A Visit to the Milpa with Don Fausto

 

Leaving for the Milpa with Don Fausto

It's 6 am in Nuevo Durango and dozens of roosters are announcing the dawn.  A sliver of moon hangs in the sky.  The chairs in front of the little store have been stored away for night, so Will and I stand in the road waiting for our visit to Milpa, a term used to describe the traditional farms of theYucatan region.  After a few minutes, Don Fausto approaches us and asks if we are going to the Milpa.  Then he nods toward the South and begins walking briskly, requiring us to maintain nearly a slow jog to keep up with him (perhaps a descendant of a Tarahumara, his son Enrique later joked).  The distance between us and Don Fausto only increases when the road ends - we're lagging behind as he agilely steps over and between the uneven rocks, chopping down wild chaya which his machete as he goes.  At one point, we duck between two barbed wires, a treacherous game of limbo.  "Don't worry, we're close," Don Fausto reassures.  "You walk very fast," I reply.  "T'hat's how you need to walk in the forest," he tells me, continuing his fast clip.  

 

A not-so-friendly tree along the pathway



Another day begins in the fields

We arrive to the Milpa as the sun is rising. This 12 acre plot of land is thriving in a rainier than usual season, and, pending no natural disaster, it will grow enough food to feed the village of more than fifty families next year.  For a week or so in April, many workers from the town help to plant the Milpa.  In February - the staples of corn, beans, and squash, - as well as other crops like jicama, amaranth, and melon - will be harvested and distributed to the people of the village.  The Milpa will be burned, covering the soil with nutrient-rich ashes and preparing it for another planting season.  Store houses will preserve crops like corn and beans in lime and families will return there weekly for their staples.  

"3 Sisters of the Milpa":  Corn, Squash, and Beans



Last season's corn, preserved with Lime

The Milpa is cultivated without fertilizer or pesticides in a field filled with rocks and trees, and everything is thriving.  One threat is the birds, Don Fausto tells us.  He will wake up as early as 4am in order to arrive to scare away the birds in the morning.  If they are really bad, he builds scare crows.  Other risks include hurricanes that can wipe out an entire Milpa in one evening.  Fortunately, growing is a long-term investment.  Some seasons, a good milpa will provide beans and corn for two or more years.
  

Stone markers every 20 meters measure the fields


Don Fausto seems confused when I ask him where he gets his seeds for the Milpa.  "From here, at harvest time" is the obvious answer.  This is a contrast to modern farmers in the region who receive sterile corn seeds, corn fertilizer, and about $100 U.S. dollars each season.  At the beginning of each season, they receive new seeds.  Many find that their land is stripped of nutrients after several years of corn farming and they are unable to return to growing other crops on it.  As of this post, beekeepers and farmers in the region are fighting with Monsanto to prevent the introduction of thousands of acres of transgenic soy and corn in the region.  Such a measure could destroy the honey industry in the Yucatan as well as the integrity of the heritage crops that grow there.

In terms of profit, Don Fausto says the goal is feeding the town, not making a large profit.  Nonetheless, the Milpa does allow him and those he shares the land with to survive.  He excitedly shows us the squash, which are spreading across the fields. "Look how well they're coming along with all of this rain" he tells us.  The flesh of the squash will be candied or eaten cooked.  The seeds will be dried on the the town's roofs and sold for more than 4 dollars/kilo.  When the harvest is good, this can mean a profit of $900 or more.


Squash growing over a bed of rocks


A healthy bean plant

Fausto, 60, has been coming to the fields each day since he was 8 years old.  Later in the day, he'll wrangle his 3 cows and return them to their pasture.  He used to have many more, he tells us, but he sold them for his son's two wedding parties.
  

Talking to Don Fausto about his lifetime of farming


As we leave the Milpa, the sun is shining brightly and the field is heating up.  H. Garrison Wilkes, a Maize researcher calls the Milpa "one of the most successful human inventions ever created".  The success of Fausto's Milpa is clear - likely a result of both his labor and love for the earth.

