jasonjue.com | home | itinerary | photo albums | movies next >>  Searching for whale sharks in blue water Skip to:  Day 1 - 04.22  Day 2 - 04.23    Dangriga    Dangriga to Isla Marisol    Kayaks to snorkeling    Evening at the bar  Day 3 - 04.24    Dive 1 at Glover's Reef    Dive 2 at Glover's Reef    Around Isla Marisol    Dive 3 at Glover's Reef    Evening on Isla Marisol  Day 4 - 04.25    Dive 4 at Glover's Reef    Dive 5 at Glover's Reef    Evening at Isla Marisol    Night dive  Day 5 - 04.26    Dive at Gladden's Split  Day 6 - 04.27    Leaving Isla Marisol    Caves Branch  Day 7 - 04.28    Hiking in jungle    300 ft repel    Hike to Actun Loch Tunich    Getting water in the cave  Day 8 - 04.29    Hiking around cave    Getting out of the jungle  Day 9 - 04.30    Gladden's Spit - Dive 1    Gladden's Spit - Dive 2  Day 10 - 05.01    The drive to San Ignacio    Caracol ruins    Leaving Caracol  Day 11 - 05.02    Roaming San Ignacio    Arriving in Los Angeles Day 5 We did an early morning local dive before taking the boat out to Gladden's Spit in search of whale sharks. During that dive, we encountered lobster, a small spotted drumfish, and tiny pico-pico jellyfish. Chad had us swim through a small tunnel which was really fun to do. Bouyancy test! By 11am, we were setup and ready to depart for Gladden's Spit; one of the few locations where whale sharks migrate to around the full moon during this time of the year. The boat ride was a longer, more bumpy ride than previous ones. We got pretty excited just before our first dive because a group of snorkelers told us they swam with a group of dolphins and our captain Johnny Jackson thought he saw some whale sharks in the water. Excited, we geared up and jumped in. Whale sharks migrate to Gladden's because they feed on the spawning of the snappers. Our plan was to spot the snappers then go there and wait for the whale sharks. It's easy to get disoriented because the seafloor was over 100 feet below us and we're surrounded by nothing but blue water. The only life we saw was a school of jacks. A somewhat boring dive if you don't see whale sharks. After the dive, we rested in a shallow area where we snorkeled. Dave, a very experienced diver jumped in the water with his mask and snorkel and took a nap! Our second dive was even less eventful than our first. I don't think I saw one fish. A bit disappointed, we headed back to Isla Marisol, ate dinner, and hung out with Zoe at the bar. See the colors... Copyright © 2005, Jason Jue