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A portion of the proceeds from the Whale Shark Festival
will be donated to several not-for-profit organizations. They
include: ECOCEAN, to further their marine conservation efforts; Amigos
de Isla Contoy, which promotes the conservation of Isla Contoy, nature
areas and regional projects of the Yucatan peninsula through the sustainable
development of local communities and educational programs for the youth
of Isla Mujeres; the Isla Mujeres Department of Tourism’s educational
and sustainable eco-tourism programs.
“The Whale Shark Festival is a true celebration
of the islands’ culture,
heritage and the beautiful marine habitat that make Isla Mujeres the
Jewel of The Yucatan Peninsula,” said Eyder Jahil Hoth Pérez,
director of tourism for Isla Mujeres. “We are proud to be partnering
with environmental leaders ECOCEAN, an organization that has been a
ferocious advocate for marine life; Ceviche Tours, a crusader for sustainable
eco-tourism; Project Domino, a conservation program implemented by
the Mexican government; marine researchers based on Isla Contoi and
Amigos de Isla Contoy A.C., a non profit organization. All have
given so much to our community.”
In addition to celebrating the beauty of Isla Mujeres, the Whale Shark
Festival is a concerted effort to raise awareness of the need to
preserve the area’s marine ecosystem. It is part of the
second largest barrier reef on the planet, and serves as the nursery
of the Caribbean and the migratory path of whale sharks as well as
sea turtles, water foul and game fishes.
“Sustainable eco-tourism
engages guests in the effort to preserve the indigenous culture of
Isla Mujeres, their way of life and the marine environment,” said
John Vater, who co-founded Ceviche Tours with his wife, Adriana, and
longtime friend and Isla Mujeres native Louis Refugo “Cuco” Sanchez
and his family. “Fishing
was the key industry for local Islanders; it’s how they eat,
how they make money. We work with them helping to promote environmental
preservation and sustainable eco-tourism as the future for the Island’s
people and the economy to sustain Isla Mujeres for generations to come.”
The Whale Shark Festival will include several fun activities for children
geared toward getting the kids excited about environmentalism. “Educating
children about the importance of recycling, showing them how they
can get involved -- with beach cleanups, and just the choices
they make every day – is vital to our future,” said Catalina
Galindo de Prince, executive director of Amigos de Isla Contoy, A.C. “We
are proud to be involved in the Whale Shark Festival and are planning
great activities to get kids involved and learn more.”
Attendees of the Whale Shark Festival can join the worldwide effort
to protect and preserve the whale sharks. Guests participating
in Ceviche Tours whale shark excursions can add their photos to ECOCEAN’s
growing Whale Shark Photo-Identification Library Project, which can
be found at . The
Project is a visual database of the unique markings that allow scientists
to indentify – and track – individual whale sharks. The
Project incorporates a worldwide network of eco-tourism sites, with
regional databases connected to the global Photo Identification Library
By
contributing their excursion photos of whale sharks to the Library,
guests take part in the important efforts to identify, track and protect
this endangered species as “Citizen Scientists.”
“This
is one of the best locations in the world to research this shark and
learn more about the species to help ensure their long-term conservation,” said
Brad Norman, ECOCEAN founder and noted marine conservationist. “Importantly,
we can engage members of the public (especially eco-tourists) in this
program, by employing the goodwill of people to become involved in
a conservation project that is easy, inexpensive, and has already shown
a great level of success i.e. via the ECOCEAN Whale Shark photo-identification
Library project.”
The Island of Isla Mujeres is a small municipality located north of
the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Nearby Isla Contoy is home
to a National Park with more than 152 species of local and migratory
birds, 14 reptile species, 234 species of fish and 98 plant species.
Mayan antiques, including ceramics, utensils made from
conch shells, are frequently found in Isla Mujeres. The Mayan archaeological
site “El Meco” and the Ixchell Mayan temple can be found
here, dating from 200-300 A.D. Isla Mujeres was also the site
of many sea battles between colonial ships and pirates. Shipwrecks
abound for exploration.
The Whale Shark Festival will showcase local businesses
and the variety of beauty, the wide array of activities
that can be found in Isla Mujeres.
For more information about
the Whale Shark Festival, visit ,
or contact Eyder Jahil Hoth Pérez, director of tourism for Isla
Mujeres, at . Information
about Isla Mujeres can be found at
ECOCEAN Inc. is a not-for-profit association working
to generate public awareness for marine conservation issues. ECOCEAN
also encourages and facilitates quality research to provide important
information (data) to assist with 'best practice' management for the
future conservation of the marine ecosystem. At present, the primary
interests of ECOCEAN include increased protection for the threatened
whale shark (Rhincodon typus) and
the biodiversity of Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia. For
more information please visit www.ecocean.org.
Amigos de Isla Contoy was founded on October of 1994 to promote the
conservation of Isla Contoy, nature areas and regional projects of
the Yucatan peninsula through the sustainable development of local
communities in collaboration with the National Commission of Nature
Protected Areas. Amigos de Isla Contoy
develops environmental education programs for the entire community,
including workshops to the 2,800 students (Kindergarten through high
school) of the Island, their parents, staff from hotels, restaurants,
tourist coops, and stores.
With a special focus on educating children, Amigos de Isla Contoy
has also initiated a successful Conservation of Coral Reefs program
for all students, beach cleanups, plays that teach about recycling
and an elementary program on the environment with materials for teachers.
Their new Community Environmental Education Center in Isla Mujeres
offers workshops for adults and children to further their mission of
environmental education. For more information, visit www.amigosdeislacontoy.org.
Ceviche Tours provides sustainable eco-tourism to the indigenous peoples
of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Founded by John and Adriana Vater of Spa
Adriana in Huntington Village, NY, with longtime friend and Isla
Mujeres native Luis Refugio “Cuco“ Sanchez and his family,
Ceviche Tours works with the indigenous islanders of Isla Mujeres
to help preserve their culture and maintain the integrity and beauty
of the surrounding marine environment.
Through
education and photo identification efforts, Ceviche Tours joins the
worldwide effort to protect and preserve whale sharks. As participants
on our whale shark tours, guests are invited to be part of those identification
and tracking efforts.
For more information, please contact .
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