One of the most popular activities in Isla Mujeres is going on a whale shark tour. These giant animals show up every year near the island, and Mexican tourism allows tourists to go snorkeling with them.
The trip can definitely be worth it, but whale shark season Isla Mujeres also brings with it some questions that you’ll want to answer for yourself before booking a trip.
After living on this island for two years, having done the tour myself and having heard many reports about it, I have a pretty good understanding of the good, the bad, and the ugly of whale shark season. Let’s dive in!
My Personal Experience
Swimming with whale sharks is a unique experience that I remember to this day. We went on the 15th of June, which was quite early in the season. However, we were lucky to see a whale shark.
Seeing this animal for the first time in the wild is a sight you’ll remember forever. However, there are some definite pros and cons to the experience.
Pros: The tour operators in Isla Mujeres are all top-notch. We went with Sea Hawk Divers, and I have nothing to complain about. The tour guide and captain were friendly, and the tour guide spoke both Spanish and English fluently. The boats that are used by tour operators are small, but comfortable enough for the 4-6 hours you’ll spend there. Breakfast and lunch are often included as well. You’ll be well looked after in most cases.
Cons: Seeing whale sharks depends heavily on the weather. We went on a cloudy day and only saw one. If it’s a sunny day, you can see groups of 10-20 whale sharks; keep that in mind. Also, there are rules that need to be followed while swimming with whale sharks. However, not all tour operators follow these rules that well, and local governments don’t enforce them. Please respect the whale sharks yourself.
When Is Whale Shark Season in Isla Mujeres?
Whale shark season Isla Mujeres runs from the 1st of June to the 15th of September. The earliest tours will start right when the season starts. They’ll also end in the middle of September, once they have confirmed that there are really no whale sharks out there anymore.
Peak season is often considered to be the 1st of July to the 31st of August. This means that your chance of spotting a whale shark is almost 100%, assuming the weather is nice and sunny. However, this also means that you’ll definitely won’t be the only one looking for these animals.
There are no whale sharks during the rest of the year. That’s because whale sharks migrate to different places around the Caribbean depending on where they can find food.
How Whale Shark Tours Work from Isla Mujeres
The day we went for our whale shark tour, the weather definitely wasn’t optimal. It was kind of cloudy, which means that our chances of spotting whale sharks dropped dramatically. That’s because plankton (the main food source of whale sharks) dives deeper into the ocean if there’s no sun. That also means whale sharks dive deeper to find their food.
Our boat departed early in the morning at around 8 ‘o clock. That’s needed because whale sharks aren’t close to Isla Mujeres at all. It will take around 1 hour to get far enough into the sea to be able to spot whale sharks. This is completely different from the stories I’ve heard from people who have seen whale sharks in Asia, where you can often spot them right along the coast.
Nevertheless, you’ll spend the next 1 hour on a pretty small boat (depending on your tour operator) to get to the spot. In the meantime, you might see some other fish, and our guide was good enough that they would watch out for those as well. We did see some fish splashing on the surface, but nothing that was worth hanging around for.
How Swimming with Whale Sharks Is Organized
If you are lucky enough to see a whale shark, the whale shark circus starts. In our case, we were lucky to see one whale shark on this cloudy day. Also, we were the first boat to spot it. This was great because boats have to get in line and wait their turn before tourists can enter the water.
In our case, the whale shark was swimming, which meant the captain had to cross in front of it, and we’d jump into the water. Also, there is a limited number of people who can jump in at a time. It’s pretty exciting and a bit scary to jump into the open ocean like that.
Then, we had to crawl and swim alongside the whale shark for as long as possible. These animals swim fast, so I think I was able to swim with it for like 30 seconds before it got away from me. Also, you’re wearing a life jacket, so swimming isn’t easy to begin with.
At that point, I climbed back on the boat, and that was my encounter with a whale shark.
Note: I do want to emphasize that often an encounter with a whale shark is more relaxed. On a sunny day, the animals group together and stay in one place, which means you can calmly swim with them. However, if there’s a limited number of whale sharks, the boats will “fight” for them, which makes it much more chaotic and also makes me question if the well-being of the whale sharks was taken into account.
Tour Duration and Ending The Day
If you encounter whale sharks and you’ve had the opportunity to swim with them, the captain and the guide will often decide to call it a day and go back to Isla Mujeres. This means another 1-hour drive back to the island.
Depending on how long you swam with the sharks and how much time you spent looking for them, you’ll spend 4-6 hours on the boat. Depending on the boat, you’ll also get served lunch on the way back or near Playa Norte, where some tour operators park their boats.
Cost of Whale Shark Tours in Isla Mujeres
Swimming with whale shark season Isla Mujeres will cost around 2800 – 3200 pesos ($140 – $160 USD) per person. This includes the boat trips, snorkel gear, the guide (excl. tips if you want to tip them), snacks, and often lunch as well.
Some tour operators will take pictures (ours did) and include those as well or sell them to you. We also took plenty of videos ourselves, so everything was well documented.
