Cancun

Whale Shark Swimming and Isla Mujeres Beach Tour

Name: Whale Shark Swimming and Isla Mujeres Beach Tour
Brand: Contoy Adventures
SKU: 70244P1
Price: 210.00 USD
Rating: 5.0 (341 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceCancun, Mexico

From $210.00

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

4 to 5 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Cancun, Riviera Maya & the Yucatan

Selvatica Adventure Park ATV and Ziplines in Cancun and Riviera Maya

130

from $155.00

Cancun, Riviera Maya & the Yucatan

Selvatica Park Ziplines, Cenote, and ATV Tour From Cancun and Riviera Maya

310

from $199.00

Cancun, Riviera Maya & the Yucatan

Jungle Tour & Snorkel at Punta Nizuc Reef , Underwater museum

166

from $59.00

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Mexico's Riviera Maya is among the world's top places to see whale sharks in the wild, so don't miss a chance to swim alongside these gentle giants of the deep on a top-rated snorkeling tour from Cancun. Cruise out into the open ocean with an expert captain who knows exactly where to find the harmless sharks, then gear up and splash down for an underwater wildlife encounter. Celebrate your swim with a fresh ceviche lunch on an Isla Mujeres beach.

Swim and snorkel alongside massive whale sharks in the Riviera Maya
Afterward, relax on Playa Norte beach with a fresh ceviche lunch
Includes use of top-of-the-line snorkeling equipment and a private marina
Popular tour earns 5-star reviews for a friendly crew and thrilling experience

What's Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Use of Snorkeling equipment
Professional guide
Breakfast
Sodas & bottled water
Snacks
Coffee and/or Tea

$20 usd per person dock fee, cash at the check-in

Meeting and Pickup

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

Meeting point

Contoy Adventures
Carretera Punta Sam Km. 4.1 Smz 86 Mz 9 Lote 4, 77400 Cancún, Q.R., Mexico
Our marina is located right next to the Punta Sam Ferry terminal to Isla Mujeres and next to the Villa del Palmar hotel.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We can pick you up at most hotels in Cancun hotel zone or downtown, Playa del Carmen, and Riviera Maya. For Tulum or any vacation rental, we provide a pickup from a nearby meeting point.

What To Expect

Contoy Adventures

5 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Isla Mujeres

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Not recommended for child aged 3 and under.
Pregnant women are not allowed for safety reasons and as per federal regulations.
Even though the probability of seeing whale sharks is very high, we cannot guarantee sightings.
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.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Lauren_W

The staff was amazing. Our boat captain and tour guide worked very hard to find the whale sharks and we all ended up getting to swim with them. We also saw dolphins, flying fish, a starfish, sea turtles, and a sting ray on our journey. The ceviche was delicious and it was nice to spend time at isla mujeres. Cons were that it was lots of driving in the boat and that your whale shark time is 5 minutes max so they don’t leave before your whole group gets a turn. But still enjoyed our day!

Reviews

5.0

341 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 341 reviews

Rushed & very short time doing what we hoped

Kristy_G, Aug 2023

This trip was 3 out of 5 stars. We paid a little over $400 with dock fees for 2 of us. The capt & guide were friendly. After a 90 min boat trip, we spent a maximum of 10 minutes in the water with the whale sharks. They were beautiful, but we were so rushed that it was difficult to enjoy the experience. We have 7 minutes total of video & we recorded the entire underwater experience. We were the first boat to leave the whaleshark area. If I knew that was all the time we would get, I would have paid for a private trip & better experience. At $40/min, I would have hoped for a much better trip.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear Kristy, Thank you for your review, we are happy you enjoyed our tour, regarding the time per person swimming with the whale sharks, let me tell you that this depends on a lot of factors, like the ability to swim beside them on days when we find few sharks like in this day. That is one of the main differences with our VIP Private tour, where you choose the time you want to spend swimming with them. Perhaps next time you visit us, you can contact us to check out the Private Whale Shark tour at a special price. Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Exceptional

Debra_P, Aug 2023

Capitan German and Manuel Sailor were outstanding. I highly recommend this excursion!! We saw several Whale

Worth the money!

Rose_J, Aug 2023

This was a bucket list item for my 23 year old daughter. Swimming with the whale sharks is amazing. The captain and guide were very experienced and knowledgeable and made you feel safe the entire time.

Bucket List Worth Doing

Rhian_N, Aug 2023

We had Herbert and Angel and they really made the experience something special! You could tell they were professional, they knew the sea, they knew what they were doing and all of us on the boat got to swim with the sharks twice each. They even made sure to get really good videos so we have the memories for ever. They did not disappoint! Would definitely recommend the experience.

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY

Santiago_Y, Aug 2023

This is a hustle..your literally in the water for 1 minute and get 2 trys... You really don't get to see the whale sharks thru their cheap snorkeling gear ..Also dont get hustled to renting the wet suit..not worth it..

