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Greetings from the Hotel Playa la Media Luna in Isla Mujeres, Mexico! Welcome to the forum thread for the 2015 Wetpixel Whale sharks trips. Our first group is leaving today, and we are in the process of welcoming the group for the second trip. This topic will be the place to post images from the trip and share experiences from what is undoubtedly one of nature's great events. Every year many whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) gather in the waters between the islands of Isla Mujeres and Contoy to feast on the eggs of the little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus) that spawn in the sea. This gathering has been going on for a long time and it presents an amazing opportunity to see and document large numbers of whale sharks behaving entirely naturally. Wetpixel has been running trips to explore the aggregation for the past 7-8 years and we are planing out trips for 2016 already! These are typically oversubscribed, so if you are interested, please get in contact via PM or email. Here are a few images to seed the thread! Trip leader Cristian Dimitrius hiding from the whale sharks! The big (and small) guns! Our amazing first group almost doing a Mexican wave!

The 2015 Wetpixel Ultimate Tiger Shark expedition is under way! People are flying in from the U.S.A., U.K., China and Finland and will be gathering at the Blue Marlin Cove Resort and Marina on Sunday, with our first day with Epic Diving at Tiger Beach on Monday. I will be "live" blogging from the Bahamas each day here and on the Wetpixel front page and I hope that the trip participants will also be adding stories and images to this thread. Please keep checking back to get the updates.

September 21 thru 27 – Ha’apai, Tonga – 2 spaces left Join Tim Rock’s privately chartered 50-foot catamaran yacht to cruise the stunning Ha’apai Islands in Tonga in search of humpback whales, marine mammals, manta rays and stunning coral gardens. Tim will offer three charters with experts Dave & Tris Sheen in September 2015, which is the height of humpback whale season in Tonga. The yacht offers the finest crew of whale experts to be found in beautiful Tonga. The Sheens promote “sustainable interaction” as part of their business, believing the more that islearned about humpback whales, the better the chances of protecting them. We’ll watch their surface antics as they breach, tail slap, pec slap and romp in the sea. They will have heat runs (dramatic fights by males to gain the attention of a female) that we will follow and watch for the victor. And we will watch while snorkeling as new calves suckle milk from their mothers while resting. We’ll also watch as baby tries to learn from mom by doing breaches and other surface activity. We will enter the water to snorkel only with the humpbacks and videographers and photographers will be led to the best vantage points to get the best images and footage of the humpbacks. This catamaran is a broad and stable platform and is great for viewing and shooting topside whale activity. The sea level entry is perfect for in-water encounters with humpbacks and other marine mammals . Exit is also very easy. Space is limited to just four guests per one-week trip. Tongan law says that only four people and a guide can be in the water with a whale or whales at any time. By having just four guests, everyone is assured of getting in the water every drop, every day, for great interaction and observation. This is a special opportunity to have your own private charter and do what few humans in the world ever dream to do… swim one-on-one with the largest mammals on the planet. The charter is 7 days and will cruise through the 62 islands of the Ha’apai chain in beautiful Tonga, over-nighting under the stars at various isles along the way. We will visit deserted isles with fruit bat colonies and white sand beaches. We will also snorkel beautiful hard coral reefs and look for fish shoals and manta rays. We will have the opportunity to try stand-up paddle board, catch a fresh fish dinner and enjoy the beauty and serenity of this amazing island group. September 21 thru 27 – Ha’apai, Tonga – 2 spaces left Read more here: http://www.guammicronesiadivetravel.com/travelblog1/?page_id=1900 Trip show here: https://vimeo.com/78398214 Contact me at: timrock@doubleblue.com