It took about an hour and a half to get to Gladden Spit. It was pretty bumpy, especially the first couple of days. It was pretty windy in the city too. It could be just March weather. One of the days, it was too rough to go to Gladden Spit which was where we saw the highest waves. They took us to Laughing Bird Caye for some reef diving.
When you go to Gladden Spit, you are there for two tank dives to look for the whale sharks. You check in with the rangers at a very pretty reef that you go back to for lunch. It is calmer there and there is some great snorkeling.
Then Captain cruises around looking for schools of fish and you jump in. One day we didn’t see anything at all, just the deep blue sea and some hint of a wall. Visability wasn’t great because of the rough seas.
One day we caught a glimpse of a hammerhead, which is rare. We saw some bull sharks and reef sharks and lots of dolphins. When you see the thousands of snapper, it is impressive. We also saw other schools, including the horse-eyed jack.
I heard different theories about the full moon while I was there. After getting there, I heard it was better after the full moon rather than the 2 days before and after. Then, as it got later in the week, I even heard the sightings were better as it approached the waning quarter. You’ll see when you get there. The one thing they said was certain, if the cubera snapper were spawning, then the whale sharks would show up.
I hope you don’t have to go through any of this, that they are just there when you get there. They say if you see them it makes it all worthwhile. Please report when you get back. I’d like to get a better idea of the odds in case I decide to go back.