- Pick up and drop off at your hotel with air-conditioned transportation
- Experienced certified private guide all day long
- Marine park bracelets
- High quality snorkeling gear
- Light breakfast & cool drinks in the van
- Lunch and soft drinks on the boat
YOUR OWN PRIVATE ADVENTURE
Swim with Whale Sharks
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
The details of your private day.
Private Swim with Whale Sharks Tour
Each summer from June to mid-September, the Swim with Whale Sharks Tour should not be missed if you love the ocean, and snorkeling! As a unique, once in a life time experience, Mexico offers one of the biggest concentration of whale sharks in the world.
In case you don’t know much about this fascinating species, whale sharks are the largest known fish species in the world! You will become engulfed in the phrase, “You’re a small fish in a big ocean!” These majestic creatures generally live in tropical oceans, and are thought to live up to 70 years. While the thought of swimming with a shark whose average length is over 9 m (29.5 ft) may be terrifying, these gentle giants are actually harmless to humans. They primarily eat plankton.
Our tour is designed for experienced snorkelers, and begins by climbing aboard a boat to head into the water. Our guides will find the perfect spot to swim with whale sharks. All snorkeling equipment is included, even wetsuits. Once we’ve reached the right spot, your professional certified guide will let you jump into the water in pairs in order to swim with these fascinating creatures. It is a truly memorable experience that will last a lifetime. There’s no need to worry about anything since your highly trained guide will be there to ensure everyone’s safety.
If you’re lucky enough we might encounter manta rays in the area! Also, sometimes we can observe dolphins swim by the boat!
Then, we’ll direct the boat towards nearby Isla Mujeres, and stop at Playa Norte. There, you’ll have a freshly prepared lunch with ceviche, guacamole, fruit, sandwiches, and drinks, prepared by the crew!
We can’t imagine a better way to spend an entire day enjoying the natural wonders of the Riviera Maya.
Price includes
- Pick up and drop off at your hotel with air-conditioned transportation
- Experienced certified private guide all day long
- Marine park bracelets
- High quality snorkeling gear (fins, mask, snorkel, wetsuits, mandatory life jackets)
- Light breakfast in the van
- Cool drinks in the van (waters, soda)
- Lunch on the boat
Price excludes
- Tips for the crew and guide
General info
- Duration:
- 8/9 hours
- Physicality:
- Medium
- Age:
- 8+
- Snorkeling:
- Advanced swimming skills required. Not for beginner snorkelers.
- Tour is not available for pregnant women or people with back problems, as the boat ride can be quite bumpy.
Absolute Adventure is committed to follow the Whale Sharks regulation
from the Environment Agency of Mexico (SEMARNAT Acronym in Spanish),
which is designed for a better protection of the species and for a
healthy environment for the people involved in the activity.
Some of the key points are:
- If less than 5 whale sharks are in the area, it is forbidden to swim with the whale sharks, but you could still see/watch them from the boat.
- With more than 5 whale sharks, people can go to snorkel by pair with a certified guide. Just 2 people per guide are allowed in the water at the same time.
- It’s strictly banned to touch or chase any whale sharks.
- Distance allowed is 15 feet from the whale sharks.
- Photos are permitted but flash is not allowed.
- Only biodegradable sunblock is approved.
- The use of a life jacket, snorkel, mask and fins is mandatory.
- Alcohol is not permitted on the boats.
Here are more details about the whale sharks regulation.
Want to know more about Whale Sharks? Check out our blog article!
Itinerary
Our tours are scheduled at the best hours to get the most of the Whale Sharks.
06:00am: Transportation from your hotel to Punta Sam
07:00am – 11:00am: Snorkeling with Whale Sharks
11:00am – 01:30pm: Isla Mujeres beach time and lunch on the boat
01:30pm – 02:30pm: Transportation to your hotel
Itinerary is based on a departure from Playa del Carmen.
Pick up time from your hotel will be send to you few days before your tour.
What to bring
- Beach Towels
- Swimsuit (We recommend wearing it in the morning and feel free to change after snorkeling activities)
- Flip flops or sandals
- Hat and sunglasses
- Sunscreen and we recommend wearing a rash-guard/UV-Shirt for water activities*
- Camera/Underwater camera/Waterproof case for your phone
- Cash (for tour payment, tips, souvenirs…)
FROM OUR GUESTS
A day worth remembering.
5.00/5 · 19 tour reviews
Showing reviews 10–18 of 19
We are a family of seven and this was the highlight of our trip. We stayed five days in Cancun! Claire was right in top of working with us! Our guide Juan was amazing!! He was full of information, welcomed us with a smile, and we had so much fun with him!
Johana · Aug 2016
It was amazing! We encountered many whale sharks we had the opportunity to swim for as much time as we wanted. Absolute Adventure was well organized and took us to less crowed places when necessary. Our boat captain also prepared us ceviche and guacamole!
Rob · Aug 2016
Wonderful experience! My group saw tons of whale Sharks! Thank you Juan for guiding us.
Lillian · Jul 2016
This was the best part of our trip to Playa del Carmen. Juan was our tour guide and was extremely knowledgeable about whale sharks and made the tour a blast. They provided everything you need for the trip including Snorkeling instructions I had not received before.
Chris · Jun 2016
If you want an experienced and knowledgable guide to the whale sharks book with Absolute Adventure. The crew respects the Whale Sharks and made us feel safe in the water. They also made sure we all used the biodegradeable sunscreen.
Jeff · Jun 2016
It was such a great snorkeling day with Whale Sharks! It was well organized and we had time to swim before all boats arrived! We all loved it! I highly recommend Absolute Adventure
Denise · Jun 2016
We had a big group of 9. Our guide Juan was so considerate and accommodating for our group especially for our children ranging from 8 to 13 years old. Lunch was delicious.Thank you.
Helen · Jun 2016
Claire was very helpful, answering all my questions before the tour. The tour was great, top notch organization. Guides were knowledgeable, friendly and made sure we were safe during the experience.
Emma · Jun 2016
It's one of those trip for the bucket list! Great new experience! I can't wait to go back and do this again! Friendly people too.
Joe · Sep 2015
Come explore the Riviera Maya with us.
Private adventures, thoughtfully planned by our local team.