My Experience Studying Wild Whale Sharks... Now Live!

I am so thankful, blessed and excited right now! My case study on wild whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico just went live on the National Geographic Channel's GREAT MIGRATIONS website! {Have you heard about this amazing television event yet? It's premieres Sunday! It's not to be missed!!}.

Fire Dancer

 ... one of the many amazing dance sequences we saw at the Whale Shark Festival in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

Coconut Juice

Well if you choose to add some rum they call it a "coco loco," but right now I am missing my favorite fresh coconut stand in Isla Mujeres!

Saludos

 

On our last night in Mexico the team went out for mole burritos & margaritas to celebrate a successful week of whale shark research. A big thanks to the Georgia Aquarium, Project Domino, ECOcean, CONANP and MOTE Laboratory for all their whale shark conservation work in the Yucatan and beyond.

Rafael put tattoo stickers on Mackenzie and I. It's a little pic of a whale shark that say "Tiburones Ballenas Para Siempre." (meaning "whale sharks for always" or "whale sharks forever").

Goodbye, Mexico

As many of you know, I was in Mexico this past week with a team of researchers and biologists from the Georgia Aquarium and whale shark conservation groups, such as Project Domino. I am so excited to reveal the details of our trip, complete with whale shark research results, photos/videos...... But, you'll have to wait! So in the meantime, here are a few teaser photos of the animals we spotted on our travels, and please keep checking the Nat Geo INSIDE WILD blog to see my blog posts with all the juicy details...

Views from a Plane

Captured from a 4-passenger Cessna airplane in the Yucatan Peninsula...

Stay tuned to see the amazing images from our whale shark aerial survey!

See more Views posts.

One of the Best Experiences of my Life....

We swam with 40+ wild whale sharks yesterday!

Details soon...

{photo credit}

La Parilla & Margarita Man

Tonight's dinner at La Parilla in Cancun was fabulous. Some of the things our group enjoyed: fresh salsa with cilantro, lime soup with shredded chicken, enchiladas with cheese and mushrooms, and chicken kobobs flambéd on a flaming pineapple head.

Also, a man stacked margaritas on his head and walked around the restaurant.

Isla Mujeres

It's been a very busy weekend in Isla Mujeres, Mexico! I'm here with a team studying whale sharks and attending the annual Whale Shark Festival. There were some amazing keynote speakers yesterday, and I look forward to sharing all the details on cutting-edge whale shark research and conservation efforts in the near future. In the meantime, here are a few photos of the island....

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View from a Plane

On our way to Cancun International Airport, Mexico....

See more Views.

And... We're Off!

Well, right this very moment I'm on an airplane with a team of biologists and SCUBA divers. We're off to Mexico – It's going to be an exciting, busy week of whale shark research. Follow my journey on Twitter (@Jodi_Kendall) and via the blog. Learn more about our trip and brush up on your whale shark knowledge.

School Bus-Sized Fish

I'm in Washington, D.C. right now wrapping up a few things before I fly out to Mexico this weekend. I'll be there with a team doing whale shark research attending the annual Whale Shark Festival.

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