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Cancun Whale Shark Encounter: Swim with Ocean's Gentle Giants in A Guided Adventure
4.7
172 Ratings
Punta Sam
Embark on a thrilling adventure in Cancun and swim with the ocean’s gentle giants, the whale sharks. Our experienced guides and National Geographic-certified snorkeling gear ensure a safe and unforgettable encounter. Join us now!
Embark on a thrilling adventure in Cancun and swim with the ocean’s gentle giants, the whale sharks. Our experienced guides and National Geographic-certified snorkeling gear ensure a safe and unforgettable encounter. Join us now!
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Playa Norte - After the dives, we will head to this beautiful beach in Isla Mujeres where you can do some more snorkeling, and taste the famous Captain Ceviche!
- Playa Norte - After the dives, we will head to this beautiful beach in Isla Mujeres where you can do some more snorkeling, and taste the famous Captain Ceviche!
What's Included
- Convenient meeting point or vacation rental pickup
- Hotel pickup and drop-off included for Cancun hotels
- Complimentary light breakfast
- Sterilized snorkeling gear provided
- Refreshments: bottled water and soft drinks
- Professional certified bilingual guide
- Explore Playa Norte beach on Isla Mujeres
- Enjoy fish ceviche and tasty snacks
- Convenient meeting point or vacation rental pickup
- Hotel pickup and drop-off included for Cancun hotels
- Complimentary light breakfast
- Sterilized snorkeling gear provided
- Refreshments: bottled water and soft drinks
- Professional certified bilingual guide
- Explore Playa Norte beach on Isla Mujeres
- Enjoy fish ceviche and tasty snacks
What's Not Included
- Dock fee and Marine Park Federal Tax
- Dock fee and Marine Park Federal Tax
Additional Information
Join us on a unique and unforgettable journey where you can swim alongside the gentle behemoths of the sea. The experience is closely managed by our skilled guides, and you will be outfitted in our National Geographic Snorkeler-approved gear.
Our adventure commences by picking you up from any hotels in Cancun, Riviera Maya, or Playa del Carmen to…
Join us on a unique and unforgettable journey where you can swim alongside the gentle behemoths of the sea. The experience is closely managed by our skilled guides, and you will be outfitted in our National Geographic Snorkeler-approved gear.
Our adventure commences by picking you up from any hotels in Cancun, Riviera Maya, or Playa del Carmen to transport you to our fresh private marina in Punta Sam in Cancun. We will have a light meal before setting sail towards the Whale Shark preservation area. Once we locate these gentle giants, we will initiate diving expeditions, with each person getting 2 to 3 dives. The dives will be conducted in pairs under the supervision of our accredited guide. But that’s not all! Before returning to our marina, we will make a stop at the exquisite Playa Norte beach in Isla Mujeres for an hour of relaxation and a delicious ceviche meal prepared by our team!
Finally, we’ll return to our Cancun marina where our air-conditioned vans will deliver you back to your place of stay.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Dress code casual, don’t forget your swimsuit!
- Operated by a bilingual guide
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Pregnant women are not allowed for safety reasons and as per federal regulations.
- Even though the probability of seeing whale sharks is very high, we cannot guarantee sightings.
Location
Punta Sam ferry terminal
Our own private marina is conveniently located in Punta Sam right next to the Isla Mujeres ferry terminal and the Villa del Palmar hotel. Please arrive 30 minutes before the schedule departure time.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(172 Ratings)
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Jaysontammaraj
Jul 26, 2025
A must do experience! - Contoy adventures was absolutely amazing. We did the Whale Shark tour and upgraded to a private boat to get more time with the sharks. It was well worth it! Our captain Isaac and guide Cyndi were the best! They had a lot of knowledge about the sharks and were very protective of them and their environment. Isaac was constantly watching from the boat and giving an above sea view for the best spot to swim to intercept the sharks. Cyndi held my wife’s hand until she felt comfortable and snapped some amazing photos. Booking with Contoy was smooth and easy. If we come back again, we will definitely be using them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Abraham
Jul 9, 2025
Because I haven't done it before!! - Thanks to Sindy and Isaac, the best guides.
A lot of patience with children and adults who don't know very well. They made us feel safe at all times.
