Success Rate Of Finding Whale Sharks In Utila?

[cleung]

Just wondering about overall success rates of the whale shark sightings near Utila during this year so far. I am keen to book for 2016 and would like to know of those who did go down there this year, what was the average success, ie., % of time actually encountered at least one whale shark during a dive day?

 

[Doc]

Since, really in the total scope of things, not that many dives are logged overall from Utila (compared to busier places like Roatan, Cozumel or Cayman), I gotta think that the odds are pretty high. Statistics you are in search of can make your brain hurt.

...encountered at least one whale shark during a dive day?

Along with seasonal predictability combined with Lunar Phase, you can improve your odds dramatically by going on a Utila dedicated Whale Shark charter, but you won't be hauling dive gear exactly, just der schnorkel.

I love the Bay Islands, Utila for certain, but if you want to see Whale Sharks, Google "Holbox whale shark". Improve the odds. June>Sept, follow the Full Moon.

 

[laurenceh]

if you had been on utila just before or just after the full moon in april or may this year and had been out everyday diving, you would have probably had about a 70% of snorkeling with a whale shark between dives. this month (september) the week after the full moon (last week), we saw them 3 days in a row.
march, april, may and september are generally good months for seeing them around utila, sometimes january as well (weather permitting) but its still a crap shoot.
as doc says if you want a much higher probability, go to holbox during their "season".

 

[cleung]

Thanks for the feedback so far. With Utila sightings, are the whale sharks usually seen just in singles? I noticed that Holbox or Mujeres sightings usually have many more at a time.

 

[laurenceh]

we never see huge gatherings of them like at holbox during their season. we occasionally see 2-3 at the same time.
whale sharks are in utilian waters all year round but the calmer the water the better chance of seeing the tuna schools feeding at the surface, find the tuna feeding and invariably there's a whale shark amongst them