Cancún · WHALE SHARK TOURS

The 15 Best Whale Shark Tours from Cancún

22 tours  ·  from $155 a head

The season is roughly June to September, boat permits are capped and it is a long ride out past Isla Contoy. These 15 compare group size, how many swim windows you get and whether lunch and the crossing are included.

Whale Shark Adventure in Isla Mujeres and Cancun - Finding the whale sharks near Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Shark Tours

Whale Shark Adventure in Isla Mujeres and Cancun

1.Whale Shark Adventure in Isla Mujeres and Cancun

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

Swim with wild whale sharks near Isla Mujeres on a small-group boat trip with guides, lunch, snorkeling, and honest advice on conditions.

“Don't book with Viator. No customer service. I went to the dock at the indicated time. I got into the boat. No names were checked. It was a boat for 10 people. Turns out I had actually booked with another company that also departed at the same time on an adjacent dock. That tour company contacted me and said I didn't show up. Apparently that whale shark excursion had 45 people. It was advertised as being much smaller. Fortunately, I got on the wrong boat and had an excellent time. Unfortunately, the 45 people boat tour company got my money and the excellent company I went with by accident didn't.…”

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Whale Shark Tour from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Riviera Maya - A very early start from Tulum, Cancun, and the Riviera Maya
Tour Reviews, Tours, Tulum Day Trips, Whale Shark Tours

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

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, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, or Riviera Maya, with a small boat, reef snorkeling, ceviche, and Playa Norte.

“Xenia was Excellent Excellent guide. She took Perfect videos and pictures which I have received. I got to see Sharks Up close for first time in my life. I will Never forget the experience!!”

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Whale Sharks Small-Group Tour in Cancun and Riviera Maya - The boat ride and the real meaning of small group
Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Shark Tours

Whale Sharks Small-Group Tour in Cancun and Riviera Maya

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 small-group boat tour with a biologist guide, lunch near Isla Mujeres, hotel pickup, and practical tips.

“You don't get a ton of time with the whale sharks (they swim fast, so try to keep up!), but super fun activity! You get 2 turns with the whale sharks in the water, which can last anywhere from 2-5 minutes. We were super close to them, and Omar did a fantastic job guiding us. He also took amazing videos of us, but it was fairly expensive ($80 per couple) which would be worth it if you don't have a camera on you. I took my gopro and was able to take videos on my own without an issue. I also rented a wetsuit for $15 and it felt a…”

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Whale Shark Swimming and Isla Mujeres Beach Tour - The long ride to the whale shark area
Isla Mujeres Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Shark Tours

Whale Shark Swimming and Isla Mujeres Beach Tour

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, hotel transfers, gear, and practical tips for rough seas.

“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.”

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Cancun Whale Shark Encounter - Why the early start can improve your day
Tour Reviews, Whale Shark Tours

Cancun Whale Shark Encounter

6.Cancun Whale Shark Encounter

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

Swim near whale sharks from Cancun, then relax at Playa Norte with ceviche, drinks, hotel pickup, and a bilingual guide.

“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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Swim with Whale Shark from Isla Mujeres and Cancun - The 45-Minute Run Into Open Water
Isla Mujeres Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Shark Tours

Swim with Whale Shark from Isla Mujeres and Cancun

7.Swim with Whale Shark from Isla Mujeres and Cancun

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

Swim beside whale sharks from Isla Mujeres, with reef snorkeling, fresh ceviche, drinks, and a six-hour boat trip from $161.30.

“Very attentive and informative. A lot of fun! We got to see a whale shark and the snorkeling was beautiful! Delicious ceviche and guacamole!! Highly recommend!!”

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From Cancún: Half-Day Snorkeling with Whale Sharks - From hotel pickup to the Punta Sam marina
Half-Day, Snorkeling, Tour Reviews, Whale Shark Tours

From Cancún: Half-Day Snorkeling with Whale Sharks

8.Half-Day Snorkeling with Whale Sharks

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

Swim with whale sharks off Cancún, enjoy a small-group boat ride, lunch on Isla Mujeres, and practical tips on costs and timing.