Without a doubt, one of the best experiences I've ever had. Much success, see you soon
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Travel59699080587
Jul 9, 2025
Whale sharks, sun, and good ceviche - Swimming with whale sharks is was a beautiful experience with Isaac and Sindy. They were so kind and helpful and made some of the BEST ceviche I’ve ever had. Isaac is knowledgeable about the region, the habits of the whales, and overall safety. Sindy is very supportive in the water. She makes sure nothing gets in the way of you getting your pics! 10/10 would reocmmend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
205allysons
Jul 5, 2025
Best family excursion - Isaac and Sindy were the best and took such good care of my family. They provided the exact excursion we hoped for and we are so grateful!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jacobpa2287sc
Jul 2, 2025
Swimming with whale sharks lunch and drinks included. - We had a great time swimming with the whale sharks. Nate and Julian were awesome! Highly recommended, the ceviche and sandwich lunch was great too!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dedao946
Jun 26, 2025
71 years young & swimming with Whale Sharks!! - I was picked up promptly with the van. Captain Isaac spotted the whale sharks and counted 1 2 3 so we would slide into the water closest to the whale sharks. Sindy was our guide ensuring we turned around and swam right next to them, big and faster than me! I loved it. They are professional and a joy to swim with. Thank you Sindy and Isaac you're amazing!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kyle_p
Jun 22, 2025
This experience was... - 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!
Review provided by Viator
626krystlef
Jun 11, 2025
Whale sharks is a MUST DO - We had an AMAZING experience!! Our guide Ney and our captain Julian on the Alma boat were so nice and helped make the experience great! We saw so many whale sharks! Some were HUGE!!!It was a once in a lifetime experience!!! The water and views were so BEAUTIFUL… bring your meds/hydration if you get sea sick.. but it’s totally WORTH IT
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Reinacherlaura
Jun 9, 2025
Whale shark— amazing experience!! - An Unforgettable Whale Shark Adventure!
We had the best experience swimming with whale sharks, and it was all thanks to Ney, our amazing guide, and Julian, our fantastic captain! Ney was knowledgeable, fun, and made us feel totally comfortable in the water. We got to swim right alongside the whale sharks—truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
To top it off, we had a surprise encounter with a sea turtle, which made the day even better. After our swim, we cruised through the crystal-clear teal waters off Isla Mujeres, and enjoyed a delicious sandwich and freshly made ceviche!
The whole trip was seamless and well-organized from start to finish. The boat even had a shaded area, which was nice. We came back with lots of amazing photos for purchase from our guide too!
We had a great time and highly recommend this tour and especially Ney and Julian. You won’t regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
M5319bnjessicah
Jul 8, 2025
Underwhelming and Overpriced Experience - I do not usually leave reviews, but I booked this whale shark tour with Contoy Adventures, choosing one of the slightly higher-priced options because they advertised a small breakfast, ceviche, and snacks. Unfortunately, no breakfast was provided — we only received sandwiches and ceviche at the very end during a beach stop, which was honestly quite unpleasant due to a strong sewage-like smell in the area.
I had brought my drone hoping to capture some nice shots, and noticed there was a beach within walking distance. Interestingly, two ladies from our group were allowed to walk over to that beach to use the bathroom, but I was told I couldn't go there to fly my drone.
The tour itself feltvery rushed. You get maybe 30–40 seconds in the water next to the whale shark, and even though they strongly recommend renting a wetsuit for $15 (since either a wetsuit or life vest is mandatory), the encounter is so quick and chaotic that it really doesn’t make a difference. The peaceful images they use for marketing — where a person is gracefully swimming alongside the whale shark — are quite misleading, especially with the number of boats and people in the water.
Several people on our boat (3 out of 10) got very seasick and chose not to go in for their second swim, yet no one else was allowed to take their place, which seemed unfair considering how limited and short the experience is.
The crew was professional but not particularly warm or engaging — they didn’t create an inviting atmosphere for questions or conversation. Also, if you want photos or videos of your encounter, be prepared to pay nearly half the cost of the tour again.
In summary: while seeing a whale shark is truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment, the overall organization, value, and attitude on this tour didn’t live up to what was promised — especially for the price.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
