Whale Shark probability
- Thread starter Kharon
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Placencia is a great little village. You should be able to assuage any disappointment with the right attitude. Will you be doing any land based activities whilst you are there?
OP
Kharon
Contributor
Nope. It's like asking if it's usually sunny most days in july at a specific place.
==> Ignore
==> Ignore. Gosh I love that list!!!
Yeah, that's what I thought. I wanted to head there with my head in the right place. Switch from a whale shark trip to a diving trip where I might see whale sharks. I'm staying a few extra days and am also looking forward to another of my bucket list things (though not diving).
I want to see some Mayan ruins. Also, the Splash package includes a trip up the Monkey River through the jungle. All in all it should be terrific knowing what to expect. If I went expecting to almost certainly see whale sharks I'd be setting myself up. Knowing ahead makes sense to me, especially given past experience.
Had I known what to expect from my ex-dive club on GC, I'd have rented my own car and had a blast. Had I known what Roatan/Coco View was really like I'd have gone elsewhere. Live and learn.
One thing that is totally cool is that my apartment is on an island. I have to row a skiff 80' across the canal to the mainland and then I can walk into the village. How cool is that?
dlofting
Contributor
Sounds wonderful. I agree that Placencia is a great place. The other dives that Splash offers are also good. Not that you're going to see fish that you wouldn't see in Cozumel or Bonaire, but you get some great hot lunches on beautiful islands during your surface interval.
dlofting
Contributor
...and don't miss the gelato shop in Placencia.
dlofting, my mouth watered just like that!! So fine a product!
OP
Kharon
Contributor
I think if I don't watch myself, I might come home heavier than when I left. LOL
My local diving has regular whale shark sightings. Yet over the last 6 years they remain unpredictable. We’ve had them out of season, none in season, some years it’s a famine and others they’re as common as muck
People cleverer than I have tried to find trends but none so far. We know there is a nursery “nearby” and we know that there is an aggregation each year near the oil rigs (out of bounds). But that’s it
My point is that like mola’s it can be hard to be in exactly the right bit of ocean at the same time. But when you are.... well you’ll never forget your 1st whale shark in the wild
People cleverer than I have tried to find trends but none so far. We know there is a nursery “nearby” and we know that there is an aggregation each year near the oil rigs (out of bounds). But that’s it
My point is that like mola’s it can be hard to be in exactly the right bit of ocean at the same time. But when you are.... well you’ll never forget your 1st whale shark in the wild
Trevor JC Brown
Contributor
Hello,
I see that you decided to NOT go to Mexico to see the whale sharks but the simple fact is Mexico is the only place in North and Central America where whale sharks are 100% guaranteed. I have run tours in La Paz for three seasons now and we have never been skunked yet. The east side of Mexico does typically have clearer water and more whale sharks but significantly more tourists. La Paz has overall fewer whale sharks but much more intimate encounters.
Fact - The visibility in La Paz can be lower but it is affected by tides and the amount of plankton in the water. You can get visibility up to 60-70ft in the whale shark zone in the morning and than 10 ft visibility in the afternoon. Tours are running at about $70usd (groups of 4-6) for roughly 2 hours with the whale sharks and a private boat for about $200usd.
I have travelled the globe working in the diving industry, take it from me, Mexico is the place to go for whale sharks...
October/November visibility for diving in La Paz reaches 100ft+ so that is prob the best time to visit La Paz if you want to do both.
I see that you decided to NOT go to Mexico to see the whale sharks but the simple fact is Mexico is the only place in North and Central America where whale sharks are 100% guaranteed. I have run tours in La Paz for three seasons now and we have never been skunked yet. The east side of Mexico does typically have clearer water and more whale sharks but significantly more tourists. La Paz has overall fewer whale sharks but much more intimate encounters.
Fact - The visibility in La Paz can be lower but it is affected by tides and the amount of plankton in the water. You can get visibility up to 60-70ft in the whale shark zone in the morning and than 10 ft visibility in the afternoon. Tours are running at about $70usd (groups of 4-6) for roughly 2 hours with the whale sharks and a private boat for about $200usd.
I have travelled the globe working in the diving industry, take it from me, Mexico is the place to go for whale sharks...
October/November visibility for diving in La Paz reaches 100ft+ so that is prob the best time to visit La Paz if you want to do both.
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