Ralph Capeling
Contributor
Once a year I do an update on whale shark sightings at Gladden Spit (years ago I did almost daily posting during the hale shark seasons in April, May and June). We are scheduling whale shark tours April 10 to April 20, May 10 to May 20 and June 9 to June 19 in 2025 but I need to caution you. In 2024 there were no whale shark sightings. In April 2023 there was one whale shark sighting and no whale shark sightings in May or June. In 2022, we did one whale shark tour in April and two in May (saw lots of bull sharks but no whale sharks). In 2021 we did three whale shark tours and saw a whale shark on one of them. In 2020 we did not do any whale shark tours due covid-19, although there were sightings by fishermen at Gladden Spit. For the first time ever, in 2019 there were no whale shark sightings. In 2018 we saw whale sharks on less than 1/2 the days we went out.
While the appearance by whale sharks is uncertain, you can certainly expect to see black tip reef sharks and bull sharks and dolphins who come to feed on the spawning aggregation of cubera snapper, dog snapper, mutton snapper and horse eye jacks. One of our guests said a whale shark trip with no whale shark sightings was the best dive she had ever done – dolphins were repeatedly diving for snapper and returning to the surface to eat them right beside her. We snorkel during the surface interval/lunch break in an area just inside the barrier reef – lots of reef fish and healthy corals in this area which is normally only visited for three 10-day periods in April, May and June.
We have lots of great diving and snorkeling on the Belize Barrier Reef and Glover’s Reef Atoll has pristine conditions due to its remoteness.
While the appearance by whale sharks is uncertain, you can certainly expect to see black tip reef sharks and bull sharks and dolphins who come to feed on the spawning aggregation of cubera snapper, dog snapper, mutton snapper and horse eye jacks. One of our guests said a whale shark trip with no whale shark sightings was the best dive she had ever done – dolphins were repeatedly diving for snapper and returning to the surface to eat them right beside her. We snorkel during the surface interval/lunch break in an area just inside the barrier reef – lots of reef fish and healthy corals in this area which is normally only visited for three 10-day periods in April, May and June.
We have lots of great diving and snorkeling on the Belize Barrier Reef and Glover’s Reef Atoll has pristine conditions due to its remoteness.