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Dear Santiago, We are really sorry that your experience was not like 99% of our customers, but sometimes it is hard to swim alongside them because they can be fast, we also have new snorkeling gear each season, if yours was not good you should have talked to your guide about it, we have several replaces on each of our boats. We beleive our Whale shark experience is exactly that, an experience, so it is for the majority of our customers, and has been for the past 20 years. Our experience is not a hustle, we are sorry that you think that the experience of looking for these magnificent creatures at their natural habitat, and try to swim besides them is a hustle, perhaps next time you can come in one of our other tours visiting Isla Mujeres or Contoy island tours, which are less physical tours with a very clear and exact schedule, instead of these type of adventure tours like our Whale Shark experience. Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Don't miss this opportunity of a lifetime!!

Chloe_J, Aug 2023

I wish I could give 10 stars rather than 5! Herbert & Angel were world-class. Two of us get pretty seasick, which made us nervous, but we were totally fine! From heading out, to docking up at the marina, every minute was better than we could have imagined. We were hesitant to leave the resort, but we couldn't be more glad that we did! It was certainly an experience we will never forget. We felt so safe and well-informed. We each swam multiple times with multiple sharks -- truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. The stop at Isla de Mujeres to swim at the beach was also breathtaking, but the fresh ceviche lunch was the icing on the cake. We asked for a second helping it was so delicious. The experience was elevated because of the help and guidance of Herbert and Angel, they love what they do and genuinely wanted us to have the best time. Don't miss this opportunity, you won't regret it.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Dear Visitor, We thank you very much for your kind review, we will let Herbert and Angel know about your kind words, and hope to see you soon in another adventure with Contoy Adventures! Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Absolutely amazing!

Kavita_S, Jul 2023

Absolutely amazing! Boat ride there is def long, may be rough. Highly recommend Dramamine or anything for motion sickness however many hours you’re supposed to take it BEFORE you get on board. I never get seasick, but when the boat wasn’t moving it definitely got to me. Regardless, it was SO WORTH IT AND AMAZING. We saw about 30-40 whale sharks and swam with maybe 5? It was incredible. Manuel did a great job keeping us a safe distance away (but not a lame distance) and took amazing videos.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Dear Visitor, We thank you very much for your kind review, we will let Manuel know about your kind words, and hope to see you soon in another adventure with us! Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Loved it

Lauren_W, Jul 2023

Ocean was very choppy

Michelle_S, Jun 2023

This was an all day event. Was picked up at 6:20 am from our resort and we didn’t get back until 3:30 pm. The ocean was super choppy, and it literally took us three hours until we could find the whale shark which was pretty magical when you got in the water to see them. But after all said and done, you have to travel 2 hours back. I would say 3/4 of the boat got seasick and was throwing up because the ocean was so choppy. Stopping at the island was nice and short. Was only there for 40 minutes. Definitely would like to stay longer and explore next time. The captain made delicious ceviche, which was super tasty. I would’ve given that experience at five star but the ocean was just too choppy so I gave it a four star. Would recommend if you were considering and hopefully the ocean isn’t choppy when you go.

Awe Inspiring

Mark_D, Jun 2023

I’m giving it 5 stars but everything wasn’t perfect. The trip started rough we waited at the hotel to be picked up and every other person in the lobby departed for other excursions or with an alternate company. After 20 minutes I have Viator a call and they said to wait. I received a call that the van had mechanical issues so they sent a cab. The cab arrived 10-15 minutes later and raced to thee dock. We boarded shortly after and we were off. We only had 5 customers on board. The speed boat was very nice and after about 45 minutes we saw some dolphins. Another 30 minutes and we slowed down to start looking for Whale Sharks because it was windy I was told they preferred deeper waters. Most of the boats patrol areas and when they spot a Whale Shark or group of them they radio it in. It didn’t look promising but around 40 minutes into the hunt. A sister ship with Viator spotted a few. We arrived to the scene and were the only two boats for around 15 minutes. We were able to enjoy 3 snorkel’s in the water. The Whale Sharks were amazing. The sister ship has some problems so we took on 4 of their customers. We went to an island but our time was very limited. The ceviche and sandwich’s were very good. The crew was outstanding and helped my 8 year old son and I to enjoy the snorkel to its fullest. They were kind, respectful, and Beverly professional. When we finished the tour they gave my Son a stuffed animal of a Whale Shark as an apology for the delay’s. I can’t say enough about the crew and the Whale Sharks. They may have had some Van issues but they made everything right and gave us a memory we will never forget. Thanks Viator

Amazing!!!

Joe_B, Sep 2022

It was wonderful experience , crew Dorian and Gilberto are cool guys you ever met, help get through this and help you get best pics and video for social media, try book with them and tips those guys too, make your adventures amazing.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

In Contoy Adventures we are glad to read that your experience exceeded your expectations! We will make sure to pass on your kind words to Dorian and Gil, please join us soon in another great adventure with the best crew! Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Awesome experience.

