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Swimming with Whale Sharks in La Paz

10 Tours & Activities

Whale Shark snorkeling tour in a reduced group with local marine biologist

Name: Whale Shark snorkeling tour in a reduced group with local marine biologist
Brand: MeXplore
SKU: 48947P1
Price: 145.45 USD
Rating: 5.0 (372 reviews)

La Paz, Mexico

From $145.45

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All Recommendations How to Spend 1 Day in La Paz Swimming with Whale Sharks in La Paz

Nearby

Baja California Sur

2 to 3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Swim with peaceful whale sharks on this snorkeling adventure from La Paz. Join a small group sail and strap on all the complimentary equipment you’ll need—wetsuit, mask, snorkel, and fins. Then, jump in the water with an experienced guide and enjoy multiple swims with these gentle giants. Enjoy complimentary snacks, soda, and water.

Explore the underwater world of whale sharks on this guided excursion
Enjoy the personalized experience of a small group tour of no more than 8
Make the most of complimentary equipment including wetsuit, mask, and fins
Swim with the ocean’s largest fish, the calm and graceful whale shark

What's Included

Light refreshments
Professional guide
Use of snorkel equipment and wetsuits
Federal permits (whale shark bracelet)
Traveler's insurance
Pictures and videos of your tour

Transportation to/from attractions
Gratuities
Towel, sweatshirt and biodegradable sunscreen

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Miguel L. de Legaspy SN-S THE DOCK CAFE
Miguel L. de Legaspy SN-S THE DOCK CAFE, Zona Central, 23000 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
It is VERY important to arrive on time at the hour marked on your ticket. The tolerance is max 10 min. We will meet at "Marina de La Paz" which is located in the corner of "Topete and Legaspy" streets, you can just walk into the marina and search for the "meeting point".

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

MeXplore Tours (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Bring towel, sweatshirt and biodegradable sunscreen
Minimum age is 4 years
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
A maximum of 6 people per booking
Activity restricted for safety and federal regulations to: women in pregnancy, heart, neck and breathing problems

Service animals allowed
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 9 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Charles Denis P

Very interesting experience. Well organized snorkeling trip Captain and guide did a great job! Recommend it for your trip to La Paz!

Reviews

5.0

372 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 372 reviews

The guide was very...

Chris_M, Jan 2023

The guide was very knowledgeable and they got us very close to the whale sharks. Unfortunately the water was murky but, of course, nothing the tour could do about that.

Canceled due to weather

miss_n, Jan 2023

We didn’t go because the weather was bad and the port was closed. But they gave us a refund. We haven’t got the refund yet. But it was just canceled yesterday. So I’m sad that we didn’t get to go

A Special Experience with the Whale Sharks

Daniel_S, Jan 2023

Great time. The sharks are massive and impressive to see up close. A very special experience. Highly recommend. Maritza, our guide, was endlessly knowledgeable, patient, clear, enjoyed explaining and discussing all things marine biology. Captain Danny was very adept and with an impressive ability to spot the sharks from a long distance. Everything was smooth and enjoyable. Group size was pleasant. Couldn't have asked for better.

Thrilling experience.

Brendan_H, Jan 2023

The first dive was thrilling! I will be sure to highly recommend the tour with friends. Thanks for a great time.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Fantastic!

Richard_N, Jan 2023

Karen was a terrific guide. Her live for whale sharks is contagious. Thanks for a terrific experience!

Magnificent whale sharks up close!

Tim_G, Jan 2023

We had a great chance to see whale sharks up close. Went into water a couple of times and both times had great views of these magnificent creatures. They split our boat into smaller 3-4 people groups so we were not crowding around the shark and had ample room to swim next to it. When we were not in the water we had fun cheering the other people from our group who were chasing after the shark. Our tour guide (Carla) was super helpful and friendly. We would definitely recommend this tour!!

