Corporate Social Responsibility | Business Wire | PR NewsWire | Marketwire | Realwire | ACN/JCN newswire | 247pressrelease | PRWeb

Schedule, Speakers Announced for Second Annual Whale Shark Festival in Isla Mujeres, Mexico

ISLA MUJERES, MEXICO -- 06/29/09 -- 
 Immerse yourself in the beauty and
culture of Isla Mujeres, Mexico
at the Second Annual Whale
Shark Festival, as Ceviche Tours..
Posted : Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:01:18 GMT
Author : Ceviche Tours
Category : Press Release
News Alerts by Email ( click here )
Press Release News | Home
ISLA MUJERES, MEXICO -- 06/29/09 -- Immerse yourself in the beauty and culture of Isla Mujeres, Mexico at the Second Annual Whale Shark Festival, as Ceviche Tours and the Department of Tourism of Isla Mujeres today announced the official Schedule of Events for this five-day celebration to be held July 15-19, 2009.

Sponsored by several environmental leaders, the Whale Shark Festival will showcase the achievements, traditions and environmental splendor of Isla Mujeres while championing the need to preserve a fragile marine ecosystem. Whale shark tours, swimming with whale sharks and other ecotourism adventures are some of the activities guests can enjoy.

"The Festival will welcome thousands of visitors to Isla Mujeres, to take part in a myriad of family-friendly activities and enjoy the beauty and culture of this vibrant seaside town," said Eyder Jahil Hoth Pérez, director of tourism for Isla Mujeres.

The Festival will feature an Artisans Exposition at Mainsquare, which will include displays of traditional dancing happening daily. Several local women's artisan groups will display their works. There will also be an array of games for the whole family, a food court showcasing local flavors and traditional dishes from Isla Mujeres restaurants, and stands from Festival sponsors.

Francisco Remolina of the Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas (National commission of Protected Natural Areas) and director of the Yum Balam preservation reserve, will headline the Academic Seminars. Dr. Remolina was key in forging new legislation to have the marine area north of Contoy all the way to Holbox Island declared a biosphere for the protection of whale sharks.

Exclusive Tours, Family-Friendly Activities

Guests can participate in a wide variety of exclusive family-friendly activities:

--  Tours of the Turtle Farm on Isla Mujeres
--  Private excursions to Boca Iglesia, the first church built in North
    America (1517)
--  Snorkeling, diving adventures to the reefs and wrecks surrounding Isla
    Mujeres
--  Trips to Contoy Island to tour the National Park, the most important
    nesting place of sea birds in all of the Mexican Caribbean, and the Bird
    Sanctuary
--  Swimming with whale sharks, the world's largest fish
--  Sport fishing charters, in-shore and offshore
    

Swimming with Whale Sharks

Guests can swim with whale sharks, an endangered species and the largest fish in the ocean. They can also join an effort by Project Domino, a conservation program implemented by the Mexican government, to protect and preserve whale sharks by adding their underwater photos to Project Domino's visual database of the unique markings, or spots, that can identify individual whale sharks. These markings allow scientists to track these graceful creatures. Images from the Project Domino regional database are shared with a global database from nonprofit ECOCEAN.

"Swimming with whale sharks is an unforgettable experience," said John Vater, who co-founded Ceviche Tours with his wife, Adriana, and longtime friend and Isla Mujeres native Luis "Cuco" Refugio and his family. "The Whale Shark Festival will be a tremendous opportunity for travelers to participate in ecotourism adventures and to immerse themselves in the culture of Isla Mujeres."

Academic Seminars and Film Showcase

From July 16-18, preeminent scholars on marine biology, sustainable ecotourism and Mayan Architecture will present sessions on their work. They will also showcase films about the area and preservation activities.

Filmmaker Jerónimo Avilés, known for his underwater work, will unveil his latest film on Mexican shark researcher Deni Ramirez and his activities in Baja. The film also features research efforts by the Domino Project.

Also, archaeologist Alfonso Morales from Grupo Plan will present a conference on the Mayan Culture and Commerce in the Mexican Caribbean.

