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

Name: Small-Group Eco Friendly: Whale Sharks tour in Cancun & Riviera Maya
Brand: EcoColors Mexico
SKU: 3467WHALE
Price: 1155.97 HKD
Rating: 4.5 (595 reviews)

Cancún, Mexico

From HK$1,155.97

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7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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

What's Included

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 $15 USD IN CASH PER PERSON PAYABLE THE DAY OF YOUR TOUR

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Carretera a Punta Sam
Carr. a Punta Sam Supermanzana 84, Cancún, Q.R., Mexico
Carretera Puerto Juárez, Carr. a Punta Sam Supermanzana 84, 77500 Cancún, Q.R. "Marina Xtabay"

Pickup points

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Start time

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Opening hours

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End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

-. AIRBNB STAYS .- We fully accept tours with Airbnb reservations, the pick-up will take place in a nearby public place or a more central meeting point in order to speed up the arrival times to the tours. Tour departs from major hotels around Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and from the Super Aki Supermarket in Tulum. Tour returns to the original point of departure

What To Expect

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.

Additional Info

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 ($15 usd 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

Cancellation Policy

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.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Brett_M

Awesome experience! Very kind and friendly staff, who guide you through everything perfectly. They know the spots, they know the procedures, they know it all and you can trust them to show you the best time possible. The Whale Sharks are incredible, and so cooperative with all of us side swimmers. Pretty surreal. I was also celebrating a birthday and they made sure to acknowledge it and even gifted me a piece of merch for the occasion. All around amazing experience. Would highly recommend.

Reviews

4.5

595 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 595 reviews

Amazing Experience

Leeya_S, May 2023

We had a great time on the EcoColors Whale Shark experience! Got to do 2 swims with the whale sharks, and were fully instructed on how to keep us and them safe. It was truly an amazing experience. Our tour guide and the boat staff were super friendly and helpful, and there was also plenty of food and drinks provided on the boat. Would definitely recommend!

Hindsight 20/20

Tayler_B, Feb 2023

Me and my fiancé talk about this adventure the most during our trip to Cancun. It wasn’t the best thing we did but sure was the wildest. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see any of the whale sharks. We ended up just diving and looking at a coral reef area which was still very cool. We didn’t realize that we should’ve both taken some motion sickness pills which was offered to those who had transportation included in their purchase of the trip, so after a while we were extremely seasick :(. Our guides were some of the most helpful people there were and got us through everything safe and sound. Hindsight 20/20, would definitely recommend motion sickness pills beforehand !

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Hi Taylor Thank you for taking your time to write us a review, we really appreciate your feedback! We're sorry that you did not spot a Whale Shark, we do hope you enjoyed all the other beautiful places you went to! We hope to see you back soon! Kind regards

Unorganized & unfriendly. Huge disappointment!

Tyler_W, Oct 2022

The boat over an hour late for pick up & I was unable to get a hold of anyone to see if they were coming. Staff was NOT friendly. After 1+ hours on the boat we finally found the whale sharks along with 100 other boaters. We drove in circles dodging other boats waiting for our chance to jump in the water making most of us seasick. It was a very disappointing experience. If you do this activity, choose a different company there are dozens of them.

5 travelers found this review helpful

Amazing and a MUST DO Cancun!

Anita_L, Sep 2022

My husband and I have always wanted to swim with the whale sharks and we were so happy to find out we could do that in Cancun vs having to travel to the Philippines or Maldives! I did some research online and decided to book with Eco Colors Tours. They picked us up on time. Our guide Veronica was awesome and gave us a lot of good instructions and info about the whale shark. We stopped by a pharmacy to get some sea sick pills and that worked great as none of us got sea sick. It took a little over an hour to find the sharks but the captain found them and there were at least 7 of them! They are truly the magnificent gentle giants of the sea and we were in awe! Then the crew made a delicious lunch for everyone. My husband and I are vegetarians so they made us cheese sandwich and guacamole, and it was delicious too! We were so glad we bought the video/photo package from Eco! Veronica turned it into a wonderful video clip that you can share with friends and family, and it’s definitely worth the price! We highly recommend Eco!

Once in a lifetime

Miguel_O, Sep 2022

This trip was amazing and the whale sharks did not disappoint they are so big and carefree our tour guide and captain were amazing I highly recommend we also paid for the picture package and I am so glade I did they got all of our memories on file for us without me having to worry about it

1 traveler found this review helpful

Nature is amazing

Thomas_S, Sep 2022

This is the most surreal, amazing experience you can have. The whale sharks are huge and when you swim with them you realise just how vast they are. It is incredible to see nature up so close. The guide was amazing and so friendly and we got to snorkel in a coral reef too before enjoying ceviche. The only reason I have not put 5 stars is you are not allowed to wear sunscreen (to protect the sharks) which is fair, but there wasn’t sufficient shade on the boat. I am pretty pale so even though I wore a long sleeved wet suit I got quite burnt.

Must do!!!

Andrew_A, Sep 2022

Awesome tour and Alex was an amazing tour guide. Definitely a must do!!!! The ceviche was absolutely amazing as well!!

1 traveler found this review helpful

Amazing trip! Alex our...

