Seasonal· Gladden Spit· Other Caribbean
Gladden Spit Whale Shark Season
16° 32.0′ N · 87° 58.8′ W
For about ten days around each full moon from March to June, snappers mass to spawn at Gladden Spit, the elbow of the barrier reef 36 km off Placencia, and whale sharks arrive to feed on the eggs - the reason Placencia operators run whale-shark trips every spring.
Practical
Fishermen have gathered here since the 1920s; whale-shark feeding was confirmed with scientists in 1997 and the site declared a reserve in 2000-2001, co-managed by SEA (Southern Environmental Association) with the Fisheries Department; whale-shark tourism is regulated through guidelines set with a national working group (Wikipedia, VYA). Ventura Yacht Agency: best three days before and after the full moon; sightings not guaranteed. Go with a licensed Placencia operator. The spawning aggregation zone is a conservation zone. Position: OpenStreetMap Gladden Spit Spawning Aggregation area.
Best for
Swimming with whale sharks
Season
Mar-Jun, around the full moon
Nearby
- Lionfish Bar & Grill (Ray Caye)6.4 NM away
- Ray Caye Moorings (formerly Hatchet Caye)6.5 NM away
- Silk Cayes (Queen Cayes)6.7 NM away
- North Long Cocoa Caye Anchorage7.4 NM away
- Moho Caye Moorings11.1 NM away
- Southwest Caye Anchorage (Glover's Reef)13.5 NM away
- Laughing Bird Caye National Park13.7 NM away
- Whipray Caye (Wippari) Moorings13.9 NM away