Wonderful whale sharks

Julia_S, Dec 2022

Had an amazing experience. Eric was very knowledgeable and helped get me in a great position to swim with the whale sharks. I was also very impressed at how sustainable and geared towards the animals and welfare they were. Also they were always quick to respond if I had any questions before the experience itself.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Great day on the water....

Paul_K, Dec 2022

Great day on the water. The captain was very professional and made us all feel safe. I’m happy that they are limiting and controlling the experience

Great host, professional...

John_P, Dec 2022

Great host, professional and concerned for the whales well being. Very knowledgeable. Everyone felt safe and loved the experience.

Whale shark swimming

Sandrine_f, Dec 2022

Whale shark season opened the day after our initial booking day. The team was great to inform us and giving us options. They kept us updated about the season opening, wind and weather forecast… we could book a later date and the experience was great. Our marine specialist was knowledgeable, happy to answer any question. We could swim multiple times with the whale sharks and had plenty of time to see them. It was a great day, highly recommend it.

Excellent guide Eric and...

Maureen_C, Nov 2022

Excellent guide Eric and captain Archie did a fabulous job spotting the whaleshark and guiding. Nice to have a small group

Small group is best

Erick_A, Nov 2022

This was my third time snorkeling with the whale sharks here in La Paz, always an amazing experience. MexPlore is a good operator, with a skilled captain and knowledgeable guide. The smaller number of people on this trip, as compared to some less expensive versions, meant more time in the water and more time watching the huge sharks. Highly recommend!

Absolutely Magical

Hannah_O, Apr 2022

This was an absolutely unforgettable experience! Our resident marine biologist Maritzia and captain Israel were the most phenomenal crew, giving us so much information on whale sharks and ensuring we were having a great time from start to finish. We had a small group (four of us) and were able to take multiple turns swimming with the whale shark we found (Pascual, I believe- all of them are named and recognizable by pattern!), which was exhilarating. Afterward, we happened upon a pod of false killer whales and were able to follow them around for true true experience of a LIFETIME. This was so laid back, so magical, and the highlight of my trip to La Paz. Could not recommend more highly!

A great experience and a great conservation-minded system.

James_S, Mar 2022

Super friendly and knowledgeable guide and captain. The whole system for seeing the whale sharks is impressive. Each boat is given a scheduled time to move into a particular area of the whale shark zone. There is radio coordination with a whale shark traffic controller on shore who advises when boats are to enter and to leave. The captains are deferential to the sharks but do a really great job getting guests close enough for viewing and swimming alongside the whale sharks. The whale sharks, for their part, seem to not mind. I feel like this is one of the best, most conservation-minded, nature experiences that I have had.

Grreat Trip Recomended if you are in La Paz. It is not everyday you swimm with a whale shark.

Gary_T, Mar 2022

Had a great trip with Mexplore. Very memorable day swimming with whale sharks. Liked that the guide and company send videos and photos of your trip. It seems they do care about the whale sharks and each boat finds its own whale shark. Recommended

Great whale shark adventure!

Josh_K, Mar 2022

We had a wonderful guide who helped with everything from the gear to getting so close to the whale sharks. They would find a whale shark and the help you swim right next to them. We saw several within a short period of time. The guide also helped my children so that they could be right next to the sharks for a long time. It was amazing!

1 traveler found this review helpful

Everyone had a great...

Courtney_P, Mar 2022

Everyone had a great time. Guide was great. Water was warmer than we expected which was great. Husband went in 3 times! Recommend.

Fantastic experience.

Tanalyn_P, Mar 2022

Wow this was a fast paced and amazing trip. Both the tour guide and boat operator were fantastic. Tour guide made sure each of us were successful and were able to swim with the whale shark.

Amazing adventure. The...

Arnold_A, Mar 2022

Amazing adventure. The hosts were wonderful and made everyone was taken care of. The experience with the whale sharks is once (or many times) the experience of a lifetime.

Once in a lifetime experience!

