Whale Sharks 2026

[Ralph Capeling]

Every year I report on whale shark sightings at Gladden Spit. We are scheduling whale shark tours April 1 to 11, May 1 to 11 and May 31 to June 10 in 2026, but I need to caution you. In 2025 there was one whale shark sighting and none in May or June. 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 of 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.

 

[ReefHound]

With almost no whale shark sightings for the past six years, seems rather dishonest to keep marketing trips as whale shark tours. Sounds like the trip can still be fun so market it for what it actually is.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

We get lots of inquiries for whale shark trips so that is the reason for the response and the honesty is to tell those who ask about whale shark trips. What do you suggest we do instead of respond to the question with the answer we give?

 

[ReefHound]

How did they know to call you and ask? If it's because you advertised whale shark trips then that's dishonest. If it's because someone else advertised it or they just knew from word of mouth and wanted to know if you offered it, that's fine.

 

[dlofting]

I think Ralph's posts here are refreshingly honest. He certainly tells us exactly how many whale shark sightings have happened in the past several years. I can certainly think of other advertised wildlife encounters that are hit and miss or often, very unlikely.

Guided fishing trips are a good example of hit/miss and large cat encounters are an example of unlikely.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

How did they know to call you and ask? If it's because you advertised whale shark trips then that's dishonest. If it's because someone else advertised it or they just knew from word of mouth and wanted to know if you offered it, that's fine.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

First of all, I am not a dishonest person and nothing I have ever put on this forum was not the truth to the best of my knowledge.
Secondly, if you google whale sharks placencia whale sharks placencia - Yahoo Canada Search Results you will not find Splash advertising on the first five pages (I did not check beyond page 5).

ReefHound You appear to be shooting from the lip.

In any event it is not up to you whether my website or my advertising or my posts are appropriate. It is up to me to make sure they are honest and accurate.

To your question - we have a mix of inquiries some of which seem to find us by google (and I don't know how considering the search I just did and published above) and those who ask about whale sharks because they find them on our website with this disclaimer "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." Check it out at Whale Sharks at Gladden Spit – Splash Dive Center

 

[ReefHound]

First of all, I am not a dishonest person and nothing I have ever put on this forum was not the truth to the best of my knowledge.
Secondly, if you google whale sharks placencia whale sharks placencia - Yahoo Canada Search Results you will not find Splash advertising on the first five pages (I did not check beyond page 5).

ReefHound You appear to be shooting from the lip.

In any event it is not up to you whether my website or my advertising or my posts are appropriate. It is up to me to make sure they are honest and accurate.

I did not say you were or were not anything, I said IF.

Nowhere in your previous posts did you identify what shop you are and you're not a household name for me. I did search and found shops advertising whale shark trips which is what led to my post. But since I did not know if they were associated with you, I used the word IF.

It's absolutely up to me to have my own opinion on the appropriateness of anything and my right to express it.

 

[dlofting]

I did not say you were or were not anything, I said IF.

Nowhere in your previous posts did you identify what shop you are and you're not a household name for me. I did search and found shops advertising whale shark trips which is what led to my post. But since I did not know if they were associated with you, I used the word IF.

It's absolutely up to me to have my own opinion on the appropriateness of anything and my right to express it.

If you search for his previous posts on this site you'll find at least one that is not very far down the list that says he and his wife own Splash Dive in Placencia.

Many of us have visited and enjoyed diving with them. He is merely letting people who may be considering a dive trip to Placencia know what the status is of whale shark diving. No different than what people who are familiar with Cozumel do for that dive location.

 

[ReefHound]

No, I am not searching the posting history of someone before replying to a post they make.