Rhincondon typus, the whale shark, is normally a rare site in the Caribbean. Many adventurers travel around the world to Australia or Thailand in the hope of seeing this most amazing of creatures. What most divers don’t realize is that the banks, which lie north of Utila are home to annual rendez-vous of the worlds biggest migratory fishes.

These massive fish, the worlds largest, grow to the incredible size of over 50ft in length. Old Tom, the largest whale shark frequenting the waters around Utila, is estimated to be 55ft long and has a mouth large enough for 3 men to stand upright inside! Imagine preparing to enter the water and seeing a shadow larger than your boat swimming towards you. It can be quite nerve racking, fortunately for divers, these massive fish are filter feeders and do not bother themselves when people swim close by.

Our captains take the time to look for signs of whale shark on every dive trip to the north side of the island to maximize your chances of swimming with one. Please note, whale sharks are seen year round but for the best chance of seeing one, we recommend timing your visit during the most active months of March/April/May and August/Sept/Oct.

If you would like a more private encounter with a whale shark, we can organize whale shark expeditions using one of our powerful speed boats and our experienced boat captains.

Please contact us if you would like to set up a special whale shark expedition.

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