  

Don Fausto in the field were he's worked for more than fifty years



Nuevo Durango´s Famous Golondrinas

We were lucky enough to arrive in Nuevo Durango at the right time- just before 6 in the evening. Every day around 6 o´clock, between the months of May and December, one of the major natural wonders of the village occurs. Watching the descent of hundreds of swallows (in Spanish- golondrinas) into an old well near the center of town was a great start to a great stay in this Maya pueblo.

 

Turkeys on the road to the sparrows` well.

The well, just past the church from the town´s center, has a raised limestone lip and, like the nearby cenote, decends at least 20 meters before arriving at water. We peered in and were able to see 5 or so meters down in the late afternoon sunlight, enough to make out several resting birds, which I wasn´t able to identify (and, unlike Jenny, still wasn´t sure what the ``golondrina´´ signified in English).


The well, with Pedro about to show
depth with a match.

Pedro, who lives across the street from the well and took us there from our cabanas in the town´s center, indicated that we could watch the show sitting on some nearby cut tree trunks. These seats were less than ten feet from the well. I asked if we wouldn´t scare off the birds from our vantage point. Apparently not. And right then, the first four or five swallows arrived, flying in circles around the well.

Jenny and Pedro approaching the well. In front, the
audeince seating.


Occationally, on their loop around the well, it appeared that some of the swallows were going to dive into the well, but at the last minute they swooped upwards, and towards us. More than once, the birds came so close to me on their ascent back towards the other side of the well that their individual wing-flapping sounded loud. Eventually, more birds joined the initial few. And soon, we saw the first bird make an actual descent into the well. This would be the first of hundreds we would see enter the well that evening. We did not see a single swallow leave the well, which according to residents only happens in the morning, either very early or towards midday.




Couldn´t hold off eating the seeds
of the passion fruit before snapping a photo

 As more birds joined the circling flock, and we watched with delight as 3, 4, 5 and sometimes many more birds at a time gracefully dropped in the well (video below), we got a preview of the generosity of the people of Nuevo Durango. First, some young girls brought us several bunches of guaya fruit, which Jenny wrote about in a previous post, from a nearby tree. Delicious. Then, someone else handed each of us a freshly picked guava (guyaba in Spanish). The rind and pith are the edible parts of this somewhat sour, green fruit that looks similar to but is nothing like a lime. We were told to avoid eating the seeds. Next, another villager arrived with a passion fruit (maracuya in Spanish) for us to share. Here, the seeds are the edible part, and their delicious, sweet flavor is somewhat well-known around Chicago because the artificial flavoring of passion fruit is common. It was recommended that I try eating the fruit with chile powder, which later I did, and I now recommend to anyone reading.

For the next hour or so we enjoyed our fruit, the spectacle of the golondrinas, and conversation with the villagers. We heard that these swallows are unique to the area- Nuevo Durango has the only known nesting site around. There was some dispute about how many sparrows there are, and some laughing at the prospect of counting each individual (one local tour company claims there are 5,000- which seems a bit high to us). And there was interesting speculation, like the idea that the golondrinas descend simultaneously as family units, or that the last golondrina to enter the well is dominant among the entire flock. Watching thousands of birds circling and entering a well less than a meter in diameter right before sunset has a way of generating lots questions in one´s mind. One of these, for me, was, "How can Nuevo Durango out-do itself after these unforgetable first hours?"

Gardening on an Island: Casa Blat Ha

Entrance to Casa Blat-ha

"It did seem that there was a lot more going on in the garden than I'd expected to find" begins Michael Pollan in his book Second Nature: A Gardener's Education.  The quest to build a garden, or simply spending some time in a garden teaches one a lot about, well, everything.

Trellis work along the border of the garden

  Each day in the Blat Ha garden, I seemed to discover a new patch, or path, or plant, adding to my understanding of the garden's design and my understanding of how it's possible to grow food and medicine a block from the ocean.

