swim with whale sharks

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Swimming with Whale Shark in Belize is our specialty adventure tour. In the protected areas of Gladden Spit, these enormous creatures gather for the seasonal feeding aggregation. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity and exciting experience.

We can guarantee you, that we will do our best to seek out a whale shark for during your tour. From Placencia, we leave for Gladden Spit (locally called “point of the reef”), this is the portion of the Belize Barrier Reef furthest from the mainland and almost turns to a right angle. This area is a spawning site for over 10 different species of fish, in March April, May, and June, huge schools of cubera and mutton snappers aggregate in this area to reproduce, spawn is fish eggs and guess what fish eggs attract? Yes, you got it whale sharks.

Early booking is highly recommended as limit spots available.

Included in your Whale shark TRIP

Park fees, Lunch, Water, Sodas or juice, Guide and dive Gears (Fins, Mask, Snorkel).

Please bring along: Sunscreen, towels and underwater cameras.

2020 season of Whale shark in Belize – Trips are done around these full moon dates.

March 8th to the 19th (Full Moon 9th)
April 6th to the 17th (Full Moon 7th)
May 6th to the 17th (Full Moon 7th)
June 6th to the 15th (Full Moon 5th)

These are the opportune time to see these gentle giants on one of our snorkeling tours.

Photo Gallery

whale shark in Belize

National Geographic “Secrets of Whale Shark Migration Revealed” list Belize as one of the important locations and aggregation sites. The area have seen an increase in visitors, underwater photographer and interested divers, all looking to see these majestic sharks.

Our Day at Gladden Spit Marine Reserve

Our days starts by heading out to Gladden Spit, once there, we wait for the park rangers give us the go ahead (only 6 boats are allowed in the immediate area at the same time). The Government had Regulated the visitation of boats in the area. Only a certified guide and captains may carryout tours at the location. Whale Sharks are on the endangered species so following guidelines is the key to survival of this important location.This is a blue water snorkel and offer a unique experience, you will sometimes be able to see the huge schools of fish waiting to spawn, also other species of sharks, manta rays other pelagic fish. Sometimes the whale sharks cruise on the surface some times in a few fee of water other times all the way down deep. Normally when we encounter the whale sharks they swim steadily in one direction and we are able to get up-close to the majestic beasts. But sometimes we only see them in the distance.The Beauty about it is that once the divers are down they wont move, for us being we are at the surface, we have fisherman fishing in the area so they can always sound the alarm when they see one and we can load up and move near to it. At time Scuba divers may also help in spotting these graceful creatures, as bubbles are released the sometimes raise from the depths to the waters surface.After our allotted hour and a half is over we will then head and have lunch relax and maybe snorkel some reef around the area until the ranger gives us our second OK to go out, and we do it over again. If the possibility is looking slim we will pick up and head off the reef some distance and look for tunas schooling up nearby, whale sharks often follow the schools of tuna if we get lucky and find a school of tuna our chances of seeing a whale shark increases.We will comb the reefs edge for awhile hoping for that school of tuna this will lead us down to turtle alley where if nothing else we will snorkel with some turtles rays and nurse sharks.

Whale Shark Trip from Placencia

Placencia Wildside Adventure has allotted one boat for this unforgettable experience with these inquisitive creatures. This boat is only allowed to have 12 passengers (limited slots) on board, advanced booking is highly recommend for those looking to go snorkeling and Swimming with While Shark in Belize.