Heres a story from Yucatan Living today………..Its “FACTS” we dont want to think about VERY SOBERING ! This could be the LAST YEAR…..Tragic footnote to add the the Misery & Destruction cause by BP & Prolonged by the Obummer Administration!
Whale Sharks: Silent Deepwater Horizon Victims?Whale Sharks in Mexico
They feed by skimming the surface of the water and they ingest almost anything they find there. If what they swallow kills them, they sink silently to the bottom of the sea. This past week, several juvenile whale sharks were spotted within 4 miles of the origin of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Since some of these animals are “site specific” in their behaviors, wherever they were “hanging out” before the original blowout is where they will try to return – only this time, it is feared that, if they considered the Deepwater Horizon rig to be their home waters, then their return will be to their deaths.
The week before, a group of about 100 whale sharks were spotted off of the coast of Louisiana, but in an area where there was, as yet, no oil. What is most upsetting about this issue is that no one knows if the whale sharks along the U.S. coast and those along Yucatan’s coasts are part of the same migratory groups. In fact, no one – anywhere in the world – knows for certain what the migratory patterns of their whale sharks actually are!
Now, and with Mexico in the lead, scientists are getting serious about tracking the largest fish in the world. Since whale sharks not only skim the surface of the ocean to feed, but also dive to great depths, those in the Gulf of Mexico are at risk for death from poison and from suffocation. Finally, while researching this story, we learned another shocking piece of information. The World Conservation Union lists the whale shark as having become a vulnerable population. Yet, the U.S. does not list them as endangered or threatened, and hunting whale sharks in U.S. waters is legal! We are still attempting to decide if that knowledge is heartbreaking, infuriating, or both.
If you’ve been thinking about visiting Isla Holbox to see the whalesharks, don’t put it off any longer! Here are a few places that will help you plan your trip: Holbox Whale Shark Tours
by Nikole
no comments