Whale Sharks Small-Group Tour in Cancun and Riviera Maya

Posted By : Angela_S
We were able to find a large group of whale sharks after going out about an hour and a half. It was amazing swimming with them and we each were able to take two turns. Make sure you take some motion sickness meds (even if you think you don't need them) and something to cover up from the sun.
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Posted On : 2024-06-28 10:15:30

Posted By : Camilacfc
The tour:
- I did the whale shark tour. Be aware that you will have 2-3 jumps of about 3-5 minutes each to see the shark in the water, the other ~30-60 min you're waiting for other people's turn and can see only the fins. It was pretty cool but really short! I was put in a group that you also go to snorkel in Isla Mujeres* for about 30 min and we saw lion fish, remora, dory :p, puffer fish, pelican etc.
- There's not a lot of expectation on what's going to happen and when: I've heard a guide saying 45 min to the spot with the sharks and other, 1h30 (maybe varies by day). The boat is small so prone to seasickness, they have coke that can help with that and water. They also stopped on the way to see turtles, dolphins and save a flying hat.
- The shark place: there were about 10 sharks on the day according to the guide and a boat zoo of about 15-20. The sharks usually swim alone, so you will likely "chase"/see 1 at a time. The boats seem to follow the 2 people+guide on each so you'll probably be in the water with other 2 to 3 of those. The sharks seem to not be that bothered but boat oil probably affects them and their food (more than sunscreen). They will swim towards you if you're in their way, it happened on my 3rd jump with a small moment of panic but you just swim to the side. Panic but time to see it really close :)
- The guacamole and ceviche were pretty good! The sandwich was a bit sad looking but ok.
The operation:
- At 5pm of the previous day they changed my pick up from 6h15 to 5am. The pick up was on time, I was the 1st one in Playa and we stopped in 4 hotels arriving at 7 at the dock. This change was so I waited for other groups to arrive and only AFTER 1h30 I was in a boat.
- Going back it was the same. I waited for 30-40 minutes to then be in a van. This was us waiting the driver to drop some people north of it. My pick up guide said that I would be the last if I went with her, I was the last with the drop off anyway and there was a confusion where the guide didn't come with us, just the driver. A note on this, the driver was really nice to wait for me in one of the hotels while I went to the bathroom.
- I booked with another company and during snorkel the guide said that there was a problem with my card payment and they wanted a photo of it. I said no explaining about security. I showed the transaction and they were fine. The company is irresponsible for asking to take photos of people's cards.
- They changed my group/guide 3 times as I was alone and in Playa: pick up, boat and drop off.
- During my 1h30 wait after pick up, a guy (owner?) asked me if it was all fine and I said that the wait was super long. A woman heard me and gave me the wet suit for free and I think I was upgraded to the private package (smaller group and snorkel) - this happened probably because I was alone. Thanks to this person I had a better experience, it would probably be 1-2 star less otherwise. Gracias se me lees! I also got a free lemonade from supposed drop off guide, I understand a bit of Spanish and I heard him commenting about me being angry while I was talking with the first man.
- This mess is a common comment in many Mexican tours. Mexico/Eco Color, you can do better! Plan your logistic, this will make you stand between other tours. Try to make the same group from beginning to end, try to make similar pick-ups based on it, try to reduce waiting times in the chance that they will buy other things while they paid a lot for the tour, include the fees on the tour price. Hope you get better!
* It's quite sad to see that the corals are dying. 14 years ago I remember seeing much more colourful corals and fish.
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Posted On : 2024-06-27 12:23:20

Posted By : Shelby_G
The most beautiful thing I will ever experience!
Thankyou to the kind and caring crew who helping bring my bucket list item to a reality, Fernando was well educated and kept us all entertained. I wish him and his fiance a beautiful wedding and if I come back I will be requesting him again!
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Posted On : 2024-06-15 09:36:25

Posted By : Cindy_W
It was a great experience to get up close with whale sharks. It is a long boat ride and very little time in the water but overall good experience
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Posted On : 2024-06-07 10:07:45

Posted By : Matthew_S
Unreal experience! Highly recommend to anyone who is considering! Naaraiop was an incredible tour guide and brought so much energy to the tour!
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Posted On : 2024-06-06 21:30:13

Posted By : Dominic_B
Seeing Whale Sharks.
Great staff
Need do a better job protecting people from the sun. Towels or cover up would have helped
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Posted On : 2024-06-06 10:11:38

Posted By : 671rapha_lr
A truly incredible and unforgettable experience!
Being able to observe and approach a whale shark so closely while respecting the fauna and flora was quite impressive. The guide was friendly and attentive.
I highly recommend!
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Posted On : 2024-06-02 08:37:31

Posted By : Maja_A
Omar or "Onkel ballademager", was a good experienced guide and took well care of us along with tha kaptain and helper-Tito. Make sure to wear a long sleeve shirt and a cap to take care of your selves in the sun and consider to take something for sea sickness before going, if the Sharks are hard to find, it will be a long tour. But beautifull an worth the money!
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Posted On : 2024-05-27 08:35:48

Posted By : Kathryn C
A very cool once in a lifetime experience, if you’re up for an adventure and okay with the ecotourism aspect. Santi, hector, Daniel, Carlos, and Euri were fantastic. The captain (Daniel I think) was incredibly skilled. Definitely recommend using their transport to pick you up. The boat is small and doesn’t have much in it, but that’s because that’s what’s allowed around the sharks. You can’t wear sunscreen (even reef safe) so wear long sleeves and a hat—you’re on the boat with limited shade for 5-8 hours. There’s no bathroom but they will stop the boat so you can pee in the water. Our motor broke while out on the water but they fixed it quick. It’s definitely an adventure, and if you’re prepared for that, you’ll love it. Be prepared to be seasick—you’re out on the open ocean in a tiny boat. We looked for the shark for about 5 hours before finding one, and a lot of other boats came to it too. The guides did a good job of following the rules about interacting with the shark in some ways (we can’t touch it, 2 people in the water at a time with a guide) but there were many (5-10) boats around the shark, speeding around it, people jumping in and out of the water, etc. it was feeding and didn’t seem terribly stressed, but it was definitely swimming away from us and it’s hard to keep a good distance from it when you’re in the water with it. We felt a little bad for it. Overall, a good experience and it’s a good way to support the economy with sustainable ways other than fishing, and raise awareness of the whale sharks, but I wish there had been a few more protections followed in regard to the number of boats around the shark. The stop at isla Mujeres was great, food was great, guides and sailors were caring and knowledgeable.
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Posted On : 2024-05-26 17:32:13

Posted By : VibekeSommer_T
Great guide, competent crew. We had a great time on board. Wonderful experience to swim with the magnificent fish. Clear and precise instructions so everyone felt safe. Omar is so much fun.
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Posted On : 2024-05-25 03:00:41