Whale Sharks at Gladden Spit
Whale Sharks in Belize at Gladden Spit
Whale sharks in Belize gather each spring at Gladden Spit, the most easterly point of the Belize Barrier Reef. Specifically, this site forms part of the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve — a protected spawning aggregation zone. Each year, cubera, mutton, and dog snappers release tons of spawn here, which in turn attracts the ocean’s biggest fish.
Moreover, this spawning event follows the lunar calendar. It occurs between the full moon and the last quarter, from March through June. As a result, this specific window near Placencia in Southern Belize has become one of the world’s premier whale shark destinations.
Whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean and grow up to 60 feet (18 meters). However, despite their size, they’re gentle filter feeders that consume only plankton and fish spawn.
Trip Plan
This is a two-tank boat dive trip that includes an authentic Belizean-style picnic lunch during the surface interval.
In accordance with Belizean sustainable tourism practices, authorities allocate specific time slots for whale shark diving and snorkeling among licensed tour operators. As a result, our departure time from Placencia depends on the slot assigned. Additionally, the travel time from Placencia to Gladden Spit takes about one hour and thirty minutes.
Whale shark diving is blue-water diving, which means you won’t see the reef or the bottom as reference points. For that reason, we limit groups to a maximum of 4 divers per dive master to ensure safety. Moreover, this smaller group size also minimizes stress on the sharks.
Dive Sites
The wall here slopes down to 160 feet/50mt then drops off into the blue abyss. Diving is done in mid water at a depth no deeper than 80 feet/24mt in groups no larger than 12 divers with their dive masters. Special procedures are followed on this dive to ensure safety and to limit any harm that may be caused to the sharks.