Nancy_H, Aug 2022

Swimming alongside the whale sharks was amazing. It was such a memorable experience. It could have been improved if the guide had told us how long we would be in the water (only a couple of minutes) and how many turns we would get. We got two turns each but we weren’t allowed to swim Ali gside the Shark fit very long.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Hello Nancy and thank you very much for your kind review, we depend on weather and area conditions each day to do the snorkeling, this is why sometimes we can't do a lottle more. We hope to see you soon in another adventure with us! Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Underwhelming Disappointment

Bryan_S, Jul 2022

When the goal of the excursion changes from excitement to getting in the water to trying to not join the other 40% of the passengers on the boat to not vomit off the back, you know your excursion is not going well. Upon jumping in the ocean Water immediately filled my snorkel tube and entered my mouth. This happened several times. I saw the whale shark while in the water for about 5 to 7 seconds. Yes you read that right, SECONDS!! I took photos of the sharks while I was on the boat. Literally 4/10 people puked, my spouse included. Some of our group went on two jumps but most did just one due to illness and a desire to get the boat moving. . I did my best to not puke and succeeded in not doing so. Overall a very disappointing experience and one I wouldn’t recommend given my experience.

Amazing experience

jane_s, Jul 2022

This was an amazing trip and totally worth the money. If you do one thing while in Mexico this is it. Pros- whales sharks are awesome and are not going to hurt you. Snorkel gear is included. Able to purchase photos and videos from the shore but you are also able to take your own. Everyone gets time in the water which is fair but would be better to have longer. Cons- lunch is provided but they don’t cater well - ham sandwich You have to wear a life jacket or pay $15 to wear a wet suit as they state you need to have some buoyancy. Take sea sickness tablets before you go.

Whale shark experience

Martyn, Jul 2021

We booked the trip on Viator based on the reviews the company had we either got a bad day or the reviews are not quite what they seem We where staying in Rivera maya which meant the transfer was nearly 2 hours so pick up at 05.20 it’s hard enough getting 4 kids out of bed for that time but the transfer was 20mins late with no apology When we eventually got to the dock to get on the boat it was well organised and lots of people were put on boats quickly and efficiently The Boat was clean but small no toilet just 12 people on the not plus the captain and guide When we got to the area with the whale sharks it was just masses of boats fighting for position and because the boat was so small it was very rocky causing 1/2 of the people on the boat to be sick (in some cases very sick) 4 out of the 6 of our group had never done anything like this before and there was no real instructions of what to do how to get in how to use snorkel and mask how to get out so 3 out of the 6 in our group didn’t get in In the advertising of the trip it talks about breakfast, Lunch and drinks provided very misleading when you get to port you are offered Water, Banana, yogurt and a bit of stale cake and lunch is some raw fish in a bowl on the boat with a couple of crackers not what I would call lunch We were not offered a drink all the way out or back or whilst we were out at the whale sharks and you were ask not to leave seat while travelling so you couldn’t get one yourself One of our group got in the water having never done anything like this before and panicked the guide didn’t help I had to insist the captain got them out Seeing the whale sharks never the less was amazing especially in the wild When we had done with the whale sharks we went to a place with shallow water where we could all get in which was lovely this is where we had the pathetic lunch(I would say the one person in our group that likes fish did say it tasted amazing) When we got back we had to wait over an hour for transport back which when you have a long way to go adds to your day The photos that they take are a complete rip of wanting 95 USD for a few photos taken on a go pro in the water The $190 per person to do this trip was about a $100 per person too expensive absolutely poor value for money The guide on our boat and the captain were pleasant enough but did not really engage with anybody and certainly were not very helpful on instruction of how to use equipment or helpful when people were being sick they didn’t offer water or tissue anything to help I would definitely not book this trip or any other trip with this company

Turbulent but awesome

Jason_F, Jul 2021

The whale sharks did not disappoint and neither did our crew. Nice facility in Punta Juarez and friendly crew. The day was awful though and we had thunderstorms and showers and a few got seasick and it was a miserable 1 hr journey out to the whale sharks. Once there, our guys handled like pros and we all got in for great videos and pics with the big creatures and it was a flurry of sprint swimming to keep up. Glad we did it, but really wish it would have been on another day with better weather.

Covid-19

Dborah_C, Aug 2020

I did this excursion during COVID-19. When you arrive they take your temperature and you have to wear a mask. But once on the boat, the mask and social distancing are quickly forgotten. The excursion on itself was really good, it was amazing to swim with the whale sharks! During the excursion, the monitors took pictures and videos of us (on the boat and underwater), but never gave us a way to get them afterward... Also, if you are sick on boats you'll might want to reconsider : more than half of the people on the boat (myself included) got motion sickness and threw up a few times. I am glad I did this excursion but won't do it again because of the motion sickness.

Response from Host, Sep 2020

Dear Tourist, We are happy to know that our WHALE SHARK ENCOUNTER was a nice experience for you, about the mask on board the boat once we are in the open ocean it's not mandatory to wear them and our 36 ft boats for 16 passengers carry only 8 these days adjusting to our new normality. We hope that, if you ever come back to Cancun, you let us take you in another adventure in this or any of our other tours! Best regards Roberto del Castillo Web Marketing Manager