Belize, Bay Islands, and Bull sharks

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duppy_conquerer

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Hello,

Going to Central america for three months in the summer (June, July, August). Will be Training Up to MSDT for the first two months, after which I plan on travelling around belize for about a month.

Basically, I've dreamt of swimming with Bull sharks since long before I was diving, and wondering if there is anywhere around this area where I might have a good chance of seeing them?

Thanks!
 
We've never seen one off Roatan or Utila. There's almost no sharks seen off Roatan except for at the paid feed. Mostly what we saw off Utila were infrequent reef sharks and Whale Sharks in Spring. We don't exactly look for them but I'd know one if I saw it - I've seen a few in the southern Bahamas.

Seems like Belize is your best option:
The Bull shark is the most abundant in sub-tropical to tropical coastal waters of South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius, Myanmar, the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Costa Rica and the Bahamas. The Bull Sharks are most common in shallow waters in lagoons, bays and beaches along and are usually found in waters no deeper than 30 meters.
from: ^ Life of Bull Shark | Life of Sea

I've read they're seen in the Blue Hole but often several hundred feet down. Sapodilla Cays in south Belize seems like another option with frequent sightings. Some areas are pretty shallow so might be a good option for closer encounters. Both Splash Belize and Seahorse Divers in the Placencia area nearby mention it on their websites:
Even if no whale shark are seen, the dives at Gladden Split can be quite exciting...We are frequently visited by Dolphins that feed on the fishes, as well as other sharks (Caribbean Reef Sharks, Bull Sharks, or Hammerhead Sharks...

Google "Bull Sharks in Belize" for more info.
 
You can seem the with probably a 99% guarantee off Playa Del Carmen in Mexico during the winter months. There is a bull shark dive site there they have been doing for the last few years.
 
Hello,

Going to Central america for three months in the summer (June, July, August). Will be Training Up to MSDT for the first two months, after which I plan on travelling around belize for about a month.

Basically, I've dreamt of swimming with Bull sharks since long before I was diving, and wondering if there is anywhere around this area where I might have a good chance of seeing them?

Thanks!

Depending on how mobile you are, I would recommend you investigate diving with Bull Sharks on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. We stayed in the Guanacaste area several years ago, and booked a dive trip to the Bat Islands, and dove a site known as the Big Scare/Black Rock. It was a long way out there, but well worth the effort.

BullShark-1_zpse4e16510.jpg
 
Awww nice! Costa Rica sounds incredible. Might look into actually doing my divemasters there! Apparently there's not much in the way of coral etc but tbh after similans and the great barrier reef I wouldn't mind the change of scene.

Would you recommend the dive company you went with?
 
Awww nice! Costa Rica sounds incredible. Might look into actually doing my divemasters there! Apparently there's not much in the way of coral etc but tbh after similans and the great barrier reef I wouldn't mind the change of scene.

Would you recommend the dive company you went with?

As we were staying at what is now the Hilton Papagayo at the time, we dove with the on-site, Resort Divers. On the day we were scheduled for the Bull Sharks (they require a minimum of four divers for the trip), the other couple cancelled at the last minute, but after some brief negotiation (and exchange of legal tender), they agreed to take just my wife and I. Has to be one of the best dive days we have ever experienced, three tanks, lunch on the boat, Bull Sharks; it just don't get any better than that.
 
Sounds pretty sweet - already found a potential place to Do my DM there, and flights are cheaper too!
 
We had a couple of Bull sharks visit us while diving in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen in March a couple of years ago.....Really Cool!
 

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