Yolanda_W, Feb 2022

Maritza and Danny were amazing tour guides. Very attentive and informative. We were very lucky to find a whale shark shortly after entering the water. Maritza made sure our group had plenty of time in the water to swim along aide the whale shark. Definitely recommend!!!!

Awesome experience

Samantha_M, Feb 2022

Awesome experience. Marita was so knowledgeable and passionate about Whale Sharks and happy to answer every question. Great swimmer as well :) And Danny made sure that everyone got their fair share of swimming really close to one of the sharks. 10/10 would do again!

Love the experience 🐳

Diane_R, Feb 2022

The Tour guide was knowledgeable and was passionate about whale sharks and brining awareness of the laws to protect them. She helped us see the whale shark and never got tired of swimming! She was awesome.

Cool, lil chilly

John_I, Feb 2022

The hosts were great. She swam forever keeping track of the whale shark! Visibility was a little poorer than I thought. A little chilly in the AM so bring a sweatshirt. Cool experience!

Amazing Experience

Lisa_S, Jan 2022

Estephanie was so passionate and knowledgeable about whale sharks. She made sure we all had several opportunities to snorkel with the whale sharks. Daniel our captain was amazing as well getting us close to the whale sharks but being very respectful of their space. I am so glad we had the opportunity to snorkel with the whale sharks.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Connection with locals and our aquatic friends

Taiyoko_S, Jan 2022

Andrea was amazing and so was captain running the boat. Setting expectations, preparing us for all scenarios, taking care of all the details, and sharing the interrelationships of what we saw and why. We snorkeled a few times before getting the rhythm. I felt like a kid again, feeling so much love and connection to these graceful creatures. Sending gratitude and love for everyone involved. I’m glad this is regulated to provide guardianship to these beautiful fish of the water.

Great experience still but would go private next time

Moshe_R, Jan 2022

Getting to see the whale sharks was incredible. You should know that this is not an easy snorkel though, you have to be a very confident swimmer to keep up with them. If you can’t keep up they will call you back to the boat (and you don’t see much at all from the boat). Although the guide may have been a marine biologist, the few facts he told us were pretty basic and anybody could have. I didn’t leave with significantly more knowledge of the natural history. I did appreciate that they set firm boundaries and how close to get to the whale sharks and no selfie sticks were allowed, which I definitely approve of. Pablo did try to get video of everyone in our group with the whale shark but he had trouble due to the group size. Another issue with too many people on the boat Is only 5 may be in at once so we had to take turns and it was quite cold sitting on the boat waiting for our next turn after we had been in once. A plus is they do provide wetsuits. Water temp in January was in the high 60s low 70s and it felt cold! After this I would recommend booking a private tour guide so that you don’t have to worry about some of these things.

2 travelers found this review helpful

Unique snorkeling adventure

John_F, Dec 2021

The guide was knowledgeable and friendly. We were able to swim with two different whale sharks. ........

1 traveler found this review helpful

You have to do this!!!!!!!!

Stephen_R, Dec 2021

This was an absolutely amazing experience. These folks know what they are doing. Great communication and talk about accomodation. Our group (8) were on a Princess cruise and we were concerned about getting back to the ship on time. They took us back to the ship!!!! Talk about service. The Whale Sharks are awesome!!! Our marine biologist Marrisa was passionate about protecting these animals. They even have names for them. Snokling with them was incredible, just seeing them on the surface was a great treat. Be prepared to swim/snokle in open water. Best bucket list trip ever.

Relax, enjoy

joseph_r, Dec 2021

It was another beautiful way to see this city from the water coupled with a graceful swim with a gentle giant

1 traveler found this review helpful

This is the one to book

Keith_N, Apr 2021

Eric (sp) was a great guide. Since it is at the end of the season, there are fewer whale sharks around and he wanted to be sure we experienced swimming with the whale sharks. Small group, individualized attention. It was a perfect day! No wind, clear water and three sharks!

1 traveler found this review helpful