Whale Shark Tour from Cancun and Playa Del Carmen | 7 hours

75 Reviews | Playa del Carmen
From $155.00 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 15 travelers in total.
Adult (8-70) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15
2
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Meeting point no hotel pickup
2 Adults x $155.00
$310.00
Approx Total
$310.00
From Puerto Morelos
2 Adults x $185.00
$370.00
Approx Total
$370.00
Pickup included
Pickup from Playa del Carmen
2 Adults x $185.00
$370.00
Approx Total
$370.00
Pickup and drop off from any hotel in Playa del Carmen Hotel
Meeting point no hotel pickup
2 Adults x $155.00
$310.00
Approx Total
$310.00
From Puerto Morelos
2 Adults x $185.00
$370.00
Approx Total
$370.00
Pickup included
Pickup from Playa del Carmen
2 Adults x $185.00
$370.00
Approx Total
$370.00
Pickup and drop off from any hotel in Playa del Carmen Hotel
Meeting point no hotel pickup
2 Adults x $155.00
$310.00
Approx Total
$310.00
From Puerto Morelos
2 Adults x $185.00
$370.00
Approx Total
$370.00
Pickup included
Pickup from Playa del Carmen
2 Adults x $185.00
$370.00
Approx Total
$370.00
Pickup and drop off from any hotel in Playa del Carmen Hotel
Meeting point no hotel pickup
2 Adults x $155.00
$310.00
Approx Total
$310.00
From Puerto Morelos
2 Adults x $185.00
$370.00
Approx Total
$370.00
Pickup included
Pickup from Playa del Carmen
2 Adults x $185.00
$370.00
Approx Total
$370.00
Pickup and drop off from any hotel in Playa del Carmen Hotel

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English, Spanish
  • Snorkeling gear
  • Lunch
  • Snacks
  • Water and soft drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (not included in without transportation option)
  • Bilingual Guide
  • Port & Protected Whale Shark Area Fees ($20 USD per person, cash payment at the port on your day)
  • Without transportation option does not include the pick-up and drop-off hotel

Overview

The whale shark snorkel tour in Cancun, Mexico is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to swim with the world's largest fish. Our experienced guides provide an intimate, eco-conscious experience that emphasizes the importance of conservation. With only small group tours, guests have an exclusive chance to observe and interact with these gentle giants in their natural habitat.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pick-up is available at Cancun, Playa del Carmen & Puerto Morelos, please add the hotel name to the reservation, and we will confirm the pickup time one day before tour day, provide a phone number where we can reach you by WhatsApp message. IMPORTANT: The port fee & whale shark natural ... protected area entrance are not included in the price, these federal fees must be paid in cash at the port, bring cash there is no ATM in the port. Read more â–Ľ

OR

Meeting points

77420 Punta Sam, Q.R., Mexico

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IMPORTANT: the port fee & whale shark natural protected area entrance are not included, you must pay per person at our stand in cash, there is no ATM in the port. **For the meeting point(no transportation) time is 7:30 AM at Punta Sam port.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

We start the pickup at your hotel, then we transfer you to Punta Sam and start the tour into the surrounding areas of Isla Contoy. Where the whale sharks arrive in huge amounts every year from May to September, a great opportunity to swim beside this harmless sharks. Once the activity is done you will visit "Playa Norte" at Isla Mujeres Island for the lunch of fresh fish ceviche and chicken sandwiches. Then transfer back to Puerto Juarez for van drop off at your hotel.

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Minimum age is 8 years
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • It is recommended that you bring a swimsuit, a long sleeve shirt and bring sunscreen and a waterproof camera
  • Pregnant women are not allowed
  • Seasonal product operating May to September

Free Cancellation

June 10100% refund
June 11No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

4.6

75 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    61
  • 4 stars
    5
  • 3 stars
    5
  • 2 stars
    3
  • 1 star
    1

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 61 reviews with 5 stars

Great experience, the guide tour and the boat captain

Published on Jun, 2024

Great experience!!! Our tour guide was very professional and knowledgeable. He was very attentive to everyone in the group. I can see that he genuinely wanted us to see and get an incredible experience from the trip. Also, he is very careful and put our safety first. I strongly recommend this tour. Oh great boat and great captain too. He was also kind and generous.

Fantastic experience. The...

Published on Jun, 2023

Fantastic experience. The crew was amazing and so was the experience! I went by myself and still felt very safe and had a blast! We saw about 15 whale sharks. It’s a once in a life time experience!

Amazing! The crew were...

Published on Jun, 2023

Amazing! The crew were wonderful I would most definitely recommend taking motion sickness medication before going..

Best experience of my life

Published on Jan, 2023

This is why I came to Cancun, and why I came in sweltering August! In the summer, the whale sharks come to the waters of Isla Mujeres, about a 2-hour boat ride from Cancun. We had to go without sunscreen, even if it was reef safe, because the whale sharks feed on the surface and can ingest the slick of chemicals. So, I got a sunburn, but it was the least I could do for these glorious creatures. It was a gorgeous day out on the water. We had to get up really early to beat the other boats there. When we got to the spot there was a wide circle of boats, and plenty of whale sharks to go around. They were everywhere! At one point one came right to the corner of the boat where a guide and I were sitting, and I swear it was the size of a VW bug! We looked at each other agog, and I assume he has seen a lot of whale sharks.. Everyone is paired up, and you get two chances in the water. We were sitting on the edge of the boat, and as soon as a whale shark got close ,they yelled, “Go! Go! Go!” I didn’t notice at the time, but in the video you can see that the guide pushed me in! As the bubbles cleared, I found myself face to face with a whale shark that was probably 5 feet wide. If its mouth was open I might have met Jonah. But I had swam with whale sharks in the Georgia Aquarium and was familiar with their behavior. So I opened my arms and legs wide and let my whole body float on top of the water. As expected, the shark gracefully slid beneath me. I floated there as its entire body glided beneath mine, blotting out the rest of the sea. All I could see was the beautiful gray spotted leviathon, maybe 2 feet away. In that moment I felt that I fully understood the majesty of nature. The guide yelled, “Swim! Swim!” He wanted me to follow it to get video, which I guess had been impossible with the whale shark completely between us. The other guide was excited as I was. He said, “When I saw you were going over, I swam beneath him! I decided that nothing could ever match that experience and immediately got out of the water. As I stepped onto the boat I announced, “I have found my god!!” My second turn in the water, their videographer got some good footage of me with another whale shark. They kept wanting me to chase the sharks to get more video, but I kind of felt like the whale sharks had given me my religious moment and I was done. We went to the Isla Mujeres and hung out in the harbor with a bunch of other boats. Lots of people were swimming, and the guides made us a ceviche lunch from fish they had just caught. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

Best snorkeling trip I've had!

Published on Sep, 2022

We had a great time and saw so much! The stuff on the boat was extremely nice and helpful. We saw a bunch of dolphins, see turtles and whale sharks twice. Swimming with the whale sharks was an incredible experience. For lunch we went to a small island. Also really pretty and the food they provided was really nice. They even pick you up from the hotel and drive you back. Would definitely recommend this trip!

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