Recently Viewed
Whale Shark Snorkeling: Yucatan's Gentle Giants
4.5
896 Ratings
Cancún
Embark on an eco-friendly small-group tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya to encounter majestic whale sharks. Snorkel with these gentle giants and spot dolphins, manta rays, and turtles.
Embark on an eco-friendly small-group tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya to encounter majestic whale sharks. Snorkel with these gentle giants and spot dolphins, manta rays, and turtles.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Puerto Xtabay | Marina & Cantina de Mar - Attend an enlightening session at Marina Xtabay, where expert guides will provide captivating information about whale sharks and the region’s distinctive ecosystems. Discover more about these gentle giants and their natural environment before embarking on your adventure.
- Playa Norte - Savor a…
- Puerto Xtabay | Marina & Cantina de Mar - Attend an enlightening session at Marina Xtabay, where expert guides will provide captivating information about whale sharks and the region’s distinctive ecosystems. Discover more about these gentle giants and their natural environment before embarking on your adventure.
- Playa Norte - Savor a delightful lunch onboard, just off the coast of Isla Mujeres—renowned for having one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, as acknowledged by Condé Nast in 2013. Take the opportunity to swim and unwind in the crystal-clear turquoise waters of this tropical haven.
What's Included
- Bilingual naturalist guide
- Water and soft drinks
- Use of snorkeling equipment (life jacket, visor, fins, snorkel)
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Lunch
- Bilingual naturalist guide
- Water and soft drinks
- Use of snorkeling equipment (life jacket, visor, fins, snorkel)
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Lunch
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal expenses
- ENVIRONMENTAL TAX AND DOCK USE $20.00 USD IN CASH PER PERSON PAYABLE THE DAY OF YOUR TOUR
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal expenses
- ENVIRONMENTAL TAX AND DOCK USE $20.00 USD IN CASH PER PERSON PAYABLE THE DAY OF YOUR TOUR
Additional Information
Join us on this exciting journey where Mexico’s friendly whale sharks await your presence! With our professional guidance, you will sail in the Gulf of Mexico to meet the largest of fishes and possibly encounter dolphins, manta rays, and turtles during this intimate snorkeling escapade off the Yucatan coast.
*PLEASE NOTE: OUR PRIVATE WHALE SHARK TOUR IS…
Join us on this exciting journey where Mexico’s friendly whale sharks await your presence! With our professional guidance, you will sail in the Gulf of Mexico to meet the largest of fishes and possibly encounter dolphins, manta rays, and turtles during this intimate snorkeling escapade off the Yucatan coast.
*PLEASE NOTE: OUR PRIVATE WHALE SHARK TOUR IS AVAILABLE EVERY DAY (EXCLUDING THE 30TH OF EACH MONTH).
- Minimum age is 5 years
- This tour requires a minimum number of passengers to operate. There is a possibility that the tour may be canceled after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be provided the option to take the tour on an alternative date or be refunded in full.
- We only permit Mineral sunscreen.
- We recommended to ask your doctor if you can take seasickness pills before your tour.
- Whale Shark ‘No Sighting’ Guarantee: Unfortunately, we can never 100% guarantee a wildlife sighting. But we can guarantee to do everything we can on the day to maximise your chances of swimming with a whale shark.
Location
Puerto Xtabay | Marina & Cantina de Mar
Carretera a Punta Sam
Carretera Puerto Juárez, Carr. a Punta Sam Supermanzana 84, 77500 Cancún, Q.R. "Marina Xtabay"
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(896 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Kimberly_r
Jul 17, 2025
Whale Sharks - The pick up was prompt, the marina was only a quick 20 minute drive. We were offered 2 options for safety based our swimming level. We could use a wet suit (not included) or a life jacket. Being a very good swimmer (swim team for 15yrs) and very confident ocean swimmer I choose the wet suit. That was a good call, it would have been very difficult to swim with the whale sharks in a life jacket. I was able to keep pace with them for a good amount of time in the life jacket. We set out in a very clean and well kept boat. The captain was knowledgeable and safe. The ocean was calm and the ride out enjoyable. We reached the whale sharks as expected and were able to jump in and swim right along side them in pairs. It was an amazing experience!! The lunch provided was simple but delicious. We were back at the Hotel early afternoon. I highly recommend this experience for people who can swim decently and love encountering sea life in its element.
