Private Whale Shark Tour in Cancún, Mexico

We try to start earlier than other companies in order to be within the first ones to get where the whale sharks are and avoid the crowds. We will take you from your hotel, condo or meeting point to a place north Cancun in front of Isla Mujeres called Puerto Juarez where our private marina is and where our boats are docked. From Holbox island we do not go to Isla Mujeres as it is too far away, the itinerary is different, please ask us about it.

Destinations: Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Holbox, Isla Mujeres & Tulum

Once there you will receive a briefing on the tour and be provided with complementary coffee, fruit juice and sweet rolls. Once everything has been explained and all of your questions have been answered we will board the boat and head out to sea. 

The trip out to where the whale sharks generally congregate takes about 45 minutes. As you will go private you will be given the opportunity to swim at least 3 or 4 times with the whale sharks or even more if the conditions are perfect and the captain decides it is safe to do it. People take it in turn two by two in the water with our guide and wearing a life jacket which we provide and is compulsory to wear. You may as well bring with you your own cameras or video recorder or rent a Go Pro with us for $50 with memory card included, any way our guide will help you taking pictures and videos with it during the tour.

After swimming with the whale sharks our crew will take you to a reef near Contoy Island or Isla Mujeres depending on which one is nearer the place where we will find the whale sharks on that day, once there you will be provided with purified water, soft drinks, a ceviche and be given time to snorkel. Before that and any time during the way sandwiches, water and soft drinks will be available aboard and the guide will offer them to you. Vegan and vegetarian food are available if asked for please at the moment you send the deposit to confirm your tour.

All of our boats have 2 engines, an emergency toilet and are without any doubt the safest and fastest of the area, they are up to 33 feet long which is the longest allowed for this tour. They have a covering to protect you from the sun, comfortable seats as well as ladders to provide easy access in and out of the water.

The spaces per boat are limited to 10 people, we guarantee 100% availability from May 17th – September 17th if you book online. In case the weather does not allow us to go on the tour on that day, which happens very seldom, we will put it off until another day. If for any reason you can’t participate anymore in the tour due to the first cancellation we will refund 100% of your payment.

It is important to be aware that in order to find and see the whale sharks we go out to open waters and sometimes it is rough. Most of the time the conditions are very good or perfect and everything goes well but as we all know the sea changes every minute and the conditions are sometimes not that good including rough sea and rain.

When it is too rough or dangerous the port is closed by the Port Master and we never go out in this case but sometimes even when it does not look very good if we are allowed to run the tour we do go out as all the other companies do.

The whale sharks are animals that live in the sea they are not dangerous at all but their behavior is unpredictable, we very often see 60 or more of them along with manta rays, dolphins or sea turtles and sometimes only one of them or none.

We do mention this in order to make sure that you understand that this is not a tour like going to an archaeological Mayan site where the weather conditions do not matter very much and to avoid bad surprises in case the weather is not very good on the day you choose.

It is important to mention that there is no sighting guarantee or money-back guarantee at all for this tour as it is impossible to control mother nature: We fail very seldom as most of the time we see 20 or 50 or even more than 150 of them but sometimes only 5 or 2 or none at all. It happens that in spite of all our efforts to find them we do not get it and we, therefore, cannot give any kind of guarantee or refund. This is the same for all companies as it has been a federal rule since 2016.

There will be no tours running on each day 30th. May 30th, June 30th, July 30th, and August 30th will be days off.

From Holbox island we do not go to Isla Mujeres as it is too far away, the itinerary is different, please read below:

• We will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel or condo in Isla Holbox for the private whale shark tour at 6.45 am and will take you to the main whale shark dock on the north side of the island.

The trip out to where the whale sharks generally congregate takes between 45 and 80 minutes. Once with them as you will go private you will be given the opportunity to swim at least 3 or 4 times with the whale sharks or even more if the conditions are perfect and the captain decides it is safe to do it. People take it in turn two by two in the water with our guide and wearing a life jacket which we provide and is compulsory to wear. You may as well bring with you your own cameras or video recorder or rent a Go Pro with us for $50 with memory card included, any way our guide will help you taking pictures and videos with it during the tour. Please tell us in advance if you wish to rent one.

