WHALE SHARK PRIVATE TOURS

Your English-speaking local expert will be waiting for you at your hotel or Airbnb lobby from Tulum with a great smile at 6:30 a.m. We can change the pickup time if you wish, but we recommend these times because we want to arrive early and be the first to find the Whale Shark. If you're not a morning person and you love coffee, we'll make a quick stop at your preferred cafeteria.

We arrive at the port of Punta Sam in Cancún at 7:00 a.m. and leave the dock at 7:15 a.m. You'll have 15 minutes to use the bathroom while we arrange the necessary tickets. On the way, your local expert shares stories about Mexico, the Riviera Maya, Mexican traditions, local life and how the Yucatán Peninsula was created — and gives you space to relax, or sleep, during the 30 minute ride. The van and the boat carry plenty of cold water for you.

This adventure was planned by our local experts — detectives who go the extra mile to create the perfect itinerary. The Whale Shark is the largest known fish (it can reach up to 18 meters / 62 feet). Swimming with this majestic animal is a unique, sublime experience, and we want you to have the best and most authentic day.

The adventure starts in a double-motor boat that gets you to the natural reserve quickly. Finding the first Whale Shark takes around 60 minutes; while our captain searches, your local expert tells you everything you need to know about the animal and the rules set by the authorities, and hands out professional snorkel equipment and safety instructions.

When the captain spots the first family of Whale Sharks, you'll move to the front of the boat — heart pumping, camera ready. We turn off the motors right before reaching them, since taking care of the Whale Shark comes first. You jump in pairs, only 2 people at a time, and stay in the water 10 to 20 minutes depending on your condition — we don't rush you. Depending on your group size, you can jump 2 or 3 times; we don't limit the time or number of jumps.

Whale Sharks feed on plankton, are very noble, and pose no threat — they'll avoid colliding with you, so let yourself go and enjoy the moment. Your guide keeps you safe and protected at all times, using professional, no-fogging, leak-proof snorkel equipment, deep cleaned and sanitized daily. If you wear glasses, we have graduated masks — just tell us your prescription when booking.

The tour isn't over yet. Once you're ready and start getting hungry, we head toward Isla Mujeres. If you're not tired, we can do a small complementary snorkeling stop along the way — the sea near Isla Che isn't very deep, the water has a unique blue color, and you can explore some coral reef.

After an active morning, the boat stops at North Beach in Isla Mujeres — a paradise-like beach with crystal-clear, waist-deep water. While you relax, the captain and sailor, both local fishermen, prepare the freshest ceviche of your life, served right in the sea on a floating table. Turquoise water, ceviche, your friends or family, the sun, the beach and your favorite drink (let us know in advance if you'd like something specific).

Booking a Whale Shark private tour with My Quest Concierge is booking a commitment. If for some reason we don't find Whale Sharks during your private tour, we'll bring you back a second time totally free (as long as there are no bad weather conditions or the government suspends the activity).

During Whale Shark season (June to August — contact us for exact dates), we constantly monitor weather conditions to maximize the chances of finding them. The day before your tour, our local experts will call or email to advise whether to continue or reschedule. If we recommend not doing the tour due to low chances of a sighting but you go anyway, the free second-chance guarantee won't apply — it only applies when we advise doing the tour.

After lunch we sail back to Punta Sam — about 40 minutes from Isla Mujeres. From there we take the highway straight to your hotel or Airbnb; from Punta Sam to Tulum is a 30 minute ride. The tour is designed to finish around 2:30 p.m., but since everything runs at your pace, the exact return time depends on you — you're free to head back early or skip any activity you don't want to do.