Whale Sharks

Tulum Tours

Join us for this amazing once in a lifetime experience!

Every summer, whale sharks migrate to the pristine coastal waters of Isla Holbox to feed on the summer plankton bloom, forming for a few months only, the biggest school of whale sharks on earth! 
We’ll take you to see these gentle giants and you can snorkel and swim with them too!
Don’t worry, whale sharks are harmless – they don’t even have teeth.  They only eat plankton!

  • Season: May 20 - Sept. 20
  • Duration: ~10 Hours
  • Age: 7 and Up
  • Food & Drinks: Light Breakfast, Caribbean Lunch, Drinks & Beer!
  • Boat Capacity: Park Rules Allow for 10 Passengers Max.
  • Money Back Guarantee: Don't See Whale Sharks? You Don't Pay!
Whale shark tour boat

The Whale Shark Tour

The whale sharks can only be seen in the area of Holbox-Isla Mujeres, so you will need to travel to the Cancun Marina to take a boat from there.

We will be picking you up at your Tulum hotel around 6:10 AM, in a comfortable tour van with A/C, our tour guide will introduce you to the activity with a full briefing about the biology and behaviour of the whale sharks and explain how to safely swim with the whale sharks.

At our arrival to the marina in Cancun, you will have time to enjoy a light breakfast and get ready for the trip.

Once whale sharks are spotted, we will start with the snorkeling.
We’ll do something called – Snorkel Rounds: 2 guests and one guide per rounds. We swim slowly, smoothly, calmly and at a safe distance. Remember that we only are guests in the ocean, so watch and enjoy these amazing creatures but with great respect for them and their natural behaviour. Dolphins, Devil Rays, False Orcas and Manta Rays are frequently seen around the whales sharks, feeding on the same plankton patch!

After the swimming with the whale sharks, on our way to a snorkeling site near Isla Mujeres, we’ll serve you sandwiches, water and drinks so you have plenty of energy for the snorkeling tour on Isla Mujeres’ amazing reefs.

Then onto Cancun and a relaxing time on the beaches of Playa Norte. A Caribbean lunch & beer will be served.
We will return to the Cancun marina around 3:30 PM.

Transportation will be waiting to take you back to your Tulum hotel, where you can share the experience with you family and friends!

Swim with Whale Sharks

From Tulum
$199
$ 169
99
Per Person
  • Food & Drinks
  • Complete Snorkel Gear
Book Now !
Cash Price

What's Included:

  • Friendly, Knowledgeable and Safety-Minded Tour Guides.
  • Full Briefing on the Whale Shark Biology, Behaviour and Safe Diving Practices.
  • Snorkel Vest.
  • Fins, Mask and Snorkel.
  • Light Breakfast at the Cancun Marina.
  • Snacks & Drinks During the Tour.
  • Caribbean Lunch & Beer on the Playa Norte Beach.
  • Return Transportation from your Tulum Hotel to the Cancun Marina.

What's Not Included:

What Should You Bring:

  • Swimsuit, Hat, Sunglasses, Towels
  • Rashguard Shirts & Wetsuits are Preferred to Sunscreen*
  • Reef Safe Biodegradable Sunscreen*
  • Change of Clothes
  • Extra Money
Whale Shark

Whale Shark Frequently Asked Questions

Whale sharks are the largest shark and the largest fish on planet Earth. They feed on plankton and travel large distances to find enough food to sustain their huge size, and to reproduce. Whale sharks are found in all the tropical oceans of the world. Their white spotted colouration makes these gentle giants easy to distinguish, and popular with snorkelers around the Islands of Holbox and Isla Mujeres, where they flock each year, from May to September, to form the biggest whale shark congregation in the world.

The maximum size of whale sharks is not known, but could be as large as 60 feet. Females give birth to live young but this has never been observed. Whale Sharks are often found feeding at the surface, but may dive to 3500 feet. Whale sharks are protected from fishing in many countries these days, but are in decline in some areas.

Whale Sharks eat tiny plankton and small fish. Humans are not on their diet.
When you first see the whale shark swimming towards you with its huge mouth wide open you will feel intimidated or frightened. The mouth can sometimes be as wide as 6 feet, but the throat itself is actually about the size of a US Quarter coin.

Whale sharks are identifiable by their white dots, it’s their fingerprint. You can track whale sharks by taking a photo of the area around their left gills. Go to www.whaleshark.org  and match your photo to their database to find out the shark’s name and whereabouts!

 

Swimming with the whale sharks will be done by groups of 2 people accompanied by a certified guide at all times. Once in the water with the whale sharks, you must respect the following rules:

*No application of any sunscreen before swimming with the whale sharks.
*It is forbidden to swim with the whale sharks without a snorkel jacket.
*Swimmers must remain at least 6 feet from the whale shark and you are not allowed to touch or grab on to it.
*Do not interfere with the movements of the whale shark by putting yourself in front of him.
*Do not make sudden moves in the water when you are close to the whale shark.

Whale sharks feed upwards of 8 hours per day, filtering thousands and thousands of gallons of surface water. We are advocates of protecting animals in the ocean and would like to see everyone wearing protective clothing rather than sunscreens.

If absolutely necessary, the only sunscreen we recommend for people to use is a bio degradeable, reef safe sunscreen and to apply it sparingly before you leave the Cancun Marina and after the snorkeling tour on the Isla Mujeres Reefs. The boat is covered with plenty of shaded areas.

The use of sun protection clothing is still the best option when being out in the sun, hat, long sleeve shirt rashguard to save the whale sharks and the other reef inhabitants.

We thank you for your help and understanding!