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Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya

star-4.5441 Reviews
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Cancún, Mexico
Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya
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Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya
Swim with whale sharks
Whale Shark
Whale Shark
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From $144.00

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Number of travelers
1 Adult2 Adults3 Adults4 Adults5 Adults6 Adults7 Adults8 Adults9 Adults10 Adults11 Adults12 Adults13 Adults14 Adults15 Adults
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more
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Safety measures
icon7 hours  (Approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
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iconOffered in: English and 9 more

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Overview

Snorkel with Mexican whale sharks on a full-day group snorkeling tour off the Yucatan Coast from Playa del Carmen. Under the direction of an expert guide, swim with the world’s largest fish while looking out for dolphins, manta rays, and turtles. Immerse yourself in the marine magnificence of Mexico’s waters on this spectacular small-group adventure.
  • Whale shark snorkeling adventure off the coast of Cancun
  • Comprehensive narration from a professional guide
  • Lunch on the boat off the coast of Isla Mujeres in one of the most beautiful beaches in the world
  • Complimentary pickup and drop off from most Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and Tulum hotels
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From $144.00

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Bilingual biologist/naturalist guide
Lunch
Water and soft drinks
Air-conditioned vehicle
Use of snorkeling equipment (life jacket, visor, fins, snorkel)
Gratuities
Alcoholic Beverages
Personal expenses
ENVIRONMENTAL TAX AND DOCK USE $10USD IN CASH PER PERSON PAYABLE THE DAY OF YOUR TOUR

Departure Point

Carretera, Carr. a Punta Sam, Puerto Juarez, 84, 77500 Cancún, Yuc., Mexico

Carretera Puerto Juarez, Carr. a Punta Sam Km 1.5, Juárez, 77500 Cancún, Q.R. Marina "Hacienda del Mar"

Departure Time

Suppliers and travelers coordinate start times within the given time periods.
Tulum Departure
5/24/2022 - 9/17/2022
Monday - Sunday:05:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Riviera Maya Departure
5/24/2022 - 9/17/2022
Monday - Sunday:06:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Playa Del Carmen Departure
5/24/2022 - 9/17/2022
Monday - Sunday:06:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Without transportation
5/24/2022 - 9/17/2022
Monday - Sunday:07:30 AM - 01:00 PM
Cancun Departure
5/24/2022 - 9/17/2022
Monday - Sunday:06:00 AM - 01:00 PM

Return Details

Returns to original departure point
Depart from your Playa del Carmen, Cancun, or Tulum hotel to begin your aquatic adventure with gentle marine giants. Board a comfortable vessel and set sail with your small group to explore the Yucatan Peninsula, one of the only places in the world where you can share the water with whale sharks. 

Observe the calm waters surrounding Isla Contoy, Holbox, and Isla Mujeres for whale sharks, then once you’ve spotted one, don your snorkeling gear and plunge into the iridescent water to snorkel alongside the fascinating fish. Glide resplendently beside the incredible creatures, watching them feast upon microscopic plankton while enjoying the tropical temperatures of the Yucatan’s water. 

Return to the boat and relax as you cruise towards the silken sands of Isla Mujeres, to a blissful beach known as Playa Norte. Recline upon the white sands and swim in the glittering turquoise waters before feasting upon a delicious lunch of traditional Mexican dishes. Naturalists will delight in the abundance of bird and marine species on the island.

Back on the boat, listen as your onboard biologist regales with fascinating facts about the local wildlife. Information on how to safely interact with marine life will also be provided to ensure your safety and security at all times. 

The small number limit of 10 participants ensures an intimate and enjoyable experience on the Mexican Whale Shark Snorkel Adventure. 

Note: The tour includes two jumps into the water with a possibility for more, time allowing.
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Minimum age is 8 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.
  • It is not recommended for pregnant women and people with heart and back problems.
  • We only permit biodegradable sunscreen and we invite you to use it when you are in your Hotel before your trip because we care about your health and marine life.
  • We recommended to ask your doctor if you can take seasickness pills before your tour.
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Environmental tax and dock use excludes ($10usd in cash per person payable the day of your tour)
  • You can bring your own bottle of water (glass or recyclable)
  • We use mouth covers all the time
  • We use gel antibacterial
  • We wash our hands every 30 minutes
  • We do not touch our face, noise and mount
  • We say “Hello” with 1.5 mts of distance
  • We take the temperature to our employees every day
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
  • OPERATED BY EcoColors Mexico
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.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Learn more about cancellations.

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Q:
What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya?
A:The policy on face masks and attendee health is:

  • Face masks required for guides in public areas
See all safety measures taken by Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya.
Q:
What is the policy on sanitization during Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya?
A:The policies on sanitization are:

  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
See all safety measures taken by Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya.
Q:
What is the social distancing policy during Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya?
A:The policy on social distancing is:

  • Social distancing enforced throughout experience
See all safety measures taken by Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya.
Q:
What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya?
A:The policies on staff health & safety are:

  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Regular temperature checks for staff
See all safety measures taken by Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya.

