Whale Shark snorkeling tour in a reduced group with local marine biologist
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Hop in the best whale shark tour in La Paz. Meet the biggest fish in the world, the giant gentle.
Just a few minutes into La Paz bay you will search and swim with one or more whale sharks, guided by a local marine biologist who will share lots of interesting information about this species. On whale shark tours, we allow maximum 9 people per boat so we can offer you can have a comfortable and personalized experience.
This activity is probably the most special in the area, and La Paz is on the top 3 worlwide spots to do whale shark snorkeling tours. That's why the activity is highly regulated by the Government and us, tour operators, to ensure its protection and hopefully they'll keep coming back every year. So if you're a nature lover, this is exactly what you're looking for!
Please consider that in order to operate this tours we need good weather. La Paz bay closes to all boat tours when winds are strong, thus we will need to cancel. We can let you know this 1-2 days in advance.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Bring towel and warm clothes (VERY important Nov-March) and biodegradable sunscreen
Activity restricted for safety and federal regulations to: women in pregnancy, heart, neck and breathing problems
Freediving is not allowed due to Federal regulations, only snorkeling in the surface
In case of bad weather forecast, we will let you know 2-3 days in advance. In some cases the waves can be moderate causing a choppy ride, and on other days with high winds, the bay may be closed officially to all boat tours
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
La Paz
This is a very special tour since La Paz is one of the only spots in the world where we can enjoy the whale sharks in a sustainable and conscious way, that's why the Government has several rules in order to protect them. The whale shark area is restricted to only 14 boats at the time, thus we get turns assigned every day. On average, we get the turn we requested 95% of the time, but some times we get a later turn on the day, or in a worst case, we don't get a turn at all (this is very unlikely, the last season this happened only on 2 tours out of 200+) so we ask you kindly to be reachable on your phone or email that you provided us when booking, because in any of this cases we need to inform you the day before, that is when we know which turn we got. Please make sure either the contact email or phone you provided us is reachable during your stay in La Paz in case we need to contact you before the tour for a change of schedule.
What‘s Included
Certified guide and captain
Light refreshments
Traveler's insurance
Federal permits and donation for whale shark conservation
Go pro photos and videos of your tour (quality will depend on the day's conditions)
Use of snorkel equipment and wetsuits (3mm shorties)
Transportation to/from attractions
Gratuities
Towel, sweatshirt and biodegradable sunscreen
Options
Whale sharks
Approx 3 hour trip for whale shark sightseeing and snorkeling.. It is VERY IMPORTANT to arrive on time.
Duration: 3 hours
Reviews
572 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
MeXplore is the BEST
purpletiger70,,Jan 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Karen was amazing. She has a master's degree directly related to whale sharks and was incredibly knowledgable, lively and fun. We were so happy to have her as our tour guide. The whale shark we swam with was about 6 meters. Bucket list excursion for sure. Book with MeXplore, they are simply the best. (We also did the sea lion rookery excursion with them, 10/10. Excellent captian and guide, Jaime).
Swimming with the whale sharks
douglaswoodconst2022,,Jan 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our trip with Angel and crew was great. We had a very small group which allowed us to have a lot of time in the water with the whale sharks. I would recommend this smaller group for this experience to anybody looking to swim with the whale sharks.
Activity of a lifetime for all ages!
GLC3102,,Jan 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Oh wow! This was amazing. We went out and easily found the whale sharks. We each got to swim several times with "Kaz". It's just an experience of a lifetime to be this close to these majestic animals. We hired a driver for the day (8 hours) to take us from Cabo to La Paz. It's about 2 hours each way and well worth it. Be sure to bring a change of dry clothes for the ride home.
Spectacular day with whale sharks
MARTIN S,,Jan 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00What an amazing experience. Their professionalism gave all on board the maximum time swimming with the whale sharks. Their priority was our safety and respect for the whale shark and the environment. I would do it again in a second! Wow
you won't enjoy the...
Haley G,,Jan 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00you won't enjoy the experience as much if you are hungover boat ride can be rough and the swimming can be exhausting trying to keep up with the shark, but it is incredible to swim with these magnificent creatures!
Top notch experience
Gina C,,Jan 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Karen our guide and Captain Israel were amazing. Karen’s knowledge as a biologist (her thesis was on whale sharks) and her stamina in the water were key to this great experience. She and the captain worked together as a team to find “our” whaleshark (later IDd from a data base as “Tigger”) and give our group each 3-4 opportunities to swim alongside him. Karen simultaneously swam with each group, helping us maintain a safe distance, kept the captain informed about where the shark was moving and taking pictures and videos to share with us! I HIGHLY recommend the tour and this team in particular.
Recommend!
Amy I,,Jan 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00I received an email at least four days in advance that the wind/weather might cause our trip to be cancelled - it was good to know that could be a possibility. Fortunately, it turned out to be a calm, beautiful day. It took maybe an hour to spot a whale shark. We each had several turns to swim with the whale shark. Our guide Angel took videos (a bonus to get those). I'd recommend bringing your own GoPro if you want to get more footage. Our boat Captain Ash was also helpful in notifying us when to jump on and off the boat. The guide and captain maintained respect for the number of people in the water and kept the boat a safe distance away from the whale shark. I'd recommend this experience and MeXplore to others!
Amazing time!
ileel2025,,Jan 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a beautiful, fun, and unforgettable experience! The smaller group was very nice and felt very hands-on. The driver was amazing. The marine biologist was very knowledgable and exciting. There were clear instructions along with communication on the plan. I would definitely recommend this experience!
Sadly, the weather and...
Heather T,,Jan 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Sadly, the weather and sea conditions were too rough so our tour was cancelled. However, I do have to mention the tour reps and their communication. Outstanding!! They advised us several days in advance that the tour may be cancelled, and provided the possible reasons why. They kept in touch as our tour date grew closer. And then advised us the day before that it was indeed cancelled, and we could choose between rescheduling or a full refund. As this was booked close to the end of our vacation, we were unable to reschedule. We did receive a full refund. While we didn’t get to do this bucket list item, we would 100% recommend this tour company!! Thank you for your thorough communication.
Maria and Danny Team
Nicole D,,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Maria was a great host and very knowledgeable as a marine biologist! Danny our captain was very enthusiastic and found the first whale shark of the second group entrance of the day! Well controlled environment with one boat only per shark so you and your boat members are they only ones with that particular shark. Great experience and highly recommended!
From MX$3,200.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Related Experiences
Operated by MeXplore