Whale Sharks in the Feb/March Time Frame?

I've been reading about Whale Sharks quite a bit, here and on the Net.

Is there any place to see, swim, photograph them in the late February or March time frame? It gets pretty cold up here in Alaska and am looking for a spot to warm up and also do so diving.

I see that off the Yucatan would be easy to get to, but that is during the summer.

Thanks so much ...

Is there any place to see, swim, photograph them in the late February or March time frame?

Utila.

High "season" is Feb-May, Peak season is Mar-Apr. We saw 6 over two days last March. We stayed at Deep Blue Utila, they're involved in several Whaleshark research programs including the EcoOcean ID program. For 4 weeks during Mar/Apr they bring in Whaleshark research experts and you get to participate. We participated in two photo id swims and one (unsuccessful) tissue sampling attempt during one of the peak weeks. Evenings were mostly spent in lectures/discussions. Note that it's snorkel only per Honduran rules. Steve Fox, Deep Blue's owner is really into Whaleshark research.

more info: http://www.deepblueutila.com/Whale_Sharks.htm

I second that suggestion. I spent six weeks on Utila in 2004, and February featured a lot of whale shark action. I got to swim with multiple sharks on at least four different days, and also got buzzed by one while diving at one of the north shore sites. The water is clear and warm, the diving is inexpensive, and the island is a fun place with a youthful atmosphere. You may also get to swim with dolphins.

Another option to consider is Donsol, in the Philippines. But snorkelling only, not scuba, and no flash photography. Anyway, because there's a lot of plankton not using a flash is not a biggie. Some more info here: http://tourism.albay.gov.ph/whale_sharks.html

Sodwana Bay, South Africa, and Umkomaas, South Africa

Maldives seems to be plenty of whale sharks this season at North Ari. At Gangehi laggon there are reports of dives with more than 15 whales sharks in one dive