Traveler Photos

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Traveler Tips

  • "You can't wear sunscreen so bring a long sleeve shirt and hat to keep the sun off your skin." See review

Reviews

4.5
star-4.5
441 Reviews
5 stars
355
4 stars
46
3 stars
15
2 stars
8
1 star
17

Reviews by Viator travelers

Showing 1-10 of 441 reviews
star-5
Awesome experience!
GiddyUp
, Sep 2021
Amazing bucket list experience. Mother nature tried to not cooperate, water wasn’t super clear and we found only 2 whale sharks, but the crew worked hard to locate the whale sharks and ensure we got a good view to the extent of one pulling my wife along to get her in position. I was originally concerned about the limit of “2 swims”. It’s really all you need though. Whale sharks aren’t really exciting, they just swim. Once you’ve swam with it and had a good view, there’s not much more to see. Keep in mind, this is not a lazy float around snorkeling trip. It’s an adrenaline rushed fast paced go go go swim. Dilly dally and the whale shark will swim right past you. Just have the right mindset and you’re gtg. Definitely recommend, just pay close attention to the weather. Recent storms will churn the water making visibility less.
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-5
We had a whale of a time!
Nola_S
, Sep 2021
Highly recommended tour. Alex the tour director and the other Alex snorkeling guide, the captain and 1st mate were all terrific and went out of there way to make our trip special. We saw up close the whale shark many times both in the water and on the surface. It was a wonderful experience.
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-5
Great time
Alison_M
, Sep 2021
Loved this experience.. our Guides Marco and Marcela were great. Really worked hard to make sure we got to swim with the whales .
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star-5
Adrenaline rush
Beatriz_V
, Sep 2021
Swimming with the whale sharks is an adrenaline rush. The tour is well organized, the guide (Marcela) was very passionate about her job. In September the sharks start to leave the area and they are hard to find, so we started jumping in the water to swim with some Manta Rays until a whale shark was spotted. Then all the other tour boats come together and form a line, throwing swimmers in the water, right by the animal. It feels a little chaotic but the captain is very experienced. You have to swim really fast to keep up with it. You go in the water in groups of 2 at a time, plus the diver (nice job Marcos!) who helps you stay with the shark and makes sure no one touches or harasses the animals. Usually you get at least 2 jumps into the water, the guide makes sure you get a good experience. Then they take you to Isla Mujeres, Playa Norte and serve you a meal of guacamole and ceviche, very fresh and yummy. I'm glad I decided against bringing a camera in the water, some people got distracted trying to take pictures and the fish swam away. I was able to swim side by side for a few minutes. It was awesome. The only thing I would suggest to improve is to provide showers and lockers at the return, so you can rinse off the sea water and change into dry clothes
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star-5
Good experience
Martha_D
, Sep 2021
From the timely pick up to the time back it was great. At the shark viewing site there were about 15 boats congregated and it was hectic trying to jump in the water - with a lifejacket on- and dive to see the large whale for 20 seconds, and then coming back to the boat so 4 others could jump in. Getting back on the boat was hard since it was NOT properly equipped for the purpose. The ladder was made of pipes wrapped in rope and had no good handles. In general the boat was not well equipped. There were not any handles to grab and the carpet would shift around with you. Very unsafe. Overall a good experience to repeat with a different operator.
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star-5
Beautiful whale shark experience
Silvia_H
, Sep 2021
We had an awesome time! This was my second time with this Viator tour to see the whale sharks. The tour guide Marcela was upbeat & wonderful..she made sure everyone got to see the whale sharks & at the same time everyone on the tour was extremely respectful to the sharks. The tour guide, swimmer & captain were professional, experienced & made it fun. It was an incredible experience! We can only recommend going with this tour operator. Gracias para todo!
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star-2
finally could not swim with the whale sharks, were eating deep and did not appear...
Fabian_G
, Sep 2021
HI! difficult to rate it higher once spent two hours go and back in a bus, and 3 hours in a boat and finally do not find a whaleshark, so main or core element did not happened. The team coordinating this activity was fantastic but it is a really pitty to spent this money and more than half a day to finally do not experience this swimming.
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star-4
Fun experience
Kei_T
, Aug 2021
Marcela did an amazing job explaining and made sure everyone feel okay! The only complaint we have is that everyone only got a very short time in the water with the whale sharks, like 8 mins max. It’d be great if we could have at least one more swim with the whale sharks
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star-5
Worth the effort
William_S
, Aug 2021
Over hour choppy boat ride but saw at least 12 whale sharks. Time with them in water was limited but a total thrill. It is also fun to watch them swimming from the boat. Eco Colours is very efficient and I highly recommend them. Be prepared for lots of other tour operators in the area. The boats get crowded around the sharks.
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star-4
Questionable
Brooke_R
, Aug 2021
We had a great time but I didn't realize there would be 30+ boats once we got out to the ocean trying to swim with the whale sharks which after thinking about it seems a little unethical as all of the boats were cutting off the animals so we could get a good look at them.
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