your stay.

VIEW MORE OPTIONS AT HOTELS.COM

THE DIVE

We embarked on our journey at 6 AM and set sail for about two hours out to sea before reaching the perfect location.

Rules and regulations need to be followed while swimming with whale sharks. Make sure your tour is licensed, led by a guide, and will provide all the proper gear. Only three people are allowed in the water at a time and you cannot touch the animals. Following this code of conduct protects the animals and allows thousands of visitors to experience the magic every year.

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Keir-Alexa-Wildaid
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The guides at WildAid are incredibly helpful and informative. Not only did they calm my nerves on the dive, but they educated the whole group on wildlife conservation during our stay. Back at the hotel, WildAid provided dinner and discussion, informing us on the horrible transgressions facing wild life today and the great work they do to combat these crimes.

The Earth is overflowing with unbelievable creatures and magnificent mysteries. Take the opportunity to marvel at their beauty! Fears and jitters are expected, but the experience is worth it all. Great for couples, families and friends, swimming with the world’s largest fish is definitely another check off the bucket list!

Bob-Zangrillo-Wildaid


Have you ever swam with whale sharks? If so.. I would love to hear about your experience! Please leave a comment below! 
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An Ocean Journey with Whale Sharks and WildAid
An Ocean Journey with Whale Sharks and WildAid 3729 1955 Keir Alexa

It is 5 a.m when I awake on Isla Mujeres, a tiny island off the coast of Cancun. I am on a WildAid Expedition with my boyfriend and his family. We board a 32-foot fishing boat at 6 a.m. and head two hours out to sea, searching for the world’s largest gathering of whale sharks. Every year, between 300-500 whale sharks congregate in this area around the full moon during the third week in July.

My adrenaline overwhelms me as the boat is surrounded by these beautiful sharks that are circling around the boat. They grow from 30-60 feet in length and weigh up to 30-40 tons. I should point out here that although I like to scuba dive, I am scared to death to jump into the water with just my mask and fins.

boats on the water - keir alexa travel blog

In order to protect the whale sharks, only three people are allowed in the water at a time.  Two groups of people go ahead of me, but I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as my turn gets closer and closer. Our guide is world-renowned photographer Jim Abernethy.

Jim looks deep into my eyes and says, “Keir, you have to trust me. You will be okay. Take deep breaths and remember: your suit is buoyant and so are you. Trust me. Now jump!”

luxury travel advisor keir alexa on a boat

In life, you’ll never regret what you did as much as what you didn’t do. I decide to trust him–and I jump into the water.

Jim is holding my hand and I feel safe as we swim…and suddenly,  I am eye to eye with my first whale shark! Thirty five feet long, light gray with white dappled spots, it is like swimming alongside a school bus.

keir alexa swimming with a whale shark

I swim to the side to get out of the way, and as I turn, another whale shark, and another, and another… around 300 whales sharks, swimming quietly in the ocean.  All I can hear is the meditative sound of my breath through my snorkel, in and out, in and out.

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The whole experience is hypnotic and humbling beyond words.  To be swimming alongside sharks that are so large they practically don’t even know you’re there helps you realize  just how important and connected all living things are. In the water, we see manta rays and sailfish in addition to all the sharks.

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smiling whale shark - keir alexa travel blog

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In the evenings back on Isla Mujeres, the WildAid team, teaches us about their preservation work. . . .

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As well as provides us with delicious dinners every night.

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Some facts I learned while on this WildAid expedition, are that every year:

* 73 million Sharks are killed for shark fin soup

* 35,000 Elephants are killed for their ivory

* 150 Tigers are killed for their body parts

* In 2012, 660 rhinos were killed for their horns

The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth over $10 billion (USD) per year and has drastically reduced many wildlife populations around the world. Many species, including sharks, tigers, rhinos, and elephants, have existed on our planet for millions of years and sit at the top of their food chains with no natural predators, except humans. The devastation caused by killing sharks is far greater than one could imagine. Sharks have helped maintain the balance of marine life in our oceans for the past 400 years. Research demonstrates that massive depletion of sharks is having cascading effects throughout our oceans. An estimated 1/3 of open-ocean shark species are currently threatened with extinction, with certain populations experiencing a 99% population decline.

Since 2000, WildAId’s Shark Conservation Program has successfully elevated the international profile of sharks and has highlighted the importance of global shark conservation, including achievement of finning legislation in the European Union, victories in key US states and UN resolution addressing shark finning problem. Their motto is “When the buying stops, the killing stops too!”.  You can learn more about this amazing organization and the important work they do at www.wildaid.org.

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