Gardening just meters from the sea

On my last day at the garden, I went up to the roof, as I had the day I began.  I appreciated so much more the layout of the garden as well as how it was growing.  And, I knew a few of its secrets: the bright green lizards and orange birds who live there, as well as the fat iguanas who eat the passion fruit flowers.  I learned which plants were poisonous and which were delicious.  And still, there's so much more to learn.

Aerial view of the garden

Paths designed in a swirl

So far on this journey, I've been amazed by the willingness of gardeners to share their time, space and knowledge with me.  On Holbox -  Daniel, Viki, Sandra, Jesus, and Aida have all given freely of their time and knowledge to the project.  Aida, who was born on Holbox, describes herself as "a witch with degrees".  Her knowledge of medicinal plants as well as therapies from around the world are astounding.   She noted the value of preserving such knowledge.  Over the years, she's noticed that sometimes people know certain plants have medicinal properties, but do not know the specific plant part.  For example, many drink coconut water to treat kidney stones, while they should actually be eating the flesh of the plant.  Of course, this "partial-knowledge" can be dangerous:  the flowers of Vicario are used to treat diabetes, while its leaves are toxic.  After interviewing several medicine men for the project, it was great to meet a balance of "medicine women" on the island, who are continuing the tradition as well.  Aida gave me a book written as homage to the women of Oaxaca and their healing plants.  Certainly it will find its welcome spot on my classroom bookshelf.  If you'd like to contact Aida on Holbox for a massage or a number of therapies, you can find her by the Hotel Faro Viejo or call her at 984 87 5 20 01.



A sunset from Sandra´s garden



Tapestry of Community Garden, Izamal Cultural Center

In Terra Madre, Petrini reflects upon the synergy required for sustainable food systems.  Food communities require a synergy between involved community members, resources, and the environment.  Petrini writes of the art and science of food production, "Preserving this precious store of knowledge is a right, but also an obligation- for food communities, for indigenous populations, for all countries-because it is this knowledge that helps to save biological diversity, our heritage of local food skills, and the conservation of common goods..." (p. 110).  I think it is this attitude, or rather this necessity for preservation, that allows gardeners to share their knowledge and resources so eagerly with me.  And in the gardening community, it makes sense.  This synergy, free-flowing exchanges of energy between parties, means easy access to organic fertilizers, good food, and knowledge.  It's a good loop to be in.  If you're on Isla Holbox,  a stay at Blat Ha with a garden-fresh breakfast could be just what you're looking for.

Great white egret on the beach near Casa Blat Ha

Healing Gardens: "Plants are the reason I'm alive"

        After a bit of searching along the streets near the main dock of Holbox, we located Dona Viki.  "I'm not a biologist" Viki told us, "but, I can tell you a lot about my plants." This may have been the understatement of the week.  The moment you enter Viki's backyard, her passion for and knowledge of plants is apparent.  Countless species of plants decorate every ledge surrounding the house and every open space in the yard.



A small selection of the hundreds
of potted medicinal plants in
Viki's yard



Viki generously offers Jenny a hosta,
planted in a large conch shell



After we've introduced ourselves, Viki begins a whirlwind tour, an encyclopedia of plant knowledge, sprinkled with many opportunities for plant samples, "taste this, smell that," she insists.  A few minutes into our visit, she tells us her reason for all of this, "I have terminal cancer, it's spread throughout my body," she explains, pulling down her bathing suit to reveal a scar from a surgery.  "Plants give you life.  They are the reason I'm alive."  Viki repeats this message several more times throughout the evening in different ways.  As we walk through the backyard, it seems impossible to avoid stepping on little toads, who scatter everywhere with each step.  I've never seen so many toads in one place!  Viki explains, "They're good for my garden, eating the bugs.  I bring them from all over so they can help with my garden."



Viki names and tells Jenny the uses of nearly every plant in
her garden.



