Any tips for seeing whale sharks in Utila?
- Thread starter luk
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
lthomas132
Contributor
These guys are the best at finding whale sharks around Utila: Whale Shark & Oceanic Research Center WSORC. They are closely associated with BICD Bay Islands College of Diving - Dive Shop Utila. We stayed at Utila Lodge (also associated with BICD) in October next door to both. Great bunch of young people that really like what they do.
there are really no "best at finding whale sharks" on utila, every dive company sees them relatively equally. the skippers are the guys who find the whale sharks and they switch jobs from place to place relatively often, plus once a skipper does see a whale shark they radio everyone else and let them know where they are. so chances are, as long as your dive company goes to the north side every day (ask, before booking because some dive centers don't go to the north said everyday in order to save gas $$$) and if the weather is cooperating (must be dead calm to spot them, any white caps and its impossible), you will see them if they are feeding at the surface that week. the whale sharks follow the tuna (bonito) schools as they drive bait fish to the surface and the skippers look for the unusual movement of water at the surface (referred to as a boil or a roil) and the birds being attracted to it. you will then slip into the water and snorkel as the whale shark feeds on the bait fish just below the surface.
i've always had the best luck seeing them either the week before the full moon or the week after the full moon. although whale sharks are in utila waters all year round my best months for encounters have always been march, april, may, september and december/january. the key is to spend as many hours as possible out on the water to maximize your chances.
i've always had the best luck seeing them either the week before the full moon or the week after the full moon. although whale sharks are in utila waters all year round my best months for encounters have always been march, april, may, september and december/january. the key is to spend as many hours as possible out on the water to maximize your chances.
Doctorfish
Contributor
whale shark encounters on Utila are snorkel only, by the way.
We spent a week on Utila in April a few years ago but the weather never allowed us to go to the North side. Bummer.
trpplp
Registered
We are trying to make a last minute April vacation. We have debated Utila because we would love to snorkel with whale sharks. Does April bring weather that would make it less likely to be able to go to the North side, or is it just a random kind of thing?
keesmon
Contributor
i think it's Random. We took an April trip and they had been spotted until about a week before we got there.
We dove the north side every day.
They showed up about a week after we left again.
This was Island wide, not company specific.
Luck of the draw.
It's best to focus on the diving, and then treat the whale shark encounters as a very special treat.
We had a good week regardless.
This was in 2010
We dove the north side every day.
They showed up about a week after we left again.
This was Island wide, not company specific.
Luck of the draw.
It's best to focus on the diving, and then treat the whale shark encounters as a very special treat.
We had a good week regardless.
This was in 2010
we have been out snorkeling with whale sharks for 10 of the last 14 days. weather has been perfect for spotting them on Utila' Northside. lots of dolphins as well, must have been 100+ of them in a pod on saturday.
these shots were taken last week by my neighbor Brad
these shots were taken last week by my neighbor Brad
Agree 100% with what laurenceh posted, "These guys are the best at finding whale sharks around Utila", if the Whale sharks are around any operator that dives Northside is likely to find them. The question should be to choose a consistent North side operator that offers great diving/guides even if no Whale sharks are around, and also one that follows and respects the conservation guidelines/encounters.
Similar threads
