Whale Shark and Snorkeling Adventure from Isla Holbox
Description
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.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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
Reviews(237)
Everything starts early (at 6:30 in the morning) with breakfast and an explanation from the boat manager. After that, you get on the boat and sail for 2.5-3 hours in the open sea until you reach the place where the whale sharks are, and that is where the surprise begins: you dive in pairs (with the instructor) to fully enjoy the experience and see the sharks just a few centimeters away from you. Once the tour is over, you head to a beautiful beach where you have lunch and can take a swim in the lagoon. The return is in the afternoon (around 4:00 PM). Truly super exciting!!
Buenos Dias just wanted to say thank you to gustavo and the team for making Maxine’s birthday an extra special day yesterday. Much appreciated. Muchas Gracias
INCREDIBLE!!! Swimming with shark whales is a once in a life experience but doing it with VIP Holbox puts it at another level. The great briefing before sailing, the personal care of Eddy, the great ceviche prepared by Captain Jorge made the whole day a wonderful day to remember
Hola Luz, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 🌊🦈 We’re thrilled to hear that swimming with the whale sharks with us made your experience even more special. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Eddy and Captain Jorge—they’ll be so happy to know that their care and delicious ceviche helped make your day unforgettable! It was a pleasure having you with us 💙
What a day!!! At the first spot, there was only one shark that didn't appreciate the tourists. So we headed out into the Caribbean Sea. There... there were dozens of sharks as well as many manta rays! Then... snorkeling (with a nurse shark), fresh ceviche in the lagoon and... back to the port to treat the sunburns!
My family and I did the whale shark expedition with VIP Holbox and it was a wonderful experience. Both the guide and the captain of the Fragata boat explained the entire procedure and the rules to keep us safe and also protect the whale shark. A true ecotourism experience, I highly recommend it.
Hola Rosana ¡Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia y por recomendarnos! Nos alegra saber que usted y su familia disfrutaron de la expedición del tiburón ballena. Gracias por valorar nuestro compromiso con el ecoturismo. Esperamos tener el placer de recibirlos nuevamente en Holbox para vivir otra gran aventura. ¡Hasta la próxima!
Out of all the excursion I’ve ever been to around the world this is by far one of the best. Snorkeling a few feet away from whale sharks and manta rays was exciting. The ceviche and mango provided were delicious! I’d come back to do this again
Absolutely incredible experience. 10/10 and Eddie plus our captain were the absolute best. They got us so close to the whale sharks swimming with us and our kids as young as 6. The lunch they made us in the nature preserve where we saw flamingos and puffer fish was incredible. They were thoughtful and knowledgeable and fun and so good with us and the kids! Once of a lifetime for all!
Wow fantastic - amazing swimming with these majestic animals. Was a long way out almost 3.5hr and very bumpy but well worth the effort.
Super nice day. You do have to take the boat to find the animals, and it can get rough every now and then. But when you finally find the whale sharks, wow! What an experience. On the way back we had a lovely lunch in a beautiful mangrove. Absolutely recommended!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for recommending us! It truly makes us happy to know that your encounter with the whale sharks was such a special experience. We know that reaching them requires a bit of patience and that the sea can sometimes be a little rough, but seeing these gentle giants swimming freely in their natural habitat makes every moment of the journey worthwhile. We're also delighted that you enjoyed the lunch and the beautiful surroundings on the way back. Thank you for trusting us to be part of this unique adventure. We hope to welcome you back again soon! Muchas gracias !
Highly recommend! An amazing day on the water. Stunning boat ride, had the opportunity to swim with the whale sharks. Unbelievable! The stop at the ria, complete with a delicious fresh ceviche lunch, was the perfect finale. Our guide, David, was very knowledgeable and prioritized the safety of our group and the animals. Pablo was an excellent captain, always mindful of our safety and comfort. I’d take this tour again in a heartbeat.
