Whale Shark and Snorkeling Adventure from Isla Holbox

Overview

Available languages

English

Spanish

7 hours

Mobile ticket

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.

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Light breakfast: coffee, tea, fruits, yoghurt and sweet buns.

Guacamole or mango for those who do not eat fish.

Cool water and sodas.

Snorkeling equipment.

Our famous ceviche.

Gratuities

Taxi to / from meeting point

What To Expect

You will meet with your guide and group at the our office, in Isla Holbox at 6:30 am, is located one block from the Main ferry pier (not by the beach side) . 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. Then, 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. On 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.

Options

Whale Shark and Snorkeling Adventure from Isla Holbox

Reviews

4.53

194 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

156

Be one with the Whale Sharks!
daviosarah,
Jul 5, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Our guide Eddie and captain Christian went above and beyond to make sure that the experience was top notch. They drove us a longer way where it wasn’t as crowded- we found ourselves surrounded by the whale sharks! Eddie was very competent and safety oriented. His and Christian’s homemade ceviche and guacamole served on the beach was out of this world. They showed us the migrating flamingos. Also, we stopped in the middle of jumping dolphins! Another treat was the unexpected giant manta rays feeding! Lots of time for pictures. I loved when Eddie said, “don’t worry about GoPros with your first dive- just connect with nature and the whale sharks”. I’d love to do this again!
Gustavo was a...
Min Y,
Jun 21, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Gustavo was a conscientious guide who really cared about the welfare of the whale sharks and made sure visitors behaved appropriately. While I was uncomfortable with how many boats were surrounding each whale (~50 boats around only 2-4 whales) VIP Holbox is a company that follows the rules and I highly recommended them as a tour operator for this experience. However, if wildlife management or animal welfare is of particular concern to you, I would consider skipping this tour altogether.
Magical whale sharks adventure
Elisa S,
Jun 10, 2025
- Viator
5.00
It was amazing. Seeing and swimming with the whale sharks was a magical experience. Of course our guide Deigo and captain are what made the experience truly a once in a lifetime experience. They were friendly, and outstanding! After guiding us on our swim to see the Whale sharks, they pulled up to a little quiet deserted beach and swam in crystal blue water they made us a lunch which we ate on the boat. On the way home we pulled over to see some flamingos. A perfect day. !
Highly recommended
Dustin L,
Aug 3, 2024
- Viator
5.00
Our guide, Diego, was fantastic. He showed great respect for the animals and was very knowledgeable. We were surprised when we had the opportunity to swim with them a second time. Diego also recorded us in the water with the whale shark and intends in distributing via WhatsApp. We had a great experience.
Excellent Adventure!
Roxanne K,
Jul 25, 2024
- Viator
5.00
Amazing experience! Our guide (Gustavo) and boat captain (Jorge) were excellent. The breakfast provided in the morning was a nice touch and the ceviche lunch on the beach was a perfect end to an adventurous day.