Utila – searching for whale sharks
26 April 2017 | Utila Dive Company - kill only time; take only memories; leave only bubbles:
Image:- various images from Utila
Wednesday 19th April - We set off from Roatan – just 15 miles to our 3rd and final Bay Island - Utila. Utila is the smallest of the Bay Islands, with just one harbour inside the reef suitable for yachts.
THE one thing that everything I have read on Utila is in agreement with - this is a mecca for scuba diving.
Our aim was to suss-out the possibilities of getting on a dive boat to see whales sharks. It is the right time of year, and yes they have been spotted in the area. After visiting a few of the dive companies we found we could do this adventure within our budget by simply going out with a dive boat just as snorkelers, and paying the boat captain/drive if he found the sharks. The rules here in Utila are that only 6 people at any one time can be in the water with the whale sharks and no diving with them is allowed.
We hope to be lucky – not like our hammerhead shark adventure in the Galapagos Islands when we went diving and did not see them.
We chose to go shark watching with Utila Dive Company at $20US each. UDC were the closest dive business to where the boat was anchored and were happy for us to leave our dingy safely at their dock.
Friday 21st April. – up early and off looking for whale sharks! We went out on the morning dive boat from Utila Diving Company. We chose for cost reasons to just snorkel whilst the others did their 1st & 2nd dives – the main reason for the trip was to swim with the whale sharks.
The 1st dive was on the eastern shore at Linda’s Wall – we saw lots and lots of blue/purple fans and the largest corals everywhere.
On the way north to the 2nd dive at Jack’s Bight the driver/boat captain had a sharp lookout - but did not spot any whale sharks!!- they saw them earlier in the week – just not in luck this morning. Disappointed we had a quiet afternoon and evening onboard.
Saturday 22nd April – Earth Day – we were invited to join the crew from Utila Diving Company on a shore clean-up outing in the early afternoon. It was interesting to be out with so many different ages of people from so many different countries – all here on little Utila to dive. Utila is known as THE place in Latin American to learn to dive – inexpensive and good quality dive schools and a full variety of courses available. It was a very hot afternoon beach combing for rubbish – and the marketing guys of UDC we making the most of the opportunity for photo opps and their amazing drone was taking video shots.
We were invited to the dive centre for their evening BBQ – a good chance to go out for an inexpensive evening meal and walk of the town with somewhere safe to leave the dingy. It was interesting chatting with some of the staff from the dive centre – they were interested in our adventures, and have made us very welcome indeed.
Sunday 23th April – We paid again to go out as snorkelers on the afternoon dive boat this time, looking for whale sharks.
The divers 1st dive was at Aquarium on the east side of the island. This dive boat had 6 divers doing various courses and 1 Aussie guy doing a specific 1 to 1 photography course. The snorkelling near to the shore was great – a wall and a few holes to swim through.
Whilst we were back onboard waiting for the divers our driver/boat captain was making phone and VHF contact with all the other dive boats in the area about where the sea birds, tuna schools and whales sharks had been seen – he was trying very hard for us.
When we were all back onboard the serious searching began – yes we found the birds and the tuna ‘boil’ but no whale sharks, and finally after an hour or so had to carry on with the diving.
The 2nd dive was on a sea mound – Black Hills. The water at Black Hills was SO clear - it was fun watching the photographers and swimming above their air bubbles , and watching the divers slowly circling around the mound. On our return to base the driver continued the whale shark search – but we were not in luck – the illusive whale sharks were not to be found!!