Whale-Shark Snorkeling Excursion to La Paz

Three days ago we went diving and we had a Peruvian guide who lacks a lot of command with inexperienced divers, since during the dive two young Americans, approximately 25 years old, damaged the coral with their fins and hands and she never called their attention; she should have told them that it is a nature reserve. Furthermore, one of the divers I mentioned told me that he had not dived for more than three years, which makes him a danger to himself and a danger to the other divers. Cabo Trek must verify when a user's last dive was, since PADI prohibits diving if more than six months have passed...

The whole experience was incredible!! Andrea was such a wonderful guide on the trip to and from LaPaz and the lunch we had on the way home was a fun part of the trip!! She taught us a lot about the area and the local marine life. Our guide on the boat Raphael-also amazing- he was so great helping our kids get right next to the whale shark and him and our captain helped position us so we had lots of time swimming at arms length from the whale shark. It’s a long day but worth it to swim next to these beautiful creatures. So grateful for this day and the people who made it such an awesome experience. Highest recommendation for the team at CaboTrek!!

1. Communication was excellent. Our ticket said to arrive at their office at 6am. They texted & called us the night before to make sure we got their message about the time change to 8:30 am. (It’s not really mentioned but the govt controls the # of boats & the times they go out to see the Whale Sharks) Tour companies have no control over this. 2. Information from both our driver (Tia)& Paula our tour leader and Biologist guide regarding the Whale Sharks was very interesting. Expectations were explained with regard to our interactions with the Whale Sharks & the rules governing the Marine Park explained. All questions were answered b4 going to the boat. They supplied fins, masks, snorkels & shorty wet suits for those that wanted them. As we were there in early March, the water was still cold. We chose to bring all of our own gear. But all you really needed to bring was a towel, camera & water bottle. Maybe a change of clothes if you’re like us. Coming from Cabo is a 2.5 hr drive to La Paz & back. 3. We had a delicious lunch at a local restaurant in La Paz that’s included while waiting for our time to go out. Alcohol drinks not included. 4. We drove to the port to meet Paula & Niko? Our boat captain. Paula reviewed all info re:Whale Sharks & rules in the park as mentioned above. At the boat wet suits were handed out & we headed out. 5. Boat has a canopy so you’re in the shade if you choose. Waves were pretty choppy, 3-4ft so water was pretty murky. Visibility wasn’t the best. There was only 6 of us so we went out in groups of 2-4. There were at least 6 Whale Sharks feeding while we were there. Everyone had as much time as they wanted to spend with the Whale Sharks as we were a small group & my husband & I opted to only go out once. We were able to get some great pics from our time in the water & actually even better ones from our position in the boat as they swam right at us several times. 6. I would definitely recommend going with CaboTrek. It’s worth the extra cost to be guaranteed a spot on a boat going out. Their company/people were all wonderful. We’re actually planning on going back when the water is more calm & clear. They are gentle giants.

Absolutely amazing guides. You will definitely see whale sharks. The lunch after at a local restaurant was amazing as well.

On Tuesday, we swam with the most magnificent juvenile whale sharks in La Paz. It was an extraordinary experience to be in the presence of these gentle giants, and our guide Paola and captain Edgar were absolutely fantastic. An amazing swimmer and multi-tasker, Paola did an excellent job of ensuring that we always knew where to be, that we stayed safe, and that we followed all of the regulations to keep the whale sharks safe. I really appreciated that she prioritized the well-being of the whale sharks, and it is clear that this is not "just a job" for her; she is genuinely passionate about marine wildlife and very knowledgeable. We were surrounded by whale sharks for the entire encounter, and it was utterly magical. I'm not generally a fan of animal encounters that are potentially disruptive to the wildlife, but in this case, we chose Cabo Trek specifically because they are an ethical operator that partners with the Whale Shark Research Project, and I am so glad we made that choice. I really appreciate how highly regulated the activity is here in general, and that the regulations are very strictly enforced to protect the whale sharks, while also allowing us to get a tiny glimpse into their world. I would highly recommend Cabo Trek for this outing and especially with Paola as a guide; it was superb!!