          Like the toads, Viki has brought plants from all over that she thinks will be good for her.  She sells or gives some plants to friends.  Many, however, she will use as medicines for sleeping (Chipilin),  for the stomach (Boldo tree), and for cleaning the blood (Cun de Amor).  There's a large Chaya shrub in the center of the yard, which is over ten years old and was transported from Viki's old property to her new growing space.  We had to use our imagination for the plant called "Cosmic Explosion," named for its large white bloom which wasn't flowering at the moment. A large boat filled with rich compost serves as a gardening bed along the edge of the yard.

  

The Cosmic Explosion plant. Its
name comes from the flower, not
in bloom here. Bummer!



 

A picture that sums up Viki's
yard- chaotic, but a botanical
wonder



























Viki leads us inside of her home, which she is fixing up, little by little.  An extravagant collection of tropical reef decorations and fish cut-outs contrast with the dirt floor and piles of unwashed dishes.  "It needs a lot of work"  Viki acknowledges, "but I'm working on my room in the back."  And like that, we are off.


Viki and Jenny walking towards
Sandra's. In foreground,  hosta in
conch shell, and small fruit picked and
chewed on along the way



Carrying a hosta planted in a large conch shell, we follow Viki down the side roads of the island. We're going to visit an even better garden, she promises, her friend Sandra's nursery to see the project Viki made in the backyard.  Every house we pass, Viki points out plants we should know.  We pick a few fruits, jot down a few names, and continue our walk toward the beach.



Reef decoration inside Viki's home



Sandra's yard is a lush mix of palms and other tropical plants, growing meters from the ocean.  The sweet perfume from rows of white spider lilies fills the air.  In Sandra's backyard, there is a 'piece of jungle,"  a mix of plants that Viki has arranged in palm containers. Orchids nestle in the trunk of the large palm in the center of the display.  Another epiphyte, el cuerno del ciervo (Elkhorn fern) sits on a log.  Viki explains that the plants moves when you talk to it, "Hola mi ciervo, como estas?"  she coaxes.  And with that, the plants branches begin to sway.  



Jenny takes in the lovely
aromaof Sandra's white
spider lilies

 


Viki near her small piece of the jungle, in
Sandra's backyard. Center, the Elkhorn fern,
which responds when talked to.

 






 


Sea grape leaves. The blister
gall on theleaves, Jenny later
discovered, are the result of
small flies (midge).

 







Blat Ha Garden Updates

Jenny and I spent the last week working in the Blat-ha garden. We’ve learned a lot about sustainable gardening techniques in a difficult growing environment, and also a lot about medicinal, edible, and ornamental plants grown in this part of Mexico.

A new irrigation system at the Blat-ha garden,
installed by Jesús. Simple, but effective.

Because the garden is only feet from the ocean, the natural soil is mostly sand. This, combined with the fact that topsoil is difficult to find for purchase on a fishing and touristic island like Holbox, is why composting and finding local, natural sources of fertilizer are so important here. The seasonal precipitation patterns (which, incidentally, Daniel says seem different this year, with the dry season not as dry and the wet season not as wet) call for an irrigation system. This is especially true for certain fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, pumpkin, and cilantro. Over the course of a few days we had the chance to see Blat-ha's gardener, Jesús, construct a semi-passive drip irrigation system. The construction was simple and elegant- a couple of pieces of wood creating a tower to hold up a bag of water, from which extended tubing with intermittently placed holes. Fill the slow-drip bag from the garden hose, put it into place on the wooden tower, and  let gravity do the rest. When Jesús finished the construction, Jenny helped with planting a few cherry tomato starts that would benefit from this new system.

A newly planted cherry tomato start, next to an exit hole for
irrigated water. No worries about the growing season
ending here on Holbox anytime soon!

Of course, some plants can thrive in the beach-like environment without the help of irrigation or fertilization. Quite a few of these- palms, a native goldenrod, coconut- are desirable in the garden, for aesthetic reasons, for practical reasons (providing shade, preventing erosion, attracting insects), or for edibile reasons (no coconuts yet, but there are plans). Others, like certain kinds of beach grasses and vines, compete with wanted plants and require weeding. An invasive red vine is particularly aggressive and particularly damaging, apparently growing without roots over certain native plants, choking them to death.

