The waters of Quintana Roo, are full of sea life and there are hundreds of whale sharks during the summer to feed on plankton and fish eggs. The Ch’ooj Ajauil organization recognizes this phenomenon as something really important. That´s why we are proud to say that we are supporting the Ch´ooj Ajauil organisation led by Rafael de la Parra. We are supporting their ´One Dollar Shark Conservation´ project. This project serves as a research and protection program for the whale sharks.
Ch´ooj Ajauil has already been able to answer a lot of questions about the whale sharks. For example, they know that the whale sharks come to the Mexican Caribbean to feed. That they are found nearby Isla Mujeres from May to September and that the population includes up to 450 whale sharks. This is the largest gathering of whale sharks in the world. The average length in this aggregation is 6,5 meters and there are 3 times as much males as there are females.
Although Ch´ooj Ajauil has already find out a lot about the whale sharks, there is still a lot more questions they are left with. How long do they stay around? Do they simply go away when food becomes scarce? Do they also feed at night? Do they travel together? Is there a resident or semi-resident population here? Are whale sharks affected by boats and human presence? Since the whale sharks are an endangered species, it is very important to answer these questions. It will be a lot easier to protect these amazing animals if these questions are answered.
So how can you help? Become a citizen researcher (for inhabitants of Mexico), a volunteer, a donor or an adopter. You can already help by donating just $1 to the ´One Dollar Shark Conservation´ project. Visit http://www.choojajauil.org.mx for more information and to make a donation. The whale sharks will thank you!