Swimming With the Sharks

A Georgia grad spends summers running an eco-tourism company in Mexico. Here's a typical day—in and out of the water

by Sky Lantz-Wagner

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Sky Lantz-Wagner
Co-President, Dove6 Water Tours
Bachelor's in International Business, Class of 2001
University of Georgia Terry College of Business

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For me, hanging out in the clear blue water of the Caribbean Sea is more than a vacation. I am the president of Dove6 Water Tours (www.whalesharkexperience.com), a small eco-tours company based in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. After having worked around the world as a scuba instructor, I decided to put my international business degree from the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business to use and incorporate a company in Mexico.

The tourism industry in the Cancún area is very well-developed and competitive. I had the good fortune to be one of the first in the scuba diving industry to confirm the presence of what scientists believe to be the largest temporary population of whale sharks anywhere in the world. These gentle, safe sharks were hidden just outside the range of the tourist areas but have been known to the local fisherman. Four years ago, a business-minded fisherman from a small island called Hol Box called my then-boss-now-business-partner Luca Maghelli to come and see these giant fish in hopes of increasing visits to his island. His plan worked, but was not properly developed or advertised. I worked for two years as a guide knowing that this tour had an endless potential to grow.

Striking Out on His Own

At the end of the summer in 2005, I asked Luca if he was interested in branching off and running the whale shark tours together. He said yes, and together we came up with the company name, a business plan, and a timeframe for our launch. Hurricane Emily forced me to return home to Atlanta, where I began developing a Web site, creating brochures, and promoting to local dive shops. Luca, on the other hand, remained in Mexico where he began incorporating our company and identifying potential customers for the summer.

Now we have four employees and last summer took more than 650 tourists out on excursions. Below is a typical daily schedule:

5:45 a.m.—My alarm sounds and I prep the tour for the day. Prep includes loading the car with boxed breakfasts for the snorkelers (fruit, yogurt, granola, coffee, and juice), my personal gear, and Dove6 T-shirts to sell. Gear is provided for guests and stored on our boats.

6:15 a.m.—I am on my way to Cancún to meet the snorkelers. My drive takes about an hour and 15 minutes, giving me time to catch up on the news on Spanish radio. I speak Spanish, which I learned while traveling and working in the Caribbean and Mexico. Studying Italian in college also gave me a good base for picking up Spanish relatively quickly.

7:30 a.m.—I arrive at the port of departure and wait for the guests. The tour is all-inclusive so once payment—$200 per person—is received, guests do not have to worry about any details. We provide pick-up from any hotel on the Mayan Riviera.

7:45 a.m.—The guests arrive and I collect their sales receipts, which I use for accounting purposes. With that done, I gather everyone for a briefing where I introduce myself and any other guides, explain the itinerary for the day, offer breakfast, offer sea-sickness tablets, and give everyone a chance to ask questions and use the restrooms before boarding the boat. The guests are divided into their boats and I try to keep groups as together as the boat capacities will allow.

8:00 a.m.—We're off to the whale shark site. During the trip, I talk about whale sharks and the rules of snorkeling with them, answer people's questions, and try to prepare them mentally for jumping in the water with the largest fish in the world.