Darlene_S, Sep 2022

Amazing trip! Alex our guide was wonderful. Got to swim with many whale sharks. All the staff were great and pickup was on time, quick and smooth. I will be back!

Whale Shark Tour and Island Visit

Doug_H, Aug 2022

We had an amazing time snorkeling with whale sharks! We had two jumps and got very close to multiple whale sharks. The tour guide, captain and seaman were great making sure we had the best experience. We saw flying fish and other wildlife while on the boat. We stopped off the shore of an island and took time swimming while the crew prepared fresh ceviche and guacamole. We ate lunch on the boat and made multiple friends on the trip! We also got recommendations for food, other experiences, etc from the tour guide which was awesome. We highly recommend this experience!!

A blessed day swimming with gentle giants

traveler_o, Aug 2022

Swimming with the whale sharks and having not one show up but there was 5!!! Wow!!! To top it all off it wasn’t a busy day with many tours. Can’t wait to do It again. A blessed day.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Moving and emotional experience

Rick_H, Aug 2022

Close solitary contact with the animals provided some perspective as to natures role in our lives. Everyone who does an “experience” like this will better appreciate the world around them.

1 traveler found this review helpful

10/10 life changing moment!! DO IT.

Ariana_O, Aug 2022

This trip was UNREAL! From the moment the staff picked us up in Tulum their energy was fantastic. They explained how the day would go clearly and thoroughly. When it came time to set out on the boat and try to find the whale sharks, it ended up taking us less than an hour and we saw LOTSSS of whale sharks. It was a beautiful day in terms of weather, and there weren’t too too many boats, so each person/pair basically got to swim with their own personal whale shark. Swimming with the whale shark is such a surreal and indescribable moment!! You just have to do it in order to understand. After the whale sharks, we sailed to Isla Mujeres and hung out at the crystal clear, most pristine beach for about 40 minutes and enjoyed ceviche and guacamole on the boat. The staff were extremely nice, very accommodating, and highly organized the ENTIRE time.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Do this tour with these guys. You won’t regret it

Louis_M, Aug 2022

Being right in front of the whale shark. The captain positions the boat so you get the most out of swimming with these amazing creatures. The guide was very helpful and pick up was punctual. The first mate dives in with you and makes sure you are safe and very much aware of you surroundings. I wouldn’t want to do this with any other crew.

5 minutes total in the water

James_P, Aug 2022

From Tulum it takes about 2h to get to the Marina this tour goes from, then there's another hour's worth of sailing. The waves are very rough so most people got very seasick on the way there. When you get to the whale sharks there are about 50 other boats rounding the sharks up. From the moment the guide tells a duo to go, you'll have 30 seconds to get in the water. Then you'll spend about two minutes snorkeling with the shark, alongside many other people, while trying to avoid boats and fighting the waves they make. You get to do that twice if you're not exhausted from the first go or too seasick (of the 5 duos in our group, only one got back in the water). So max 5 minutes snorkeling, if that. They also don't allow people to wear reef-friendly sunscreen even though their boats are extremely old and leak petrol, which doesn't make a lot of sense from an environmental perspective. Not enjoyable, wouldn't do it again and would not recommend it. Didn't give it 1 star because the guides were friendly enough and there was a stop at Isla Mujeres which was nice.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Worth it

Taylor_B, Aug 2022

Though the waters were rough, we had a great time swimming with these amazing creatures! Guides were great!

1 traveler found this review helpful

They worked hard to get us a great experience.

Rich_B, Aug 2022

Pilar was with us from the time they got us at our resort to when they dropped us off. She was VERY nice, very informative and gave good advice. It was worth every penny to swim within a few feet of a whale shark. The captain worked hard to get us to a good spot. It was a good two-hour ride each way. Pilar warned us a few times to consider motion sickness pills. I took mine and did well. Some who thought they weren't susceptible were a little green. That hour of moving slow, while everyone takes turns swimming with the whale sharks was crazy turbulent. They fed us a great local specialty for lunch.

Whale sharks are cool

Kathy_G, Aug 2022

It was a long boat trip to the site and a bit bumpy. Thank goodness the seats were somewhat padded. The captain would listen to the radar o to see where they were and would move the boat often. I think that even though we went two at a time, we all had a good look.

Once in a lifetime opportunity!

Caleb_B, Aug 2022

Truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I fulfilled a childhood dream I thought I never would. Amazing crew from pick-up, tour guide, and captain/chef. Highly recommend!

A most spectacular experience

Sheri_M, Aug 2022

It was one of the coolest tours I have ever been on. The experience was truly breathtaking and far more than I ever expected. Nothing could have prepared me for this adventure. It's a must-do when you're in Cancun.

Worth it!! Bring dramamin!

Leah_F, Aug 2022

Getting to swim with a whale shark was exhilarating. Highly recommend for adventure seekers who are relatively fit and able to swim with a life vest. Don’t recommend for children until 10. Buy dramamin!! The visit to the surreal beach of isla mujeres north was fantastic. The food served was good but was a lot less than other similar tours I’ve been on. The tour guide was very knowledgeable in whale sharks and the local ecosystem and was eager to share which was good.

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