Review provided by Viator
Katherineb
Jul 16, 2025
Yay team Naara - Naara and her team were amazing! They made sure everyone got to be in the water and got wonderful footage.
Review provided by Viator
Brianbn1835eb
Jul 16, 2025
Do this for yourself, you will be happy! - Once in a lifetime experience that we were very lucky to participate in. Nara and her team were wonderful to us and the entire group, always focused on our safety and enjoyment. The fresh ceviche and guacamole were also delightful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F8998sxmelissac
Jul 15, 2025
Surreal experience - WOW !! What an amazing experience. Victor from Eco Color tours and his crew were incredible. Would definitely give this a 10/10 . On our way to where the whale sharks were located we saw a sea turtle, dolphins were swimming with the boat . Couldn’t have been a better day .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thomas_k
Jul 15, 2025
Swim fast and enjoy! - You have a lot of fun but you are only swimming with the whale sharks for a short time. Be sure to kick your feet as fast as you can to keep pace with the shark!
Review provided by Viator
Christina_m
Jul 14, 2025
Once in a lifetime experience - Overall an amazing experience Fully communicated everything we needed to know prior.. The transportation they provided was punctual and friendly. Our tour guide for the excursion, Naare, the captain and the snorkel
guide were fantastic and was able to find a large group of whale sharks to snorkel with. The fresh guacamole and ceviche tasted delicious. Couldn’t have had a better day! I would highly recommend following the suggestion of either Dramamine patch or pill prior as others became a bit sea sick.
Review provided by Viator
Coople
Jul 12, 2025
Amazing experience - An amazing experience! We were lucky to get a day with plenty of whale sharks and the team were fantastic at keeping us away from lots of other boats but still giving us the best experience with the sharks.
Our guide, Arturo, was excellent! Really knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make sure we were having a great trip.
After our swim with the sharks, we were offered refreshments and sandwiches, before we made our way back towards Cancun and stopped at Isla Mujeres’ North Beach for a swim followed by guacamole and fresh ceviche.
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip this morning - thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zoannb2020
Jul 12, 2025
Unforgettable experience - This was an unforgettable experience. Seeing the whale sharks up close like this and just being a part of their world was so amazing. Francisco was an informative guide with such a passion for the icean and whale sharks. Miguel the Capitan and the sailor Ivan went abive and beyond to be so helpful. I appreciated all of their kindness so much. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone and especially this crew cause they were unfirgettable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jonathanaryais
Jul 13, 2025
Swimming with whale sharks - once in a lifetime - My wife and I love wildlife, and when we found out that Cancun is a hot spot for whale sharks, we jumped at the chance. It was totally worth it. I'm attaching a photo of the shark that we swam with.
One thing to know: you have to be in at least moderately good physical condition in order to do this, because you have to swim as fast as you can in order to keep up with the shark.
The only reason why I'm giving this trip 4 stars and not 5 is because my wife and I are vegetarian, and we didn't care for the vegetarian lunch sandwich. But I enjoyed some tortilla chips, and my wife enjoyed the guacamole.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sabilalena
Jul 12, 2025
4 out of 5 - The whale shark tour was a special experience overall. Our guide Omar was very dedicated, explained a lot to us and guided the group well. You could tell that he really tried to give us an unforgettable experience. On the way we could even see dolphins, which was a nice bonus.
It was also particularly positive that attention was paid to the welfare of whale sharks. There was no feeding and no harmful sunscreens were allowed. This has given a good feeling to be on the road with respect for the animals.
After swimming with the whale sharks we went to Isla Mujeres. There we could swim briefly in shallow water while on board fresh ceviche and guacamole were prepared. Both were very delicious. The water was fantastic with white sand but not suitable for snorkeling.
There were two dives per pair, each lasting about five minutes. Even though time was short, it was spectacular to see the whale sharks up close.
The only downside was the GoPro videos offered for $85, which is out of proportion to the short recording time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
More activities from this operator
