Whale Shark Discovery
Whale Sharks Mexico, swim with whale sharks from Cozumel, Playa Del Carmen to Cancun. Guaranteed whale shark tours
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​Scratch this off your bucket list. Snorkeling and swimming with whale sharks in Mexico off the coast of Cancun is a magical experience. This is the excursion you must do! If you are planning a trip down to Mexico and want to swim with whale sharks out of Cancun, we will make it happen. We are based in Cozumel and do daily tours to swim with the whale sharks near Cancun for groups or individuals in Cozumel, but can pick you up anywhere from Tulum to Cancun if thats where you are staying.
Blue H2o Cozumel Ocean Tours Whale Shark Adventure in Cancun will surely give you an experience of a lifetime. The Whale Shark is peaceful, swimming alongside this gentle giant of the sea is an experience to remember. The swimming activity at times can be strenuous depending on the sharks feeding activity. Each year between June and September whale sharks migrate to the Isla Mujares area to feed on tiny fish eggs, so if you are planning a trip to Cozumel, Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, The Mayan Riviera or Tulum during these months, don't miss the incredible opportunity to swim with the Whale Sharks and take home an experience that you will talk about and share with everyone. The best time to see the sharks is mid July to mid August when water conditions are normally calmer and more sharks. June can be up and down with weather and sharks but still a good opportunity to see.
However, there are some days that mother nature does not cooperate and there will be no sharks. This occurs several days each month and is because of the lack of food for the sharks. Bad stormy weather can also affect the sharks but we do monitor and will cancel if we feel it will affect the tour.
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The swim with whale sharks tour is available with Blue H2o Cozumel from June 1 to September 17 of each year, Government permits are issued for May 15 - Sept 17.
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What you need to know about the Whale Shark
The whale shark is completely harmless to humans, it is actually a very docile and curious creature. Whale sharks swim on the surface and are easy for you to get close to. It is the largest fish in the world and listed as endangered. Here is some interesting FACTS about whale sharks
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Swimming with the Whale Shark
Swimming with the Whale Sharks will be done by groups of 2 people accompanied by a certified guide at all times. Once in the water with the whale sharks, we must respect the following rules:
* It is forbidden to swim with the Whale Sharks without a life jacket or wetsuit.
*Swimmers must remain at least 6 feet from the Whale Shark and you are not allowed to touch or hold it at all.
*Do Not Interfere with the movements of the Whale Shark by putting yourself in front of him.
*Do not make sudden moves in the water when we are close to the whale shark.
Respecting these simple rules you'll have the best opportunity to interact with the whale shark and a most memorable experience. Have in mind that, unfortunately, the Whale Shark is an endangered species.
The use of Sunscreens and swimming with Whale Sharks
Whale sharks feed upwards of 8 hours per day, filtering thousands and thousands of gallons of water. We are advocates of protecting animals in the ocean and would like to see everyone wearing protective clothing rather than sunscreens. If absolutely necessary, the only sunscreen we recommend for people to use is a bio degradeable reef safe one and to apply it sparingly for the whale shark swim before you leave your hotel. The use of sun protection clothing is still the best option when being out in the sun, hat, long sleeve shirt. You can reapply sunscreen after the swim part of the tour.
We have partnered up with Waterlust and use their Sun Protection clothing everyday during our water activities. Check out their incredible line and designs here .
Whale Shark Discovery Tour Itinerary
The Tour begins with a pick up at your hotel. The hour of your pick up depends on the location of your hotel. (We will confirm the exact time of pick up via email when you have completed your reservation. Pickup available for Tulum, Playa Del Carmen and Cancun.
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Cozumel: 7:00 am Ferry ( Blue H2o Guide leaves with you on the 7:00am ferry and arrive back on the 5 or 6pm ferry) **Cozumel Current Ferry Time is 7AM due to limited sailings.
South of Playa Del Carmen: 5:50 am
Playa del Carmen: 730 am
Cancún: 825 am
​* Customers staying in Cozumel will need to be on the 7am ferry **. Our Blue H2o guide meets you at 630am and leaves with you on the 7am ferry. We have a shuttle reserved in Playa Del Carmen which transports us to Cancun. We depart from the port in Cancun around 930am to go see the whale sharks. We normally will be on the 5 or 6pm ferry for the return back to Cozumel. This can change if we have any delays during the day. This is a day trip only as opposed to going to Holbox. The whale sharks are also usually in clear blue water unlike the green murky water out of Holbox.
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Once we arrive to the marina we set off in the boat to search for the Whale Shark and mantas (about 1hr and 20 min), when we reach the feeding area we will spend approximately 2 hours snorkeling with the whale sharks and sometimes Manta Rays.
Dolphins and turtles: 80% chances to see them along the way.
Afterwards we will stop off at Playa Norte beach at Isla Mujares or rare occasion at Isla Contoy depending where we go for the whale sharks, and you can relax while our crew makes lunch for you. After eating we will head back to the port in Cancun.
Whale Shark Tour Includes: $155.00 USD
*$155.00 USD if booked online from USA / Canada
Air conditioned transport.
Water and soft drinks throughout the day.
Beer after 1:30.
Fish ceviche. Vegetarian and vegan options
Guacamole.
Sandwiches available on the boat when ever you want.
Complete snorkeling equipment and life jacket.
Guides: English and Spanish.
* PRIVATE TOURS AVAILABLE
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****NO WHALE SHARK TOURS ALLOWED ON JUNE 30, JULY 30 OR AUG 30 AS PER GOVT REGULATION.
*For cancellation, Full refunds available day before tour. No show on tour, no refund. For group tours, you are responsible for the number of confirmed reservations. Full payment required unless 24 hrs notice of cancellations.
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RESTRICTIONS
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What to bring on the tour
Tip money, Towel, sunglasses, long sleeve shirt, bio degradable sun tan lotion, hat, sandals, light rain jacket, wetsuit if you have one. We have dry fit shirts available for $20usd.
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Pregnant women are not allowed. The activity involves sometimes strenuous swimming and the boat ride can be bumpy.
Heart problems- If you have heart issues, this activity can have strenuous swimming.
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Rough Boat Ride- The boat ride can be rough at times especially during month of June. If the conditions are too rough then the Port Captain closes the port. Even if port is open , and the weather is not good, we may deem it too rough for a positive experience and cancel tour
Cost : $155 USD
* does not include ferry fee to/from Cozumel if customer
from Cozumel
* does not include $10 port fee in Cancun
*** Reserve Now. $55 Deposit per person to book and guarantee your whale shark tour. Please fill out form below with your tour date info. You will receive an email from Blue H2o Cozumel same day and you can confirm your booking date then or you can email us directly blueh2ocozumel@hotmail.com
For more great photos and whale shark facts, follow us on Facebook Swim with Whale Sharks Mexico, Cozumel, Playa Del Carmen, Cancun.