Whale sharks this May - best two days to go and atoll

[heehee62]

I plan to go whale shark snorkeling (not advanced enough diver to dive) this May. I heard you might not be able to see a whale shark at all so I want to pick THE best days to snorkel. What two days should I do my whale shark snorkel since the full moon is on May 6 this year?

Also, I want to dive at one of the atolls. Which one should I do as a beginner diver who wants to see the best site? Also, should I start from Ambergris or Placencia? I'll be in both areas so can dive from either.

Thanks.

 

[Downing]

Regarding Whale Sharks, you pay your money and you take your chances. The WS "season" is a ten-day period tied to the full moon but that doesn't mean you're guaranteed to see a WS on any of those days, only that your chances for success are better.

Last June, I was in Placencia for two weeks, diving with Splash Dive Center. Every day was a potential Whale Shark day, but we went after them only twice based on the feedback that Splash was getting from the local fishermen. Unfortunately we didn't see a single WS on four tanks, which has something to do with why I'm going back again this June.

The diving in Belize is ideal for beginners. Warm water, low current, good viz and lots to see. I may not understand your question but I don't think it matters where you start, either Placencia or AC. Flip a quarter, lol. Getting to the atoll is best done from AC as it's a lot closer.

I see that you're not only new to scuba but that you're a fellow Oregonian to boot. Welcome aboard!

 

[diversteve]

The whale sharks off Placencia are feeding on the cubera snapper spawn - at 80' near Gladden Spit. From what I understand the possibility of seeing one on the surface there is pretty remote. But IDK as I haven't done it - yet.

I'm also fairly certain the possibility of seeing one off Ambergris is pretty remote - there's nothing to draw them there. The atoll resorts like Isla Marisol etc. that do offer Whale Shark dives go down to Gladden Spit. I don't think anybody from AC would make that trip - it would be a long ride. Even the liveaboards don't do it.

You could ask Ralph Capeling here - he's one of the owners of Splash Dive.

If you want to snorkel with Whale Sharks maybe Utila or Holbox are better options. We snorkeled with six different ones the end of March a couple years ago with Deep Blue. Diving with them is not allowed at either location though.

 

[heehee62]

Thanks a lot guys for the answers and the warm welcome.

I left splash a message.

 

[Downing]

The whale sharks off Placencia are feeding on the cubera snapper spawn - at 80' near Gladden Spit. From what I understand the possibility of seeing one on the surface there is pretty remote. But IDK as I haven't done it - yet.

That's a good point. WS diving at Gladden Spit is fairly deep, blue water diving. We would descend to 70 or 80 feet and then it was off to the races, following the guide who would periodically stop and wave his second stage around, blowing bubbles to try to attract the WSs. Although the viz was very good, I don't know how much a snorkeler would see if a WS passed by at that depth.

 

[peterbj7]

To visit the atolls without staying on them - for the northern atolls (Lightlouse and Turneffe) the two northern cayes (Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye) are best, with journeys from Caye Caulker being around 30mins less each way. To visit Glover's (the largest atoll) and the southern parts of the above two atolls you've berret off being further south, such as Hopkins or Placencia. Various upmarket resorts on private cayes are also close, such as Thatch Caye. To see whale sharks you also need to go from those southern locations. In ten years I have once seen a whale shark off Ambergris Caye, so the odds up here aren't good. So for whale sharks you want Splash, Seahorse or Avadon in Placenaic, or Hopkins Divers at Hamanasi resort a few miles north of Placencia.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Snorkelers follow the bubbles of the divers and as it is the bubbles that attract the whale sharks, the snorkelers have a very good chance to see whale sharks. There have been dive trips where the the whale shark came in above the divers who did not notice them as they were looking down, so only the snorkelrs saw whale sharks! Seeing them surface is awsome.
Regards
Ralph

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Whale sharks are back!!!!! Today a 20 footer swam right between the snorkelers and the divers! The snorkelers follow the divers bubbles as the whale sharks are drawn to the bubbles which they think is part of the snapper spawn.
Also saw bull sharks and silky sharks and of course lots of snapper. Saw dolphins on the boat ride on the way out to Gladden Spit.
Regards
Ralph

 

[heehee62]

Whale sharks are back!!!!! Today a 20 footer swam right between the snorkelers and the divers! The snorkelers follow the divers bubbles as the whale sharks are drawn to the bubbles which they think is part of the snapper spawn.
Also saw bull sharks and silky sharks and of course lots of snapper. Saw dolphins on the boat ride on the way out to Gladden Spit.
Regards
Ralph

I actually posted this question for my cousin since he didn't have a scubaforum account. He said he tried Splash after speaking with me but you guys were booked up for the whale sharks (at least during the May days he was hoping for).

Avadon was booked up too. Oh well, that's what he gets for booking last minute I guess. Lesson for people wanting to see whale sharks in May - book in advance. Especially for the islands closer to the whale sharks like Thatch Caye - those seem to book up WAY in advance during peak whale shark season.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Today both Splash boats saw whale sharks!!!!! Divers on one of our boats saw a 20 footer in the morning and a 17 footer in the afternoon plus saw 2 bull sharks. During the surface interval they jumped into the water with dolphins and saw a lemon shark. The divers on the second boat saw a 20 to 25 foot whale shark and the bull sharks and a huge ray when they pulled up inside the reef for the surface interval. Both boats saw really big turtles during the surface interval fighting over chicken bones and both boats saw dolphins.