Whale Shark Viewing

Whale Sharks? Yeah, we got ‘em!

For many years the local fishermen of Utila knew about a huge fish that swam around the shores of Utila- it was called “Old Tom”, the largest of fish, today we know it as the Whale Shark.

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest living fish in the sea, and can  grow to over 40 feet (12 meters).  The most common size seen in the waters surrounding Utila is between approximately 5m and 10m (18ft and 32ft), weighing around 15 – 20 tons.  Despite its large size, because the whale shark is a plankton eater /filter feeder, it poses absolutely no threat to humans.  An exact lifespan is unknown, but is etimated to be between 70 and 130 years.

Thanks Deep Blue for Contributing to This Page!

One of the reasons that Whale Sharks are such an draw on Utila is that its one of the few places in the world where a Whale Shark will frequently pass close to shore and can be seen year round.  Though Whale sharks are usually solitary, though it is not uncommon for 3 or more singular Whale Sharks to be sighted in a single day along the northern shores of Utila during “season”, where they make an annual migration.

WHALE SHARK DETAILS:

Distribution:
Whale sharks are found in all tropical and warm temperate seas with a range typically between latitudes 30°N and 35°S. They are known to inhabit both deep and shallow coastal waters and the lagoons of coral atolls and reefs, frequently in surface sea-water between 21 and 25°C.  (SEE PHOTO)

Taxonomy:
The whale shark was first described and named by Andrew Smith in 1828, based on a specimen harpooned in Table Bay, South Africa.

Habitat:
In contrast to most sharks from the same order (Orectolobiformes), which are benthic (live on or near the bottom) species, the whale shark is a pelagic (open sea) species. Studies reveal that this shark prefers warm waters, with surface temperature around 21-30º C, but will come close inshore, sometimes

Reproduction:
The reproductive habits of the whale shark are obscure, based on the capture of a female in July 1996 which was pregnant with 300 near term pups indicate that they are ovoviviparous, the eggs remain in the body and the females give live birth.

Baby Whale Shark

On March 7, 2009,  researchers in the Philippines discovered what is believed to be the smallest living specimen of the whale shark.  Measuring 15 inches (38 centimeters) in length, about the length of a man’s forearm, the young shark was found with its tail tied to a stake at a beach in Pilar, Philippines, and was thereafter freed and released into the wild. The incident also led the researchers to believe they may have pinpointed one of the possible birthing grounds of the whale shark.  For a video of this, see the youtube link here.

It is believed that whale sharks become sexually mature at about 25 yrs old

Diet:
The whale shark is a filter feeder, it feeds on plankton, Plankton is a broad term which covers a variety of microscopic organisms that float freely with oceanic currents and in other bodies of water. Plankton is made up of tiny plants (called phytoplankton) and tiny animals (called zooplankton).

Conservation and Protection:
The whale shark is listed as “Vulnerable” with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). They are protected under the CITES agreement and under Honduran law.

Research:
Very little is known about the whale shark despite being the largest fish in the sea, and Utila has been doing its best to find out more about them and their movements in this region.

Utila helped Honduras become the first country outside of Australia to use http://www.ecoocean.org This is a photo ID database for Whale Sharks, which was designed by Brad Norman, Jason Holmberg and Zaven Arzoumanian, this has now become the worldwide recognized database for Whale Sharks. As of March 2009 the database has over 18,000 photos of Whale Sharks collected, 6,800 Whale Shark reports, and over 1,600 data contributors and over 1,500 Whale Sharks tagged in the Database. The above impressive as it is, but even more so when you realize that until the mid 1980’s there were only approximately 350 official sightings of Whale Sharks in the world and Jacques Cousteau only ever saw 2 in his whole lifetime.

Utila also has been instrumental in the first Ecocean encounter that was seen in 3 countries Utila, Honduras, Belize and Mexico although this was in separate years last year we managed to spot the same shark in all 3 countries in the same year, by using information like this we are building up movement patterns. 

Other research that is being done on Utila is with Rachel Graham of MarineMegaNet. This is an acoustic array to be set  up in different places in the world, in this area we have receivers in Utila, Belize, Mexico and Cuba, some Whale Sharks have been acoustically tagged, and this method will provide information for years to come of the movements in this area.

Video:
One of the people that had documented more Whale Sharks than anyone on this island on video is Dan Cain, he has made a superb film about this and the trailer can be seen at the youtube link here.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

Why do whale sharks come to Utila?
We believe it is because of the topography of the island which pushes deep ocean currents up to the surface and because of fish spawning. The best answer is it’s all about food.

I have heard the full moon is the best time to see them – is it true?
In a lot of place round the world yes this is true, but in Utila we have found that we see just as many whale sharks at other times as well, it does not seem to make a difference here.

How do you see the Whale Sharks in Utila?
The boat captains look first for birds circling the ocean, then underneath this a ‘boil’ this is Blackfin Tuna jumping and feeding, usually they  will find the Whale Shark feeding in the boil.  Typically, it is easier to spot Whale Sharks on calm days than choppy days- the sharks are still there on the choppy days, its just harder to see the signs in the water!

To have a chance to see these magnificent creatures, and perhaps even have an opportunity for an “in-water” encounter,  talk to one of the many dive shops. It is standard during dive trips to the North side especially, for Captains to plan time to look for Whale Sharks.   If you want a more focussed or private tour, you can also organize a specific tour to try to find the whale sharks with one of the smaller boats and your private Captain.  Some shops and resorts, such as Deep Blue Resort / EcoOcean and Whale Shark Oceanic Research Center (WSORC) have dedicated Whale Shark programs

When is the best time of the year to see Whale Sharks?
Utila is the only place in the world where you have a chance of seeing them all year round.  That said, the main season is around of end of February, through March and April, and then again though in lesser amounts, around October, Novemenber and December.

In 2008 Utila became the only place in the world that has official records of seeing Whale Sharks in every month of the year!

If you would like to see all of Utila’s encounters that we reported with a GPS location you can download this file and it will open in Google Earth (LINK TO FILE IS COMING!)

What are the chances of seeing a Whale Shark if I come to Utila?
At certain times of the year there is slightly more chance than others but in 2008 we have documented sightings in every month of the year, we are the only place in the world that has this.

How big do Whale Sharks get?
There are official reports of up to 60ft many years ago but more commonly seen are between 18 and 32ft

Is the Whale Shark a Whale or a Shark?
It is a true shark; it is only called a Whale Shark because of its size

Are there rules for swimming with the Whale Sharks?
Yes, your boat captain should not disturb the Whale Sharks behavior; he should not drive his boat into the ‘boil’. There should be no more than 8 people at a time per boat in the water at a time, not including a guide, this is a dive shop agreement.

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For more information on Whale Sharks in Utila, take a look at at these  links below:

 -Presentation on Whale Sharks of Utila using EcoOcean Database

-Web page for Whale Shark Research with EcoOcean and Deep Blue Resort

-Meet the Whale Sharks of Utila (as identified by markings and photographs)

-Web page with information and photos on Whale Sharks from Utila Dive Center