CANCUN WHALE SHARK SNORKELING
Cancun whale shark Snorkeling allows visitors to jump into the water with the largest aggregation of these magnificent animals in the world. These gentle giants, often growing as big as 50ft (15m), are migratory filter feeders who follow upwellings of cold water rich in both the plankton and nekton they need to sustain themselves. Annually, during our summer months, the waters north east of Cancun and Isla Mujeres experience an extraordinarily massive upwelling rich in the aforementioned nutrients and so it essentially becomes an all you can eat buffet for the sharks who visit the area en masse with some shivers in exceeding 400 shark!
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* Please note that national park fee needs to be paid to a park rep, in cash, upon arrival.
We invite you to join us this next whale shark season beginning in May and ending in mid-September, when we will both entertain and educate you with a trip into their magical world.Your day begins by meeting one of our shuttle drivers who will collect you directly from your hotel lobby and bring you to our dock located in Playa Mujeres. Here you will be treated to a light continental breakfast, coffee and a short briefing on how to make the most of the tour before we depart on one of our boats.
Each boat has a maximum capacity of 10 guests and two staff members. Once aboard the boat you will be issued with a life jacket as we depart for the sharks. The sharks themselves travel around the area from day to day and aren’t typically found in the exact same place each day. In light of this, travel time to the sharks location varies daily but is typically a 45 minute to one and a half hour journey.
Upon arrival at the sharks, guests will be allocated buddy-teams and will enter the water, 2 people at at time, with the boats first-mate who will also act as your guide in the water. As the sharks are feeding, they don’t tend to remain stationary so you will have been issued a mask, snorkel and a pair of fins so you can keep pace with the sharks as they move through the water. Once you have had your turn with the sharks, you’ll be invited back on board to catch your breath while you watch the other guests experience their own face-to-face encounters as you await your next chance back in the water with these gentle giants of the sea.
Upon completion of the whale shark swim, you will be ferried to Isla Mujeres’ Playa Norte beach where you’ll receive a light lunch and float on the crystal clear water which has consistently lead this beach to be voted one of the top 20 in the world! After approximately 45 minutes we will then again board the boat and depart for the mainland where you have a few minutes to purchase mementos before boarding your shuttle back to your hotel.
Please be aware that we are unable to guarantee a shark sighting on any of our tours as these are wild animals who are free to roam the ocean as they wish. As such, on the very rare occasion that we are unable to find any shark, please know that we will be offered a 50% refund on the tour.
Whale Shark Tips:
- Wear comfortable clothes over your swimsuit and pack an extra set to change into after the tour.
- While you are free to bring your own scuba fins, our lighter snorkeling fins will most likely be much easier to use at the surface.
- Bring biodegradable sunscreen and help us to care for and preserve our ecosystem! In order not to affect the natural balance of the ecosystem, visitors on this tour are only allowed to use sunscreens and tanning agents that contain titanium oxide and zinc oxide. We invite you to make use of biodegradable and chemical-free products!
- Bring a Towel.
- Bring Cash or Cards to purchase souvenirs and photos.
- If you are pregnant, have heart problems or have recently had surgery, it would be advisable to speak with a doctor before joining us on this tour.
- Minimum age of 5 years required to enter the water with the sharks.
