Whale Shark and Snorkeling Adventure from Isla Holbox
4.5
162 Ratings
Holbox

Can you imagine swimming with a 14-meter-long animal? Whale sharks, the biggest fish in the world, come every year to visit Holbox. They are totally harmless, so you will be able to swim by their side in an amazing and life changing experience. During the boat trip, you may see turtles, giant manta rays, dolphins, flamingos and/or many other species.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Gulf of Mexico - You will meet with your guide and group at the local Restaurante Mandarina Seaside, in Isla Holbox at 6:30 am, is located two blocks from the dock where we will board the boats. There, you will have a small briefing and get all the necessary equipment. You will also enjoy a light breakfast to have a great start. \n\nThen, you will walk to the pier, where the boat is waiting to start the journey to find the whale sharks. The trip will take you between one and two hours and you may find different species on the way (if you see a giant manta and its behavior permits it, you can also swim with this harmless creature). Once in the area, you will swim by the whale shark in groups of two plus the guide, for safety reasons and to ensure you get the best experience.\n\nOn the way back, you will stop near Cabo Catoche to snorkel the “cuevones” reef and maybe see sea turtles, nurse sharks, lobsters, squids, octopuses, and different reef fish. During the journey, we will prepare the freshest ceviche you’ll ever have. Finally, you will go to Santa Paula, where you can stretch your legs, have a pleasant swim and enjoy the ceviche. From this point, you have a 45-minute journey back to Holbox.
What's Included
  • Snorkeling equipment provided.
  • Light breakfast at Luuma: includes coffee, tea, fruits, yogurt, and sweet buns.
  • Signature ceviche dish.
  • Refreshments: cool water and sodas available.
  • Vegetarian-friendly option: Guacamole or mango for non-fish eaters.
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Taxi to / from meeting point
Additional Information
  • Children under 6 years old are not allowed.
  • Season starts officialy May 15, but the arrival of whale sharks to the area vary each year.
  • Subject to favorable weather conditions. If cancelled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
Location
Mandarina Seaside Restaurant
Avenida Damero
Av. Damero 310, 77310 Holbox, Q.R. Beach club and restaurante Mandarina , sea side.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(162 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Lukel285
Sep 15, 2023
Excellent - Excellent experience, what people don’t realise the distance you have to travel and you may still not see anything. I was lucky and it was an amazing day with our team.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
203jackt
Sep 3, 2023
An incredible experience! - My partner and I had booked our dream trip to see the world’s largest fish - and we weren’t disappointed at all. Eddie and Jorge were absolutely fantastic the whole time and did an amazing job to make sure everyone in the group could swim with the whale sharks. We had a bad view the first time, and Eddie and Jorge did amazing to make sure we could end the trip with incredible views. We would 100% recommend VIP Holbox - Eddie and Jorge were extremely professional and respectful of the whale sharks; something not consistent across all of the tour companies unfortunately. So we left feeling looked after, and most importantly the whale sharks too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sh
Sep 2, 2023
One for the bucket list - Can I leave more than 5 stars? Eddy and Jorge made the entire trip and experience unforgettable! From start to finish the communication was excellent. Please understand that the whale sharks are wild but if you are lucky enough to see them Jorge will position you and Eddy will swim with you alongside these beauties. The trip out is a bit rough even in fabulous weather but worth every bounce. Lunch and snorkeling (huge rays all around) just topped off an incredible experience. We felt safe,taken care of and respectful of the wildlife with VIP. Cannot recommend enough!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annap9615
Sep 2, 2023
Snorkelling with Whale Sharks - Such a great activity from the very start to the very end. Breakfast at a restaurant in town followed by a safety briefing from Eddie. We then made our way to find the whale sharks. We were so impressed with the care and respect they have for these animals and allowed us to see them without disturbing them. Everyone on the trip had the chance to see the whale sharks! We then went for a snorkel followed by some delicious ceviche and soft drinks. I would recommend this tour to everyone and Eddie was a great guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Abennett94
Sep 2, 2023
Whale Sharks - We had a great trip out with Eddie and Jorge. Absolutely worth it. It’s quite a long trip out by boat and on very choppy water at times but worth it once you get there. Each couple gets 2 “jumps” and after each jump, the boat has to join the back of the queue - there were anywhere between 5-10 different boats around at the same time. They are quite elusive creatures, often spending a few minutes at the surface and then diving deep out of sight and then popping up somewhere else. When they are at the surface they don’t hang about much either. The snorkelling on the way back is a bonus and lunch was good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
811benteh
Aug 25, 2023
Highlight of the trip! - Excellent start to finish! Our guide, Eddy, was really knowledgable and welcoming - swimming with the whale sharks was incredible, but it would have been a fantastic day even if we hadn’t been lucky enough to find them, with swimming, snorkeling and sightseeing around Holbox. Be mindful that the waters are really choppy, so if you are prone to seasickness take the offered Dramamine.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Matty_n
Aug 25, 2023
Choose Viator! - Eddy our guide was so awesome and so so helpful! The shark experience itself was simply wonderful and magical. One of kind experience for sure.
Review provided by Viator
Lorena_d
Aug 22, 2023
Beautiful Creatures - Keep in mind the trip took us like 2 hours and a half to find whale sharks but it was worth it. If you get sea sick like i do I recommend to take the pills the offer. The captain and the tour guide were extremely nice and they made sure we enjoyed the experience. Its a once i an lifetime experience if you like an adventure you wont regret it.
Review provided by Viator
817catn
Sep 15, 2023
Really good! - First off, Gustavo is incredible! He was a lovely guide and such a kind and thoughtful person. I was nervous on the speed boat and he was so kind and lovely to me the whole trip! The other staff members were super great as well. The whale shark experience was amazing, we got really up close to a beautiful one. The only negative is that there were so many boats and people around the sharks that it seems to have been stressful for them. Although the coast guard was there keeping a close eye on everyone which is great.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer
Aug 24, 2023
Think twice before booking - I wanted this experience to be amazing, but unfortunately it was not. Our guide was great, snorkeling was fun and the ceviche was delicious! But once we got to the whale sharks it was a scary mess. There were several other boats all competing to see the whale sharks the waves were high. Boats crashing into each other, the gas fumes were terrible it was awful. I was scared to get into the water thinking I could be hit by a boat. I was so bummed that it turned out this way. I don't believe any of the boats had a care in the world about the whale sharks and their safety. It was a sad and disappointing experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 10 guests
1
Adult
May 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today