We had an amazing time. Maris was a wonderful host and very informative. In addition to swimming with the whale sharks, we enjoyed wonderful food. The trip was long 2 hours each way and about 30 minutes by boat to get to the correct part of the bay. The time was definitely worth it,

The Swimming with Whale Sharks in La Paz tour is truly a unique experience. I feel honored that I got to swim so close to these magnificent creatures. Maria and Adriana were such great guides who truly went out of their way to ensure that everyone had the best experience during the day. The Marine Biologists who taught us about Whale Sharks and knew exactly how to find them were top notch. You could tell that all truly love what they do. In order to get the most out of this tour, it's important to keep these points in mind: 1) This is a full day tour that involves a lot of driving (2+ hours each way to La Paz) and a lot of time on the boat to get to the area where the whale sharks are. (They aren't just hanging out by the shore waiting for you to come hang out with them. ;-) ) 2) Ensure you have good equipment and it's working well before you spot the first whale shark. 3) Be prepared to jump in the water from the boat quickly when you spot a whale shark. You'll do this several times. 4) Be prepared for the whale shark to suddenly decide to move on to another spot - quickly. They're fast. You won't get in their way because you'll be swimming beside them, but it does mean that you have to be quick sometimes in order to observe the individual. Again, you'll get several opportunities to get close to one. You just need to be patient. 5) Enjoy and cherish the moments when you are near the whale sharks.

AMAZING - this is a bucket list adventure and would encourage anyone to go. The shark we swam along- side was a "teenager" male approx 16' long. He was big but it was so peaceful. We each got two 5 min swims with the whale shark which might not sound like much but it is a bit tiring to keep up with him (i am not the best swimmer) so it was perfect. Our marine biologist guide was extremely knowledgeable...it took a little time to find him (it was cloudy they day we went) but she delivered! Thank you Cabo Trek and to everyone else please don't hesitate to book this adventure

This excursion has a few parts to it. The drive to La Paz and then the whale shark excursion. The drive is approximately 2 hours each way. We had a very nice drive with Phillip both ways, he was super friendly and very informational. We stopped for a nice quick breakfast on the way to La Paz. The whale shark tour was fun but on our particular day it was more cloudy and the water visibility was not very good. We only had 3 customers on the boat which was nice. We spent a few hours on the water. Isaak (sp) was our guide and Eric our captain, they were both very nice and Isaak spent a bit of time discussing whale sharks and what to expect once we were in the water. We had multiple jumps into the water to check out the whale sharks which was nice. It was hard swimming to get to them, they try real hard to get sort of close with the boat but can't get too close. You swim hard with the guide and then swim closer to the whale sharks. As I expected, the whale sharks swimming slowly definitely outpaced us swimming hard. We did get to see a few whale sharks and was very close ( 6 ft) away on a a few. I do wish the water visibility was better but that is the way the dice rolls. The captain and the guide worked really hard to get us as many views of the whales as possible. We were pleased with their excitement, knowledge and friendliness. Before the ride back to Cabo, we had a great lunch and at a nice local restaurant, we really enjoyed the food and drink. Phillip was super nice to be so conversational with us on the ride home, I know it was a long day for him. Overall enjoyed the experience, wished we could have had better visibility but that is in Mother Natures control. Thanks to all for a overall good experience. ps - Go Inter-Milan :)

WOW! Everything was incredible! Phillip was awesome - took us to a GREAT breakfast spot. Lots of awesome conversation!! And then our whale shark guide, Fatima, was out of this world!!! She was fun and knew so much and some really powerful stories to tell! We were on the boat for a half hour to the whale shark spot which was totally worth it - we saw three whale sharks including a baby!!!! Phillip picked us back up, took us to a GREAT lunch spot, then got us home literally at the exact time he said he would! If you’re even thinking about this tour, Cabo Trek should be your only option!!! 🧡🧡🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🐋