WHALE SHARK SEASON 2019: Mid-May to mid-Sep!
This summer, swim with the whale shark and lives the experience of a lifetime!
Can you imagine swimming with a 14-meter-long animal? Whale sharks, the biggest fish in the world, come every year to visit Holbox. It’s totally harmless, so you will be able to swim by its side in an amazing experience. During the boat trip, you may see turtles, giant manta rays, dolphins and/or many other species.
It’s cool to swim with whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager in Atlanta but, it’s another thrill of a much different kind to actually swim side by side with whale sharks in their natural habitat in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
This full day trip will give you memories for the rest of your life for only $150.00 USD per person.
(Season starts May 15 and finishes September 17. However, we strongly recommend you book your tour between the months of June and August. This is because the possibilities of finding whale sharks are higher in these months. If in doubt, contact us. We will provide all the necessary information so you can take an informed decision.)
The meeting point
We meet in Luuma at 7. We have a small briefing, give you the necessary equipment, and offer you a light breakfast to have a great start. Then, we walk to the pier, where our boat is waiting to start our journey to find the whale sharks.
The swimming
The trip will take us between one and two hours and we may find different species on our way (if we see a giant manta and its behavior permits it, we can also swim with this harmless creature). Once in the area, we will swim by the whale shark in groups of two plus the guide, for safety reasons, to respect these gentle giants, and to ensure you get the best experience.
Snorkeling
During our journey, we will get some catch of the day from a fisherman and prepare the freshest ceviche. On our way back, we will stop near Cabo Catoche to snorkel the “cuevones” reef and maybe see sea turtles, nurse sharks, lobsters, squids, octopuses, and different reef fish.
Laid back beach & ceviche
Finally, we will go to Santa Paula, where we can stretch our legs, have a pleasant swim and enjoy our ceviche. From this point, we have a 45-minute journey back to Holbox.
- Comfortable boat in perfect condition with GPS
- Snorkeling equipment and wet-suit for experienced swimmers
- Bilingual guide
- Light breakfast in Luuma: coffee, tea, fruits, yoghurt and sweet buns
- Cooler on board with water, sodas & delicious sandwiches
- The freshest fish ceviche of your life served with tortillas chips
- Water-proof camera to remember this magical day
The ultimate whale shark experience awaits you on our Exclusive Private Tour. Our private tour included all the outstanding service and exclusive inclusions of our shared tour that has been our trademark for over 10 years.
Without any other tourists on board, you will live this experience with complete freedom while enjoying more flexibility with your own group. We present you the program of the day but at the end, you are the one who decide.
Private tour can be chartered for 2 to 10 persons, for a family, group or friends. You will take the sea on one of our best and fastest Lanchas.
The highlight of our Private whale shark tour included:
- EXTENDED SWIM TIME with the big boys! You’ll still go 2 people at a time with a licensed biologist / guide, but you’ll enjoy 5-6 extended durations swims, compared to 3 short swims on a public boat. This is the ULTIMATE way to go swimming with Whale Sharks.
Now, we offer the Holbox Whale Shark Tour experience, even if you are not staying in Holbox.
This tour includes the two-way transfer from/to any place in the Rivera Maya (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos or any other) and all the benefits of a private tour.
Getting to Holbox is faster from many points of the Riviera Maya. And you’ll get to do the tour with the well-known experts of our company.
It’s up to you. You can either choose to take a whale shark tour from Cancun (have you checked Cancun Whale Shark Tours?) or have «the Holbox Experience».
Please, contact us for more info and cost of this convenient option!
(Prices depend on where you are staying, as we go to where you are!): info@holboxwhalesharktours.com
- Swimming suit
- Hat
- Towel
- Biodegradable sunprotection
- your own snorkeling gear if you prefer using yours
- Your contagious good humour!
Restrictions
Children under 6 years old are not allowed. This trip is not recommended for pregnant women, the elderly and/or people with back problems, because of the type of movement the boat might have. In such cases, we will ask for a medical certificate to allow participation.
Our payment, cancellation & refund policy is very simple:
A first payment of 50% is made at the time of booking. The balance of the payment is made on the same account as the deposit 72 hours prior the tour.
All reservations are confirmed by email when booking. You will also receive a reminder two weeks and 48 hours before your tours.
- Cancellations prior to 7 days in advance of swim date get a full 100% refund.
- Cancellations at a minimum of 6 days will receive a 50% refund.
- Cancellations under 2 days and “no shows” are NO refunds. $0 refund.
IMPORTANT: this cancellation & refund policy is valid for the Whale Shark Tour. In case you hired a package, each hotel has its own cancellation policies. For a full refund of hotel services, you will need to cancel 15 days prior of arrival date.