OP
Ralph Capeling
Contributor
May 16 No whale shark sightings. Snapper deep. Main excitement was sharks attacking snapper.
WHALE SHARK REPORTS 2017
- Thread starter Ralph Capeling
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OP
Ralph Capeling
Contributor
May 17 No whale shark sightings. Did a variation on our normal whale shark tour but going to Silk Cayes in the morning so the guests would be sure of seeing lots of marine life, then after lunch on the caye went looking for the birds as they feed on the baitfish and whale sharks come to do the same and then went to the whale shark zone and did the regular whale shark dive. Snapper are still there spawning and the main part of the dive show was sharks feeding on the snapper.
The followig from Channel Seven News
Fishing in a Spawning Aggregation Area
posted (May 17, 2017)
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A joint patrol between Southern Environmental Association Rangers and the Belize Coast Guard on Saturday ended with authorities apprehending Elexander Harris, Wilmer Enrique Limas Herrera, Wilmer Isaac Limas Calderon and Anuar Enrique Limas Cruz, for illegal fishing activity. All four men are from Honduras and according to a press release issued yesterday, they were caught in the Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve. They were all charged for fishing in a spawning aggregation area without a Special License Permit.
The fishermen appeared in the Independence Magistrate's Court on Monday. Harris and Enrique Limas Herrera pled guilty to fishing without the special license and were fined.
Isaac Limas Calderon and Enrique Limas Cruz were also charged for fishing without a valid license. Both men pled not guilty and were released on $1000 bail.
The Southern Environmental Association, known as SEA, reminds fishers that a Special permit is required to fish in the "elbow" or "point of reef" area of the Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve.
The followig from Channel Seven News
Fishing in a Spawning Aggregation Area
posted (May 17, 2017)
Print
The fishermen appeared in the Independence Magistrate's Court on Monday. Harris and Enrique Limas Herrera pled guilty to fishing without the special license and were fined.
Isaac Limas Calderon and Enrique Limas Cruz were also charged for fishing without a valid license. Both men pled not guilty and were released on $1000 bail.
The Southern Environmental Association, known as SEA, reminds fishers that a Special permit is required to fish in the "elbow" or "point of reef" area of the Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve.
OP
Ralph Capeling
Contributor
May 18 Did another combo trip. No whale sharks sighted but guests came back very happy anyway. Great dive at Silk as usually and a great lunch on the caye then chasing the birds outside the barrier reef away from Gladden Spit. Found the birds and bait fish but no whale sharks feeding on them. Saw bull sharks and reef sharks feeding on the snalpper and a pod of dolphins with a young calf hung out the divers and snorkelers at the whale shark zone.
novasquid
Contributor
is it still proper to call these whale shark tours when they rarely show up now?
OP
Ralph Capeling
Contributor
Novasquid raises an interesting point but a point that statisticians would call "drawing a curve through a single point".
There have been times in the past (when everyone says there were a lot more sightings) where success rate was low. The most reliable historical info is from SEA (as the sightings were reported by the whale shark researchers rather than dive operators - not that I mistrust the dive operators but several dive shops could report the same sighting while the researchers would not). For example in April 2010 (back in the days when there were lots of sightings) there were no whale shark sightings. In May of the same year, there were two. So while the season this year has been disappointing, we intend to continue and are looking forward to see what happens in June. The last 3 years have been great for whale sharks in June and we really hope that will be the case this year.
We could start calling them snapper aggregation tours as there is always a lot going on besides the whale sharks and guests came back with good experiences but I don't think we will consider a name change just yet.
There have been times in the past (when everyone says there were a lot more sightings) where success rate was low. The most reliable historical info is from SEA (as the sightings were reported by the whale shark researchers rather than dive operators - not that I mistrust the dive operators but several dive shops could report the same sighting while the researchers would not). For example in April 2010 (back in the days when there were lots of sightings) there were no whale shark sightings. In May of the same year, there were two. So while the season this year has been disappointing, we intend to continue and are looking forward to see what happens in June. The last 3 years have been great for whale sharks in June and we really hope that will be the case this year.
We could start calling them snapper aggregation tours as there is always a lot going on besides the whale sharks and guests came back with good experiences but I don't think we will consider a name change just yet.
Downing
Contributor
Or you could call them the "Get To Know Your Fellow Divers Really Well While You Sit On The Boat Chewing The Fat With Them While Waiting For Your Turn To Enter The Whale Shark Zone" tours, lol.
Regardless, Carol and I are looking forward to taking the tour(s), whatever you call them, in June. If we don't see a WS, then there's always next year and another good excuse to return (not that I need another one). It will be her first blue water dive(s). I like to peel off from the group a bit, turn my back and just stare out into the blue. It's like floating in space, I imagine.
A bad day of diving still beats a great day at the office.
Regardless, Carol and I are looking forward to taking the tour(s), whatever you call them, in June. If we don't see a WS, then there's always next year and another good excuse to return (not that I need another one). It will be her first blue water dive(s). I like to peel off from the group a bit, turn my back and just stare out into the blue. It's like floating in space, I imagine.
A bad day of diving still beats a great day at the office.
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