After swimming with the whale sharks our crew will take you to the east side of isla Holbox, a beautiful place called Cabo Catoche, once there you will be provided with purified water, soft drinks, a ceviche and be given time to snorkel and walk on the isolated beach. Before that and any time during the way sandwiches, fruits, water and soft drinks will be available aboard and the guide will offer them to you. Vegan and vegetarian food are available if asked for please at the moment you send the deposit to confirm your tour. We should be back in Holbox island by 2 pm if the weather conditions allow us to.

All of our boats have 2 engines, an emergency toilet and are without any doubt the safest and fastest of the area, they are up to 33 feet long which is the longest allowed for this tour. They have a covering to protect you from the sun, comfortable seats as well as ladders to provide easy access in and out of the water.

The spaces per boat are limited to 10 people, we guarantee 100% availability from May 17th – September 17th if you book online. In case the weather does not allow us to go on the tour on that day, which happens very seldom, we will put it off until another day. If for any reason you can’t participate anymore in the tour due to the first cancellation we will refund 100% of your payment.

It is important to be aware that in order to find and see the whale sharks we go out to open waters and sometimes it is rough. Most of the time the conditions are very good or perfect and everything goes well but as we all know the sea changes every minute and the conditions are sometimes not that good including rough sea and rain.

When it is too rough or dangerous the port is closed by the Port Master and we never go out in this case but sometimes even when it does not look very good if we are allowed to run the tour we do go out as all the other companies do.

The whale sharks are animals that live in the sea they are not dangerous at all but their behavior is unpredictable, we very often see 60 or more of them along with manta rays, dolphins or sea turtles and sometimes only one of them or none.

We do mention this in order to make sure that you understand that this is not a tour like going to an archaeological Mayan site where the weather conditions do not matter very much and to avoid bad surprises in case the weather is not very good on the day you choose.

It is important to mention that there is no sighting guarantee or money-back guarantee at all for this tour as it is impossible to control mother nature: We fail very seldom as most of the time we see 20 or 50 or even more than 150 of them but sometimes only 5 or 2 or none at all. It happens that in spite of all our efforts to find them we do not get it and we, therefore, cannot give any kind of guarantee or refund. This is the same for all companies as it has been a federal rule since 2016.

There will be no tours running on each day 30th. May 30th, June 30th, July 30th, and August 30th will be days off.

• Cancellations made from 45 to 8 days prior to the tour receive 100% of deposit back.
• Cancellations made from 8 to 2 days prior to the tour receive 75 % of deposit back.
• Cancellations made less than 36 hours prior to the tour get no refund but you will get the opportunity to do the tour any other day during the season with no extra charge.
• Cancellations made after midday the day before the tour get no refund at all or opportunity to do it again with no charge.

Yes. Whale shark tours from Playa del Carmen are available with private round-trip transportation from your hotel, condo, or agreed meeting point. Your driver will take you to our private marina in Puerto Juarez, north of Cancun, where you’ll enjoy a light breakfast and briefing before heading out to swim with the whale sharks.

Yes. You can book a private whale shark tour from Tulum or Akumal. Because Tulum is farther from the marina, pickup may be as early as 5:00 am. The early start helps your group reach the whale shark area sooner and avoid the busiest part of the day.

Yes. We offer private whale shark tours from Isla Mujeres for groups of up to 10 guests. Isla Mujeres is one of the most convenient places to begin your tour because it is close to the open-water areas where whale sharks gather during the season. Your private experience includes the boat, guide, captain, snorkel gear, life jackets, breakfast, lunch, and drinks on board.

Isla Mujeres whale shark tours are popular because the island sits near the waters where whale sharks often feed between May 17 and September 17. On a private tour, your group has the boat to yourselves, so you can enjoy a more flexible experience and spend more time swimming with the whale sharks when conditions are safe.

If you want the top-tier private experience with lobster ceviche, Champagne, and a dedicated boat, the best whale shark tour Cancun has to offer is our VIP Private Whale Shark Tour.