Other plants that thrive without assistance at Blat-ha were culturally and biologically
fascinating. Daniel warned us from the beginning to avoid the largest tree in the garden, known as the chechen tree (Metopium brownei- closely related to the Florida poisontree). In the same family as poison ivy, the chechen releases a compound that causes contact dermititis in many people. The rash, which can last for longer than a week, can be set off by even brief contact with the tree's leaves, bark, or fruit. However, it is thought that almost wherever a chechen tree is found, another tree, called el chacá (Bursera simaruba), can be found growing nearby (and the Blat-ha garden is no exception). Conveniently, the chacá tree contains an antidote for the rash caused by the chechen tree!

Cuidado! A chechen tree!

This association between chechen (which produces high quality lumber) and chaca (which is sometimes known as "the tourist tree" because its red, peeling bark resembles a sunburned tourist) is probably the result of human intervention. But if this is the case, humans have been intentionally cultivating chechen (the "venom") and chacá (the antidote) together for a very long time. A Mayan legend holds that the chechen derives from an ancient malevolent king, and that chaca is either his brother or a beautiful princess- there seems to be multiple versions of this story. The broader picture- of balance, or equilibrium between harmful and helpful, good and bad- fits well within some conceptions of traditional Mayan thought.



A broad shot of the garden. Various types of wildflowers,
vegetables, and trees are divided by rows.
In the background, the famous chacá tree.



Some other interesting plants found in the garden include la penosa ("the shy one"; Mimosa pudica), or, in English, the sensitive plant. This plant illustrates nicely the general concept that plants react to stimuli. When touched, the plant's leaves almost immediately fold up, presumably an adaptation to avoid getting eaten.



The Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica)
before Jenny reaches out to touch it.



The Sensitive Plant, moments after
Jenny reached out to touch it.
Where'd all the broad leaves go?
Clever plant...



  

 

Espinaza del Diablo
Note the small plantlets growing on the lip of several

of the leaves!

One of our favorite plants in the garden was not a Yucatan native. Espinazo del Diablo ("Devil's spikes"; Kalanchoe daigremontona) produces plantlet clones along the lips of its leaves, which each appear to be a miniurture version of the larger plant. Around each Espinazo del Diablo, several "baby plants", dispersed plantlets, can be found.

Another member of the genus Kalanchoe. These
plants are common house plants around
Chicago. But here in the Yucatan, they
grow outdoors!

Elsewhere in the garden we found such plants as okra, sugar cane, papapya, arnica (which in addition to serving medicinal purposes provided wheelbarrows full of dead leaves- another great natural fertilizer), various types of cactus and agave, white spider lily, watermelon, maize, and much, much more, with many plants conveniently labled with sign posts. While compared to Jesús and Daniel I have a long way to go, I can leave Holbox confident that I know a lot more about plants, and gardening, than I did when I arrived. Thanks Daniel and Jesús!

Gardening Adventures: Chaya, Chiles, Pineapple and Worms!

Greetings! My name is Will, and I’ll be tagging along with Jenny for the rest of her travels through the Yucatan. Like Jenny, I’m a graduate of the same teacher training program (UChicago UTEP) where Danny is currently studying. Next year, I’ll be teaching Earth science at Kelly High School in Chicago (Go Trojans!). I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to study the natural history and horticultural practices of this region of Mexico, and can’t wait to bring some of what I learn back to my classroom next year. 

On my first full day here on Holbox, I had the unique experience of swimming with the largest fish on Earth. I couldn’t have asked for a better, more relaxing start to my stay here. Jenny assured me, however, that we would be hard at work the following day, at Daniel Trigo’s organic garden and orchard. Certainly the hard work part proved to be true- but I also found that tending to a garden here in the Yucatan could be nearly as exciting as swimming with the whale sharks.

