I Swam With Whale Sharks in Cancun Mexico — Was it Worth the Hype?

My Experience on a Whale Shark Tour in Cancun Mexico

I went with Isla Fun Tours, and had an amazing experience — and for the record, I was not sponsored, paid full price for my tour, and did not let them know I would be writing this article.

The boat we took was in excellent condition, our captain (Jonathan) was professional and knew the boat well.

Our guide (Uriel) made the day fun and memorable for everyone on board.

1. Cancun Hotel Pick-Up

There are about 35 hotels in Cancun and Riviera Maya that Isla Fun Tours offers a pick-up from.

When you book the tour, you can select the hotel you want to be picked up from; if your hotel or resort isn’t there, just select the one nearest to your hotel.

(🏩 Staying in nearby Playa del Carmen or Tulum? You can book Playa del Carmen whale shark tours here, and Tulum whale shark tours here.)

Your hotel pick-up will be at about 7am, but you’ll get an email confirmation after booking with the exact time.

You’ll board the boat and then head to Isla Mujeres to pick up any passengers departing from the island. We had a small group of nine.

If there aren’t any, you’ll head directly to the whale shark zone.

2. Boat to the whale shark zone

On my tour, we left promptly at 8am from Isla Mujeres, heading to the whale shark area.

It usually takes one hour to get there, but it took us 1.5 hours because of rough seas (remember your dramamine for seasickness).

3. swimming with the whale sharks

At the area where the whale sharks hang out, we went in the water in groups of two visitors and one guide.

Each group got to go in the water for about two minutes at a time, and were offered to go in three separate times to see the whale sharks.

The whale shark area is about 60 square miles in size (155 km²), so it may take time to locate them.

We found them quickly, which is why we were permitted to get in three times each. On some tours, you’ll only be allowed to get in with the whale sharks twice.

4. lunch in isla mujeres

After leaving the whale shark area, we were offered some sandwiches before the 1.5 hour boat ride back to Isla Mujeres.

We docked the boat on the sandbar just off Playa Norte, the best beach in Isla Mujeres, so we could swim for a while.

While swimming, the captain and guide made us a nice ceviche lunch with fresh fish. We got to stay here on the beach near Playa North for about 45 minutes to swim and eat.

After that, you’ll boat back to Cancun to disembark. In total, the tour was about seven hours.

Responsible Whale Shark Tours in Mexico

You might be wondering, Is it OK to swim with whale sharks?

This was actually one of the most ethical and highly-regulated animal encounters I’ve ever done.

Mexico whale shark tours put the welfare of the animals first, so visitors can keep enjoying this experience for years to come. 

Here’s what you can expect with Isla Fun Tours, so you know you’re helping to keep whale sharks safe among a influx of boats and tourists:

• Only two travelers (and the guide) are allowed in the water at one time from each boat.
• There are a maximum of 30 boats in the water at one time, capped at 10 passengers per boat.
• You cannot touch the whale sharks.
• Reef-safe and eco-friendly sunscreen is encouraged.

🐳 Note: Whale sharks are an endangered Species

Whale sharks have been considered endangered since 2016, so if you aren’t booking with Isla Fun Tours, please do your homework on the company you choose.

Since I personally went with this company, I know they put the animals’ best interest first.

We went in June, and still saw about 15 whale sharks, as well as a playful pod of dolphins on the boat ride to the whale shark area.

Remember, this is a wild animal encounter, so there’s a chance to see 50 whale sharks, one whale shark, or even no whale sharks — no matter when you go.

Our boat captain told us the tour that went just one day before ours saw no whale sharks at all, whereas we saw about 15.

Note: Tour operators do not offer a refund if you don’t see any whale sharks, however, Isla Fun Tours lets you cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.