Whale Shark Festival sponsors include Ceviche Tours, Project Domino and the Department of Tourism of Isla Mujeres. Nonprofit partners include environmental leader Amigos de Isla Contoy A.C., which promotes the conservation of Isla Contoy, nature areas and regional projects of the Yucatan peninsula.

Booking Travel

Travel arrangements can be made through the Ceviche Tours Website (www.cevichetours.com). Whale shark tours can also be booked on the Website; they are available now through September 17, 2009.

For a complete listing of activities, photos and more information, visit www.whalesharkfest.com.

About Ceviche Tours

Ceviche Tours is a US-based ecotourism travel agency that provides sustainable ecotourism 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 "Cuco" Refugio 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 www.cevichetours.com.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1012282

Press Contact
Hillary Call for Ceviche Tours
(917) 414-9262
Email Contact
www.cevichetours.com


Copyright © 2008 Market Wire. All rights reserved.
Share/Save/Bookmark

Article : Schedule, Speakers Announced for Second Annual Whale Shark Festival in Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Print this article
Share this article

Stay Updated

News gadget on your Google homepage
Subscribe to a news feed in Google Reader



Related News

Lady Gaga Tickets to "Monster Ball" Concert Tour Available Online
PALO ALTO, CA -- 11/21/09 -- FanSnap®, the largest live event ticket search engine for fans, today announced that hundreds, and for some concerts, thousands of Lady Gaga ticket listings ca..

MyCatholicVoice Virtual Pilgrimage for NCYC 2009 Engages 50,000 Online Participants from 76 Countries
Available for the first time, online participation with National Catholic Youth Conference demonstrates power of technology in sharing faith experiences; Live streaming of closing liturgy presented 7:00pm-10:30pm Central, Sat. Nov. 21 /I/P PLenexa, KS (PRWEB) November 21, 2009 -- MyCath...

ADDING MULTIMEDIA Nine-Pack of Sun Valley Olympians to Take First Ride on New Roundhouse Gondola
SUN VALLEY, Idaho - Free rides for all will kick off the dedication of Sun Valley Resort’s new Roundhouse Gondola during a Winter Expo and Gondola ‘Ganza Saturday, November 21 at 11 a.m. MT. The grand opening festivities will launch Sun Valley’s 74th

Brambleton Embraces the Spirit of Giving; Jingle Bell Fun Run/Walk Planned for Families
In support of Loudoun County schools, the Brambleton Town Center is working in conjunction with local merchants and the community to again launch its “Spirit of Giving” program./I/P PBrambleton, Loudoun County (Vocus) November 21, 2009 -- In support of Loudoun County schools...

Nine-Pack of Sun Valley Olympians to Take First Ride on New Roundhouse Gondola
SUN VALLEY, Idaho - Free rides for all will kick off the dedication of Sun Valley Resort’s new Roundhouse Gondola during a Winter Expo and Gondola ‘Ganza Saturday, November 21 at 11 a.m. MT. The grand opening festivities will launch Sun Valley’s 74th

Video B-Roll available via CNW - Australian Gold Medalist Alisa Camplin runs with the Torch and enjoys true northern experiences in Dawson City, Yukon
VANCOUVER, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ - Australian aerial skier Alisa Camplin couldn't have been more excited as she explored Canada's North and ran with the Olympic Torch in the Yukon. Alisa enjoyed an aut...

River Blindness (Onchocerciasis) Reduced By Nearly One-Third In At-Risk Populations In Six Countries
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A regional initiative launched in the 1990s to eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness) in the Americas has substantially reduced the prevalence of the disease in recent years, as evidenced by a 31% decrease in the number of individuals r...

Have your Say
Name
Email
Subject
Your Comment

Enter Verification code
 
  

 
Follow The Earth Times
Subscribe to RSS Follow Earth Times on TwitterNews by email
Share/Save/Bookmark
 
 



 
Subscribe to free Earthtimes
News Alerts by Email Click here
For RSS Feeds Click here
or Create your own RSS

Add to Google Toolbar
Breaking News
Press Releases

 


The Earth Times
News Category

© 2009 www.earthtimes.org, The Earth Times, All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
Earth Times accept no responsibility or liability either directly or indirectly for views or opinions expressed in articles or comments.