Sharks of Belize
Sharks of Belize – Whale Shark, Reef, Nurse and Bull Sharks
For many divers, seeing a shark in the wild is the highlight of a Caribbean dive—and Belize offers some of the best opportunities anywhere in the region. Its vibrant reefs and diverse marine habitats are home to nurse, caribbean reef, blacktip, lemon, and bull sharks, with the occasional scalloped hammerhead appearing in deeper waters. The legendary whale shark aggregation at Gladden Spit, from April through June, is one of the few places in the world where divers and snorkelers can encounter these gentle giants. Whether you’re exploring dramatic reef walls, colorful fore reefs, or the outer atolls, Belize’s healthy marine ecosystem makes shark encounters an unforgettable part of the diving experience.
Lemon Shark
Nurse shark
You can be almost certain of a close encounter with a nurse shark in Belize. In fact, you can expect a nurse shark to follow or even gently bump into you. Often, they hope you’ll feed them a lionfish — the only species divers can spearfish in scuba gear in Belize. This invasive species seriously threatens the reef and marine life, and currently divers are their only predator.
Splash encourages divers to sign up for lionfish hunting on one of our trips. However, at Splash we discourage feeding lionfish to sharks because it modifies natural fish behavior. Instead, we bring the lionfish back to shore, clean them, and let our guests take them to their resorts. Above all, lionfish seriously threaten the marine environment — but they are delicious.
Nurse sharks can be distinguished by the two barbels on the upper lip. These docile species shelter in ledges and caves among rocks and corals who feed on conch, lobster, crabs, and fish . Often they can be found lying on a sandy patch in a channel or a sandy patch surrounded by patch reef which are plentiful near Placencia. With our spur and groove reef formations our expert dive guides will take time to look for these on your scuba dives. Since nurse sharks mate multiple times with different partners, the same litter may have multiple fathers. Juvenile nurse sharks flourish in the abundant mangrove patches on the hundreds of secluded islets and islands off the Belize reefs where the thick root system provides protection from large predatory fish.
Blacktip Shark
Blacktip sharks have been seen making leaps out of the water to attack schools of small fish. They can easily be identified by the black tips on most of their fins are are often sighted off the walls and reefs around Placencia, Belize. Blacktip sharks are a coastal species rather than ocean going. They spend the first few months of their lives in shallow water and then migrate to deeper water, but most adults are found in water depths of less 100 feet/30 meters.
The reef shark, closely related to the blacktip shark, ranks as one of the most commonly seen sharks in the Belize waters and Caribbean Sea. It usually lives in shallow water on or around coral reefs and is at the drop-offs at the reefs’ outer edges. Reef sharks are usually found in water depths of less than 100 feet/30 meters and hunt more actively at night.
Whale Shark Belize — Gladden Spit
Perhaps of one the most impressive shark of Belize to see, snorkel and scuba dive with, is the whale shark. Until recent years, whale sharks traditionally visited Gladden Spit during the months of March to June to feed on the spawn of the cubera, mutton and dog snappers. Measuring up to 40 feet and weighing up to 15 tons, whale sharks are one of the largest fish of the ocean. Although huge in size, whale sharks are docile and curious. These gentle giants are always a real treat to see and swim with at Gladden Spit off the coast of Placencia, and please see our snorkeling and scuba dive section for the best dates to snorkel and swim with whale sharks. It is common to see other varieties of sharks at Gladden Spit during the spawning aggregation feeding on the snapper.
Bull sharks are also often encountered at Gladden Spit as they also come to feed on the spawn.
Hammerhead Sharks
The hammerhead always amazes scuba divers. Occasionally, you’ll see them during a stay in Placencia while diving the south of Belize. Hammerheads frequent the edge of the continental shelf in the Atlantic, and that shelf cuts into southern Belize near Placencia. No matter how many times you see one, the hammerhead shark’s peculiar head shape — known as the cephalofoil — never stops impressing.
Hammerheads have their eyes on the sides of their T-shaped head. This shape gives them lift while swimming so they can twist and turn easily as they chase prey. Hammerheads hunt near the sea floor for fish, octopus, squid, crabs, and lobster. Sensors on their head detect electric signals, helping them track their favorite prey — stingrays hiding under the sand.
Shark Diving in Belize
Every dive and snorkel adventure from Placencia offers the exciting possibility of encountering a shark in its natural habitat. Stretching the length of Belize’s coast, the Belize Barrier Reef is a vibrant underwater world where colorful coral gardens, sandy seafloors, dramatic reef walls, and thriving marine life create one of the Caribbean’s richest ecosystems. Protecting this extraordinary environment is central to everything we do. Our guides follow responsible wildlife viewing practices that ensure sharks and other marine life are observed with respect and without disturbance.e conservation, and its commitment to protecting sharks and their habitats helps ensure these magnificent animals continue to thrive for generations to come.
Before your dive, please review our diver snorkeler code of conduct to help us protect this incredible marine ecosystem. Ready to swim with sharks? Explore our dive and snorkel packages to book your trip.
