Everything You Need to Know About Shark Encounters in the Bay Islands
- Gabriela Ochoa
- 16 hours ago
- 4 min read
Where can you swim with sharks? When and where are prime spots to see them? When is whale shark season? These questions often appear in Roatán travel groups. Sharks are undeniably fascinating, and I always hope to see them whenever I dive or snorkel.
Many people associate the island of Utila with whale sharks, which used to be regular visitors there. However, over the years, the number of sightings has drastically decreased. It’s important to note that this was never a shark aggregation site, like, for example, Holbox in Mexico or Gladden Spit in Belize. According to a 2013 paper, whale shark presence at Utila was already low and highly transient, with individuals occurring year-round but peaking in March and April (Fox 2013). These sightings were driven more by opportunistic tuna-associated feeding events (what locals call tuna boils) than by strong seasonal aggregation patterns.
A total of 479 whale shark sightings were recorded between 1999 and 2011 (13 years), only 95 unique individuals were identified, indicating that many sightings likely represent repeated encounters with the same sharks. Of those sightings, 78% of individuals were observed in only a single year, highlighting the population's highly transient nature. In 2025, according to our citizen science data, there were only 11 sightings of whale sharks, with only one in Utila, nine in Roatan, and one in the Seamounts (Roatan Banks). This data is based solely on reports; it's likely there were more encounters that weren't reported. The takeaway is that there is really no whale shark season, and the chance of you encountering one is very rare.
The only way to see sharks consistently in the Bay Islands is through the two shark-provisioning sites in Roatán. Shark provisioning is the practice of providing food (bait) to attract sharks for human interaction, typically for tourism purposes. In Roatan, there is a dive encounter with reef sharks and a snorkel experience with nurse sharks in Pigeon Cay, both encounters feed sharks. There is plenty of debate over whether this is good practice; there is very little research on shark or ray provisioning. What we do know is that feeding sharks certainly affects their behavior, and they do become habituated to boats and humans (Jackson 2020).
Sharks at these sites are certainly more inquisitive, less shy and will get very close to you. Nurse sharks are nocturnal and sedentary, so they become more active during the day. They do gather in larger numbers; for example, during the shark dive, you might be diving with 10-15 sharks on a good day. For reef sharks, they do become familiar with the feeding schedule, and routine of the dive. Aggregating in such numbers can increase aggression and parasite load for some species. While this can create more predictable and closer encounters, it is not a truly natural experience. You can learn more on what to expect from the shark dive here.
On the flip side, when done responsibly and with an educational component, shark provisioning offers an opportunity to see sharks and rays up close. For many, this might be the first time they've seen a shark, and I have seen firsthand how fear can turn to admiration in a few minutes. These encounters can turn into large-scale tourism industries, generating significant revenue for coastal communities and helping keep sharks alive and out of people’s plates. From a research perspective, there is still much to learn from these provisioning sites, which can provide scientists with access to elusive species that are hard to study.
In my opinion, though, nothing beats a chance encounter with a shark in the wild. You will likely encounter nurse sharks frequently, especially in Guanaja, the east end of Roatan, and Utila. I was in Guanaja, snorkeling last year in a shallow reef. Of course, everyone was already on the boat, and I was the last one in the water. I quickly saw a shadow pass by me, and I stopped immediately. A few seconds later, I was face-to-snout with a beautiful lemon shark! There is something so magical about looking into the eyes of a shark and realizing you are in the presence of a sentient being that is aware of you, just as curious as you are of it.
If you do choose to participate in any provisioning encounter, please make sure you book with a reputable tour operator who will not overfeed the sharks, will not allow touching, will respect the sharks, and will offer you some insights and education on these beautiful creatures. If you see a shark by chance, make sure to report it on our citizen science forms!
References:
Fox, S., Foisy, I., De La Parra Venegas, R., Galván Pastoriza, B. E., Graham, R. T., Hoffmayer, E. R., Holmberg, J., & Pierce, S. J. (2013). Population structure and residency of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) at Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras. Journal of Fish Biology, 83(3), 574–587. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.12195
Jackson, C. M. (2020). To feed or not to feed: Examining the effects of provisioning tourism on nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) at Caye Caulker, Belize (Master’s thesis, Nova Southeastern University).
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