When we arrived at Blat-ha, we greeted Daniel and some guests and discussed the MHG back in Chicago as well as some books describing the plants of the Yucatan and thousands of years of Mayan agricultural practices (more on these in a later post). But soon the topic turned to the work at hand- today, Jenny and I would be maintaining a worm-compost culture and harvesting various chiles and chaya, a vegetable that originated here in the Yucatan.

Finding the worms

To help continue Daniel’s vermiculture, our first job was to sift through about a half of a cubic yard of post-compost dirt and pull out all of the red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) we could find. While these worms make for excellent composters, they prefer an environment high in decaying organic matter (like vegetables and other compostables) to soil. Daniel was also worried that the worms experienced too much heat under the Yucatan sun, and wanted to concentrate whatever live worms were left. We found more living worms than we bargained for, ranging in size from only a few millimeters (presumably newly born) to several inches long (presumably reproductive). The next day, we found our concentrated colony of red wigglers happily eating away at compost in the Blat-ha kitchen. Then we used the remaining post-compost soil to help nurture the garden’s pineapple plants, after a bit of weeding.   

Chaya Success!

After describing his composting system and inquiring about Jenny’s students’ system back in Chicago, Daniel asked if I knew how to pick chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius). I was eager to learn, but didn’t realize that delicious chaya plants have at least two defenses against harvesting their edible leaves. The first are spines on the underside of the leaves, which I easily avoided using Daniel’s technique of folding the front side of the leave around the leaf stem before picking. The other defense is a milky-white sap (similar in appearance to milkweed sap) that irritates the skin. By the time I finished harvesting 50 or so chaya leaves, my hands felt like they were on fire, though a simple rinse immediately eased the discomfort. 

After the harvesting lesson, Janny, Daniel, and I talked chaya for a few minutes. First, while not common in Chicago, we know of at least one chef who manages to grow the plant in the city. One day, Jenny and her students hope to have a healthy chaya plant growing in the Mexican Heritage Garden at school. Second, it is generally recommended that the highly-nutritious chaya be cooked before eating because of the potential release of poisonous cyanide from the raw leaf. However, Daniel, and many others, apparently ignore this advice and prefer the raw leaf. Hopefully in moderation! And don’t try this at home!

Chile Harvest

The chiles in Daniel’s garden were ready for harvest. Fortunately, Jenny, wondering how the chile plants her students have been growing since February were doing back in Chicago, was eager to pick dozens. When we asked what kind they were, Daniel said that he wasn’t sure, because they are likely a hybrid, several generations in, perhaps a mix of jalapeno and habanero. 

The following day, in addition to tending to the pineapple plants and trimming down an abundance of native goldenrod, Jenny and I went on a mission to gather some natural fertilizer from a ranch down the road. We were told that if we asked for the “miel de Daniel” (“Daniel’s honey”) the proprietors would point us to their dried horse manure. Walking back from my second trip to the ranch, as a large iguana crossed the sand road in front of me from one thicket of palm trees to another, and with the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico not fifty feet from me, it struck me that I never thought I’d have so much fun hauling a wheelbarrow full of horse poop.

The secret ingredient of any successful gardener

Freshly weeded and fertilized pineapples

Swimming with the World's Largest Fish: The Whale Shark

Home of Willy's Whale Shark Tours

Year-round, whale shark memorabilia and insignia are found everywhere on the Island of Holbox; however, for just three months, from mid June to mid September, these peaceful sharks can be found swimming in the waters near the island.  These sharks can grow up to 40 feet long and weigh over 20 tons.

Will and Danny (UTEP 8 and UTEP 9) ready for the tour

Around 7am, we prepared for our Whale Shark tour led by Captain Chino of Willy's Whale Shark Tours.  Chino has been leading tours since they began on the island, about 10 years ago; however, his grandfather told him stories of the whale shark before he ever saw one.

