Whale Sharks 2020

[Ralph Capeling]

I usually do not respond to emails like this going with the rule that the customer is always right. So what do you do when the customer is not right and calls you a liar?

Kharon made claims that we did not look for the the snapper using fish finders and did not look for the birds and did not use GPS (don't need GPS as we know where the whale shark zone is). I reviewed the trip he did with the boat captain who says they did use fish finders to look for the snapper and they did watch for the birds. As that is what they normally do, I believe him.

Kharon says we haven't seen any or only one in a year for a number of years. I reported whale shark sightings for the 2018 season on ScubaBoard and previous years. We saw whale sharks on about 1/2 the days we went to the whale shark zone at Gladden Spit during 2018. The 2019 season was very disappointing and a surprise. In past years we have had some whale shark moons with no sightings but this is the first with no sightings during a 4 whale shark moon seasons.

We did miss picking Kharon up on one day for a dive trip.

Southern Environmental Association asked Belize Fisheries to close Gladden Spit for all activities including fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling. The Fisheries department never responded to the letter from Southern Environmental Association. The whale shark zone is open for 2020. I send the following disclaimer to inquiries:

We are scheduling whale shark tours in 2020 but I need to caution you. In 2019 there were no whale shark sightings. In 2018 we saw whale sharks on less than 1/2 the days we went out. You can check my postings on ScubaBoard for 2018 at WHALE SHARKS 2018

You may want to consider booking trips other than whale sharks with the option of switching to whale shark tours if they show up.

No. What I put on the dive op is lying to me that it's the best place in the world to dive with whale sharks when they haven't seen any or only one in a year for a number of years and they knew it was a bucket list issue for me. Telling me that they actively searched for schools of fish using GPS, sonar, and flocks of birds when they actually take divers into open ocean and dump them and have the DM swim around looking for a school of fish. I also fault the dive op for failing to pick me up on the first day of diving for whale sharks and again when I was to get to the airport when leaving for home - almost missing my flight.

I know you are a fan-girl for Splash but since you refuse to ever answer the question of when you last dove with them I can only assume it was too long ago to be relevent. My experience was in 2019. Again I'll ask you - when was the last time you dove with Splash.

Another question is, since the Belize government is considering closing the "whale shark area" completely for a few years to try and get the whale sharks to return, why isn't it a lie to proclaim that they are the best to dive with for whale sharks in the entire world. Simply and completely untrue.

 

[Kharon]

Oh gosh. Not again.

Kharon, it really pains me to see you accusing two very good friends of mine, Ralph and Patty, of being liars. I know that not to be true, but I also know trying to persuade you otherwise is fruitless so I'm not going to try.

So you didn't have a good experience down there. I'm sorry for that. I've dived with them over many years and have always enjoyed a great experience, which is a big reason why I keep going back.

Missing a ride sucks. Not seeing WSs sucks. Got it. But man, the vitriol...can you at least tone down the insults, including Chilly? Try to pretend we're all sitting around a kitchen table talking about diving in Belize instead of the anonymity that comes with typing at a computer. Be a kinder, gentler Kharon, ok?

Another fan-boy heard from.
Downing ===> Ignore

 

[Kharon]

Kharon made claims that we did not look for the the snapper using fish finders and did not look for the birds and did not use GPS (don't need GPS as we know where the whale shark zone is). I reviewed the trip he did with the boat captain who says they did use fish finders to look for the snapper and they did watch for the birds. As that is what they normally do, I believe him.

Then why were we dropped in open ocean and the DM swam randomly to look for a school? IF sonar was used to locat a school, where was it? Not a single fish seen. And why did the DM & crew tell me that the boat was supposed to have sonar, that it was promised but was never installed? And why did the DM & crew say they were told to tell divers "you should have been here last week"?

We did miss picking Kharon up on one day for a dive trip.

No - you missed picking me up twice. Once for a dive trip and once for my travel to the airport. Stephano (apartment manager) had to call in a favor from a friend that has a taxi service and get me an emergency ride to get me there.

And re. your disclamer - since we emailed back and forth numerous times, and since I made it very clear that seeing whale sharks was a bucket list item, why wasn't I given a disclaimer?

I'm done. Let Karma take care of it. ===> Ignore

 

[Mike1967]

===> Ignore

So lame to announce you're ignoring someone, just do it and move on.

 

[Kharon]

So lame to announce you're ignoring someone, just do it and move on.

===> Ignore

 

[Mike1967]

===> Ignore

Lol

 

[Downing]

Double lol. Maybe we should start a club!

No wonder he's a "Solo Diver."

 

[Trivan]

My daughter really wants to dive with a whale shark, I’m planning a trip to dive at the Georgia Aquarium, I think that is almost as close to a guarantee as one can get. Please don’t judge. Hahah. I dove in the past Epcot and it was cool.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Double lol. Maybe we should start a club!

No wonder he's a "Solo Diver."

Hey! Watch where yer pointin' that thing . . .

 

[chillyinCanada]

My daughter really wants to dive with a whale shark, I’m planning a trip to dive at the Georgia Aquarium, I think that is almost as close to a guarantee as one can get. Please don’t judge. Hahah. I dove in the past Epcot and it was cool.

Couldn't you guys just go to the Maldives instead?

I know, easy for me to say. Sigh