If you’re staying on the island for a longer period and also want to go snorkeling on other days, check out this blog post: 7 Best Places For Snorkeling In Isla Mujeres After 2 Years On The Island
Rules of Swimming With Whale Sharks
Local governments have made an effort to protect whale sharks by means of regulation. How well tour operators hold themselves to these regulations is something we’ll discuss in the next heading. However, I thought it was a good idea to give you an overview of them.
Things you have to do:
- Wear a life jacket
- Only visit a whale shark with a certified tour guide
- Only have one boat in the water per whale shark
- Enter the water slowly and do not splash
- Keep a minimum of 16 feet (6 meters) distance between the swimmer and whale shark
- 330 feet (100 meters) waiting distance between boats
- 32 feet (10 meters) minimum distance between the boat and the whale shark
- No jumping into the water if there are fewer than 5 whale sharks
Things you’re not allowed to do:
- Don’t wear sunscreen, lotions, or oil
- Don’t touch the shark
- No use of drones
- No scuba diving
- No free diving
- No jumping into the water
- No lights or flashes
- No more than two people and a guide per whale shark
- No selfie sticks
- No feeding
Is Swimming With Whale Sharks Bad For The Sharks?
Yes, swimming with whale sharks is bad for the whale shark. That’s probably not the answer you want to hear, but it is the uncomfortable truth. There are two sides to the story, though, so let’s look at them both.
Why Swimming With Whale Sharks Is Bad
Swimming with whale sharks is bad for the whale sharks for numerous reasons. First, they’re wild animals, and by having boats around them and people next to them, they are being disturbed in their natural environment.
Secondly, there are rules to swim with the whale sharks, but in Mexico, rules often aren’t enforced all that well. That means that tour operators have to self-regulate. We did see a whale shark that had part of its dorsal fin cut in half, which, if you see how close some of the boats get to the whale shark (ignoring the 32 feet rule) isn’t all that surprising.
I’m sure that on a beautiful, sunny day, the environment is a lot calmer and less chaotic, but when we went, there were 20 boats waiting for the same whale shark. It’s just the way it is if rules aren’t actively being enforced.
Luckily, the good thing is that whale sharks can dive deeper as soon as they’re annoyed with the boats, so that’s a good point, I guess.
Why Swimming With Whale Sharks Is A Necessary Evil
On the other hand, swimming with whale sharks allows a big part of the local community to earn a living without hurting the environment around them. For example, many of the captains on the island find work in this industry. If they didn’t have this employment opportunity, they would start fishing more.
We’ve seen this happen in Baja California (on the other side of Mexico) where captains stopped hunting sharks and instead became employed in the eco-tour industry. That keeps the local wildlife intact, while still providing locals with the means to provide for themselves and send their kids to school.
It’s a win-some, lose-some situation.
Best Whale Shark Tour Operators on Isla Mujeres
There are almost twenty tour operators on Isla Mujeres that provide whale shark tours during peak season. When you check out the Google Maps reviews you’ll quickly realize that all of them have a score of 4.8 – 5, which means tour operators bring their A-game when it comes to these tours.
Nevertheless, here are some recommendations for operators that I’ve heard good things about:
Sea Hawk Divers
- Price per person: 3.000 pesos ($150 USD)
- Private tours: 24.000-30.000 pesos for 1-10 people.
- Maximum group size: 10 people
This is the tour we went on. The guide and the captain were great, and the guide spoke English very well. They really tried to make sure we were gonna have a great experience. It was difficult to find the whale shark at first, but we managed.
Unfortunately, due to an incoming storm, we didn’t have a chance to have lunch at Playa Norte. However, they did provide us with lunch in a nearby restaurant. 10/10 would recommend.
For more information: click here
We booked a fishing trip and went out with Manu, who was amazing. Super fun, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience feel easy even if you’re not a big fisher. You can tell he really knows what he’s doing and genuinely wants you to have a great time.
We ended up catching 10 barracuda, which was insane… and honestly such a fun experience start to finish. But the best part was what came next. Manu helped us bring our catch to a local restaurant where they prepared it for us, and we had fresh barracuda ceviche and tacos just a few hours later. Unreal.
Everything felt organized but still laid back and fun. No stress, just a really memorable experience.
If you’re in the area, book with Manu. 100% worth it.
If you speak English, French, or Spanish, no problem at all. This human-sized, family-owned dive shop is proudly trilingual, and you immediately feel the warm, personal touch that only a small family business can offer. No big-crowd factory diving here, just genuine people who love what they do. (And they're good at it!)
Our guide, Manu, was outstanding: extremely knowledgeable, attentive, and clearly passionate about both diving and protecting the reef. He always knew exactly where to go and took the time to explain what we were seeing. You can tell he truly cares, not just about giving you an amazing dive, but also about the marine environment itself.
And the marine life… wow. We saw an unbelievable amount of it, including 32 spotted eagle rays circling around us at the same time! It felt like being inside a nature documentary. Easily some of the best dives of my life.
What made it even better was the atmosphere, professional, safe, well-organized, yet relaxed and joyful. You’re not just another customer here; you’re treated like a welcomed guest.