An article from Discovery News (May 2011) counts 420 Whale Sharks off the coast of the Yucatan and a smaller pack along the northern tip of the peninsula.  Today, our guide tells us that they tracked some 900 Tiburones Ballenas from the past season to see where they went after Mexico.  Their final destination was not clearly defined:  they found that the sharks scattered to various places in the S. Atlantic and as far away as Australia.  Whale Sharks come to the warm waters off of the Yucatan to feed on plankton, tiny fish, and fish eggs.  They swim along the surface of the water where their large open jaws act as a filter for anything they encounter.

Ready for the Sharks?

I hadn't really read a lot about this vulnerable species before signing up for the tour with Will and Danny.  On the boat, we were joined by a couple from Mexico City, a couple from Campeche, and Sana, a film student from Finland.  After about two hours of boating to arrive to the blue waters (with only a short stop to view dolphins), our boat slowed as we entered the whale shark territory.  Dozens of sharks were spread out in the ocean along with dozens of boats filled with shark enthusiasts.  Our guide explained the routine:  we'd put our fins, masks, life vests, and snorkel gear on.  Seated on the edge of the boat, we would wait while the boat approached a shark in the water.  When the guide said, "Vamos!" we jump into the water and begin to swim quickly towards the shark's mouth, using only our fins as to not disturb the shark with our arms.  Then, as the shark turned, we should turn with the shark and swim along its side, being careful not to touch it.  After a shark swim, we'd return to the boat and rest while the next group found another shark to swim with.  Sounds easy, right?

Flat head of the Whale Shark

                        Whale shark approaching:  Prepare to jump!

The first swim was a learning experience.  By the time I remembered I had snorkel gear on and looked under water, I saw the shark's tail swimming away from me.  I gasped seeing the huge beast, perhaps slightly afraid for the first time on this journey.  I came above water to see Will and Danny far behind me.  The guide was yelling back at us to swim faster.

Team UTEP after an unsuccessful swim

"I can wait for you guys, but the shark doesn't wait for you," he told us.  We'd need to do better if we wanted to swim with the sharks, not chase them from a distance.

Returning to the boat

Lovely Spots of a Whale Shark

For the next hour and half, we perfected our technique for swimming with the whale sharks.   There is something slightly unsettling about staring into the gaping mouth of a whale shark as it swims directly at you.  You try to quickly turn your body to the side, hoping you'll move quicker than the shark.  I'll admit that at one point I pushed Danny ahead of me.  I looked back to see him floating over the top of the shark, which dove slightly below and continued past him.  Swimming alongside the shark was particularly mesmerizing, watching their huge gills rhythmically swaying back and forth.  Various species of fish like remoras, hitch a ride on the shark, clinging to its fins, tail, and sides.  Sometimes, you're hanging in the water looking into the shark's huge beady eye, wondering what he thinks of you.  It's peaceful.  You forget about everything while you're underwater swimming alongside or on top of one of these spotted beasts.  You surface and realize you're a block away from the boat and the rest of the divers.  At one point, I looked down and saw silver kites gliding deep below, manta rays.

Girl meets Shark


Check out Danny's amazing underwater encounter:

After our swim, our group was quiet, experiencing a combination of exhaustion and amazement, I suppose.  We took off our gear and swam alongside the boat in the deep blue waters, glancing back every so often, hoping some more whale sharks would join us.  Then, we grabbed a sandwich and began the long boat ride back to the island.  As the water changes from the Caribbean to the Gulf, the colors vary  greatly - deep blue, crystal clear, and then greenish blue.  We stopped near the coast of Isla Contoy to swim in the clear shallow waters, after seeing many rays and a couple of sea turtles.  I took a short nap and awoke to see the flamingos off the coast of Holbox.  A perfect sight to finish an incredible day with nature.  Many would describe such an experience as once-in-a-lifetime;  Team UTEP-BIO disagrees.  Swimming with the Whale Shark is so amazing that we're already planning our next trip!

After a great day with the Tiburon Ballena!

Flamingos on Isla Holbox

Adios Danny.. See you in Chicago!