whale sharks right now!

[lone diver]

Hi everyone, i just got back from mactan where i was hoping to dive with the whale sharks but when i arrived i was told they hadnt seen any in 2 years. please can anyone tell me where and when is my best chance to see these amazing creatures. i am looking to return in april if this is a good month.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks heaps
lone diver

 

[CODMAN]

Donsol, but it's exclusively snorkeling. The only place you are pretty sure of seing one during the right season.

 

[Evie G]

yes, Donsol. March-April. No dive gear allowed, strictly snorkling only. But its really awesome!
Had eight encounters everyday I was there! Once, a mother & baby together! Fantastic!
Look for Carina Escudero.

 

[jigo]

sogod bay is another option. not sure if they still allow scuba with the whalesharks though.

 

[shugar]

there's whaleshark's fin soup being served in a chinese resto near you - no thanks to those murderous bashturds that may be from lemery...

Jag

 

[lone diver]

Thanks for the advice, i should have written snorkeled with the whale sharks. sorry i just have diving on the brain. if anyone has snorkeled with them, who can you reccomend to do it with

thanks

 

[sonar]

donsol it is..

From what i understood (havent been there but some friends have) you can go there and snorkle with them. In march/ april you will pretty much have 90% odds to see one if you stay there a few days..

But donsol is pretty dull for the rest and snorkling with them is often with big groups, also with whole families

 

[elanarchist]

There's been whalesharks at Limasawa, S. Leyte the past couple months - at SBSR it's been 100% success and the whaleshark encounters have been steadily improving. There's 6 or 7 whale sharks there that we've been spotting in the afternoons. Based on previous years experience I'd say right now is peak season and by mid-April they'll be gone.

 

[gwklein]

Although its a long way from Sydney, Isla Holbox north of Cancun in Mexico offers significant opportunities to swim with whale sharks. The Georgia Aquarium offers Whale Shark Expedition trips every year in conjunction with the Mexican govenment. You can check out the trip at http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/media/pdf/EcoTour10Description.pdf. There are also other groups that offer similar trips to Holbox.

 

[bill22]

I've never heard that Mactan was a destination known for sighting whale sharks

Sorry, you were there at probably the peak time of year for whale sharks at Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte. It will likely be to late when you go back, but they have been spotted there throughout the year there. You can still get away with scuba with whale sharks there (at least you could last month ).

Snorkeling with them... the consensus seems to be Donsol