whale sharks in Belize

[champ]

Steve,
Thanks for the info. This past year I spent time on both Roatan and Utila and enjoyed both. I usually do not spend a full week on Utila (never enough vacation time). How much does a whale shark day trip cost with Deep Blue (including spotter plane)? I understand that you may not have 2005 prices yet, but a ball park would be nice (I have all my own equipment).

Thanks Again

 

[DeepBlueResort]

Hi

Well all the prices here have gone up but still in the mornings you can get 2 dives and swim with whale sharks for $40.00 ....that is still fantastic value as our school in town will also take advantage of our spotter plane

 

[Ecomarine/Gunter's Utila]

Hank and Champ,
If you want to see whale sharks, go to Utila in March. Anyone from an eighteen year old dive boat captain to an eighty year old fisherman will be able to find you a whale shark - it's like Sea World out there that month... sometimes there is a whale shark for every boat. Buy a ten dive package for $175 and make sure you are with an operator who runs to the north side of the island each morning. If you want to spend more money, and perhaps more time on the hunt, go for a week with one of the all inclusive operators. They are the only boats that go to the north side in the afternoons. Unless you only have a weekend commitment, you should see plenty.
Hope you have a great time on our little paradise.
tex

 

[champ]

Hi

Well all the prices here have gone up but still in the mornings you can get 2 dives and swim with whale sharks for $40.00 ....that is still fantastic value as our school in town will also take advantage of our spotter plane

Thanks Steve. That is a fantastic value for an almost garunteed dive with a whale shark not to mention all the other neat underwater life Utila has to offer. I know the regular dive boats run into the whale sharks alot but I'm sure a spotter plane almost garuntees it.

 

[murphdivers286]

The best "gaurenteed" place to see them that I have found is Coral Bay and Exmouth Western Australia.

My wife went to Exmouth this past summer to see the Whale Sharks, but missed them. Some sort of typhon or something caused the pods to move further out to sea. She was realy bummed. It has been a big dream of hers to see them.

To make things worse, the weekend of July 4 they saw a large Whale Shark in West Palm Beach. Our back yard.

 

[DeepBlueResort]

Hi Champ

Yes it is still very good value, the biggest problem on the island is not all dive schools go north side every day ...even in Whale Shark season, the north is the only side of Utila that we regularly see them so if you come to Utila get who you are diving with to guarantee that they will go north side if the weather permits

 

[caravias]

Hi All

The best place for whale sharks would be Jangamo Bay, Mozambique. Yes it is a third world country and yes the roads are crap but hey...the diving's GREAT!!!! Not only whale sharks... the manta rays and reefs are stunning too! Best of all, it works you out less then R.200-00 (+- 25 euros) per dive including all your gear! You see whale sharks on just about every dive. They dont even use spotter planes or anything because there's just so many whale sharks!!! I'm sure you've heard of Marine Dynamics (a white shark operation in South Africa with Andre
Hartman), they opened a dive centre in Jangamo a couple of years ago and man did they do a good job! The owner of the dive centre is also the auther of a new Loneplanet publication of Diving around Southern Africa along with Tom Campbell. You can see Tom's pics of the whale sharks and reefs at www.westerncape.u-k.org You can also book a trip from there. Its great value for money and if you go at the right time you can even get the awesome humpback experience too!

Anyway, Jangamo seems to be a hidden gem still, so go if you can!!!

If anybody want more info, go to the site above or email me at elna@theroundhouse.biz and I'll see if I can help.

 

[GoProHonduras]

For personal and private trips I've also rented a small boat with local Captain in Utila to look for Whalesharks, costs around $60 per half day, you may not have the comfort and service of going with an all inclusive operator or dive centre but if you're just wanting to snorkel and get a dedicated personal service then it can be very effective.

Andy