The 14 Whale Watching in Cancun That Earn Their Price

1.Whale Shark Adventure in Isla Mujeres and Cancun

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 951 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $155Our pick

Swim with whale sharks near Isla Mujeres on a small-group boat tour with snorkeling, lunch, and practical tips for seasickness and timing.

“Be prepared for being very patient. You're not guaranteed finding the whalesharks right away. The number you come across can vary between zero and one hundred. Also, the guide takes videos and will sell you yours for $30. You may or may not actually receive the video after paying. We did not.”

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2.Whale Shark Tour from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 929 reviews · 6 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $199

Swim with whale sharks from Cancun, enjoy reef snorkeling and Playa Norte, and get practical tips on timing, costs, sea conditions, and what to bring.

“Carlos was amazing!!! He explained every step clearly and helped me when I was falling behind (I’m a slow swimmer lol). Also, we were able to jump 4 times! The last time we saw the whale shark alone (away from the other boats, we were on our way to the snorkeling area) for a long time! The only issue was my husbands snorkeling mask was leaking the entire time and he kept having to come up out of the water to get the water out. He tried everything to get the water out but nothing worked. But overall, great experience!!”

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3.Whale Sharks Small-Group Tour in Cancun and Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 916 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $160

Swim with whale sharks off Cancun on a guided small-group tour, with hotel pickup, lunch, snorkeling gear, and a $20 cash marine tax.

“Naara and her team were amazing! They made sure everyone got to be in the water and got wonderful footage.”

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4.Whale Shark Swimming and Isla Mujeres Beach Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 399 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $210

Swim beside whale sharks near Cancun, then relax at Playa Norte with ceviche. Read about timing, seasickness, gear, costs, and tour value.

“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…”

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5.Swim with Whale Sharks

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 380 reviews · 7 - 7.5 hours · from $160

Swim with whale sharks from Cancún in a small group, with naturalist guides, lunch, snorkeling gear, and a clear plan for rough seas.

“It was such an amazing experience. I’d highly recommend this activity. Thank you to my guide Omar, he did such a wonderful job throughout the entire tour.”

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6.Whale Shark and Snorkeling Adventure from Isla Holbox

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 214 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $199

Review of Isla Holbox’s whale shark tour, with snorkeling, manta rays, ceviche, practical tips, costs, wildlife concerns, and booking advice.

“Excellent guide (gustavo), guided our daughter of 6 years old perfectly. There where 10 persons on board, and every single one had a perfect experience!”

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7.Cancun Whale Shark Encounter

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 172 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $210

Swim with whale sharks from Cancun, then enjoy Playa Norte, ceviche, hotel pickup, and a responsible small-group sea adventure.

“This experience was absolutely amazing! We saw several whale sharks and was able to swim within 1 foot of them. Our captain was amazing and let us have extra jumps to make the experience even better! 10/10 would recommend. Ended the day with a swim and lunch at Isla Mujeres!”

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8.Whale Shark Group Adventure from Isla Holbox

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 82 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $203

Swim with whale sharks from Holbox, snorkel Cabo Catoche, and enjoy ceviche on this small-group Gulf of Mexico adventure.

“My boyfriend and I had the most bad ass day ever!!! Pedro, our Captain kept everyone safe and well fed. Our guide was also a very knowledgeable older gentleman who is so well versed in everything Whale Shark that it was like an outdoor classroom!! We highly recommend this tour company 🇲🇽🇺🇸🎯👏”

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9.Whale Shark Tour from Cancun and Playa Del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 77 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $155

Review of the Cancun whale shark tour to Punta Sam, including boat conditions, swimming time, fees, lunch, guides, and practical tips.

“Fantastic experience. The crew was amazing and so was the experience! I went by myself and still felt very safe and had a blast! We saw about 15 whale sharks. It’s a once in a life time experience!”

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10.Whale Shark Snorkeling Experience from Cancun and Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $229

Review of Cancun whale shark snorkeling, with pricing, pickups, safety rules, Isla Mujeres lunch, guides, and practical booking advice.

“This expedition was a whale of a good time and has filtered through as the best day ever. While I came for the whale sharks, they came in second next to how much I loved Michelle’s energy and charisma. She helped us create multiple krill-ion dollar moments with these big-daddy sharks, do-do-do-do-do-do. We got so close to these bus-sized sharks which was incredible and almost nerve-wracking. They’ve got more spots than a leopard and less bite than a goldfish, so we knew we weren’t in any danger (other than being so awe-struck we didn’t want to leave). These creatures are proof that size matters — when it comes to sheer…”

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11.Swim with Whale Shark from Isla Mujeres and Cancun

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 52 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $161

Swim with whale sharks from Isla Mujeres, then snorkel a reef and enjoy fresh ceviche at North Beach on this six-hour boat trip.

“The tour was a little disorganized. The communication was a little bit off. The transportation showed up late did not understand that the boats would gather all in one place with tons of people in water. Very chaotic and there was not alcohol included in tour as stated on ticket. The upside was we did see two whale sharks and the crew was nice. We stayed on isla mujeres and took ferry back to Cancun. So did not use the round trip transportation.”

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12.Half-Day Snorkeling with Whale Sharks

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 50 reviews · 8 hours · from $175

Swim with whale sharks from Cancún, enjoy a small-group boat trip, lunch on Isla Mujeres, and practical tips on cost, timing, and comfort.

“Décevant le guide n’a fait aucun effort d’écoute et de compréhension vis à vis de nos différents demandes aux cours de la journée. La visite avec les requins baleines s’effectue pas groupe de deux personnes ce qui laisse peu de possibilités de savourer le moment. Le repas servis sur place dans le bateau et totalement irrespectueux vis à vis du prix que nous avons laissé ( servi dans un petit pots avec 3 chips et un véhicule) je déconseille fortement”

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13.Whale Shark Tour from Holbox Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 44 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $210

Swim with whale sharks from Holbox, snorkel at Cabo Catoche, enjoy ceviche, and get practical tips on this small-group sea adventure.

“The boat ride to the migration site was long (2+ hours) and at times bumpy but being able to swim eye to eye with a 20+ foot whale shark was phenomenal. I wish we could have been in the water longer but they limit the number of boats and the individual time swimming with the sharks. Two of eight passengers got a little sea sick so wear a patch if susceptible. The tour was run very efficiently and the guide and captain were friendly. The captain doubled as a DJ and played some lively Mexican pop music. The breakfast snack was unusual - ham and cheese sandwich, but the fresh…”

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14.Private Whale shark Ecofriendly tour from Cancun

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $895

Review of Cancun’s private eco-friendly whale shark tour, with biologist guide, snorkeling, reef stop, lunch, transport, price, and practical tips.

“Fantastic trip! We were lucky enough to swim twice with a magnificent whale shark; although we did jump in a third time, but I didn’t see the whale shark. :)”

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