I would 100% recommend this dive center to friends, family, and honestly anyone reading this review. If you’re looking for top-quality diving with heart, knowledge, and a big smile, this is the place. You really can’t go wrong.
Logan- I came here because I dove with him last year and he’s amazing. He takes care of your gear and ensures everything is working excellent. On the dive, he points all the wildlife he can find. I had my longest dive with him. He also set us up so I could snorkel with my niece on the same trip. Had 3 snorkel sites, I dove on one. Tons of marine life spotted on all the locations. Rons of barracudas, bat fish, sting rays, star fish, puffer fish, parrot fish, eels and more.
Best snorkeling I’ve had in a long time. Oscar was a wonderful snorkeling guide too. Took great care of all the first timers.
Contact Logan and he’ll set you up with whatever experience you need!
DC Explorer
- Price per person: 3.200 pesos ($159 USD)
- Private tours: 23.400 pesos ($1.169 USD) for 1-10 people.
- Maximum group size: 10 people
For more information: click here
Everything was exactly as advertised. When you book with DC Explorer, you’re actually going out with their team and not being passed off to a random operator like some other companies do. I had read great reviews about guide Ricky and captain Gabriel, so I was thrilled when they introduced themselves at the dock.
A couple of unexpected highlights: you can rent a wetsuit and wear it instead of a life jacket while swimming, which made the experience even better. Ricky also took some great videos, which he airdropped right on the boat. I saw complaints about other tours never sending media, so this was a big plus. As others have said, the ceviche was delicious, and there were plenty of cold drinks on board.
Recommendations: Wear a hat and UPF shirt.
We saw a huge number of whale sharks. Not sure if every group hears this, but we were told it was one of the best days of the season. Everyone got to swim twice, and although we could see lots of other boats nearby, our group was set apart with its own cluster of sharks, away from the chaos. I felt safe the entire time and would absolutely recommend this tour.
We also had a great group. I dropped my camera at North Beach, and everyone helped me find it on the bottom. Huge thanks to the couple from the Netherlands that spotted it!
Whale Shark Adventures
- Price per person: 2.500 pesos ($150 USD, they use an unfavorable currency rate for USD).
- Private tours: 25.000 pesos ($1.500 USD) for 1-10 people.
- Maximum group size: 10 people
For more information: click here
Jeannine and Mark
Besides Alain made sure to record those beautiful memories with the camera so we could just enjoy the moment.
I absolutely recommend this tour, it is a once in a life experience!!
Isla Sea Tours
- Price per person: 2.800 pesos ($139 USD)
- Private tours: 24.000 pesos ($1.199 USD) for 1-10 people.
- Maximum group size: 10 people
For more information: click here
We got lucky and there were 60-80 whale sharks out the day we went! They’re so docile and just want to swim and eat. If you get sea sick definitely plan ahead and bring some medicine. I got super sick (no fault of the tour guides) just some friendly advice to plan ahead for that!
We definitely will be booking again in the future and bringing family along. Will 100% book the private boat again since you get so much more time in the water with the whale sharks!!
Tips for Seeing Whale Sharks in Isla Mujeres
Want to be certain that you’ll encounter some whale sharks during your time in Isla Mujeres? Here are some practical tips:
- Book early during peak season: in July and August, boats fill up fast. If you’re only here for a couple of days, making a reservation is a must.
- Bring seasickness medication: you can also buy this in one of the numerous pharmacies in the northern part of the island. We ended up with a woman who got really seasick, and she had to go through hell for 6 hours. Definitely don’t want you to experience that.
- Bring water: the tour operators provide water as well, but being in the sun for 6 hours means you’ll drink a lot. Better safe than thirsty.
FAQ
What months are whale sharks in Isla Mujeres?
Whale sharks visit Isla Mujeres between early June and the middle of September. The rest of the year, they’re not near Isla Mujeres.
Is swimming with whale sharks in Isla Mujeres safe?
Yes, precautions are taken, and there are rules about how many swimmers can swim with a whale shark at a time. However, if there are not that many whale sharks available, it can get a bit chaotic with the number of boats that want to see the whale sharks that are available.
How much does a whale shark tour cost in Isla Mujeres?
Whale shark tours in Isla Mujeres cost $140 – $170 USD. Private tours start at $1.169 for a boat that can seat 10 people.
Can beginners snorkel with whale sharks?
Yes, you’re provided a life jacket and snorkeling gear. The minimum age to attend the tour is 4 years old.
Are whale shark sightings guaranteed in Isla Mujeres?
No, on cloudy days, the whale sharks may not be visible because their food source (plankton) is not on the surface but deeper into the ocean. However, the tour guide and captain will always do their best to find them.
Is Isla Mujeres or Cancun better for whale shark tours?
Isla Mujeres is a little closer to the whale shark spot than Cancun. From Isla Mujeres, expect a 1-1.5 hour boat drive. From Cancun, this will be 1.5-2 hours.
What should I bring on a whale shark tour?
If you suffer from sea sickness, definitely take some sea sickness medication. Tour guides often don’t have this with them, and being stuck on a boat for 6 hours is the last thing you want to do. Also, bring towels, water, and some extra snacks.