“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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Private Whale shark Ecofriendly tour from Cancun - 7:00 a.m. pickup from Cancun’s Hotel Zone
Private, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Shark Tours

Private Whale shark Ecofriendly tour from Cancun

9.Private Whale shark Ecofriendly tour from Cancun

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

Swim with whale sharks from Cancun on a private eco tour with a biologist guide, lunch, reef snorkeling, and hotel transfers.

“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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Whale Shark Adventure from Isla Mujeres - Searching for the largest fish on Earth
Isla Mujeres Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Shark Tours

Whale Shark Adventure from Isla Mujeres

10.Whale Shark Adventure from Isla Mujeres

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 36 reviews · 6 hours · from $176

Swim with whale sharks near Isla Mujeres from May to September, with snorkeling gear, lunch, drinks, dock fees, and a small group included.

“Treffpunkt ist bei Dock 3, nehmt vorher etwas gegen Seekrankheit auch wenn ihr damit normalerweise keine Probleme habt und lange Ärmel helfen gegen Sonnenbrand”

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Whale Shark & Manta Ray Snorkel -(May-Sept) Only 10pp per Boat - The ride to the whale sharks
Cruises & Boat Tours, Snorkeling, Tour Reviews, Whale Shark Tours

Whale Shark & Manta Ray Snorkel -(May-Sept) Only 10pp per Boat

11.Whale Shark & Manta Ray Snorkel -(May-Sept) Only 10pp per Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 34 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $160

Swim beside whale sharks off Isla Mujeres on a small-group boat tour with reef snorkeling, ceviche lunch, drinks, and manta ray sightings.

“The hard work of the guides paid off and we were able to find and swim with the whale sharks. I understand they cannot control if the sharks are around that day or not, but they adjusted the start time of our trip so we would have a better chance of finding the animals. Their communication was very clear.”

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Small Group Whale Shark Encounter - 10 years in business - The early marina start at about 7:30 a.m.
Tour Reviews, Whale Shark Tours

Small Group Whale Shark Encounter – 10 years in business

12.Small Group Whale Shark Encounter – 10 years in business

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $199

Swim with whale sharks near Cancun on a small-group boat trip with guides, breakfast, lunch, gear, photos, and hotel pickup included.

“The staff on the Shaddai were absolutely fantastic!! It was a great experience!! They were super knowledgeable and did everything to ensure our whale shark encounter was memorable!!”

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Cancun Whale Shark Experience with Snorkel & Transportation - Snorkeling near Isla Mujeres
Snorkeling, Tour Reviews, Transfers, Whale Shark Tours

Cancun Whale Shark Experience with Snorkel & Transportation

Isla Mujeres Tours, Lunch Experiences, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Shark Tours

Whale Shark Tour Isla Mujeres Max 10Pax Free Lunch

14.Whale Shark Tour Isla Mujeres Max 10Pax Free Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $155

Swim with whale sharks off Isla Mujeres, then enjoy North Beach, fresh ceviche, and a small-group boat trip capped at 10 people.

“Great Company. Loved Capt. Angel’s ability to get us close in and lived Walters’s ceviche and photos! The boat ride out to the area CAN BE ROUGH, so be sure to take their advice and take Dramamine the night BEFORE your trip.”

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Private Whale Shark Tour from Cancun - Leaving the marina with gear and supplies
Private, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Shark Tours

Private Whale Shark Tour from Cancun

15.Private Whale Shark Tour from Cancun

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 7 hours (approx.)

Private Cancun whale shark tour with your own boat, snorkel gear, lunch at Isla Mujeres, hotel pickup, and a guide-led day at sea.

“This was a wonderful experience for our family. We each got in the water with the whale sharks multiple times. The extra cost of the private tour was well worth the price. If we had been in a much larger group, we would only have been able to get in the water twice at most and may not have been able to see the animals nearly as well. We got some cool video of the experience as well! Captain Pablo and Guide Carlos were informative and attentive. We accidentally left our shoes on the boat, and Pablo personally delivered them to our hotel after the tour. It was great, and…”

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