Sighting guaranteed in July and August!
Tour Information
- Details
- Quick Details
Tour Days Every Day of the Week Duration Full Day Price: From 163 $ Country Mexico Departure from Cozumel, Riviera Maya, Cancun, Playa del Carmen Trip Style Animal Encounters Activities Swim and snorkel with Whale Sharks Physical Demand Medium Season From May through September - With Flight
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With Flight From Cozumel
These tours can go either to Holbox or Isla Mujeres, each have their own elegance and appeal. Since the location of Holbox is in the Gulf of Mexico where waters are richer in plankton you can get to see more wildlife compared to the Caribbean Sea. From Cancun and Isla Mujeres you will see the Whale Sharks in the very clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. We recommend you to visit both to see and appreciate the best of each.
The tour by air has a meeting point at Cozumel Airport at 7:00 am. Depart 7:30 am. Getting to the airport is easy by taxi from anywhere on the island. The tour takes off with a scenic flight over the coasts of Yucatan Peninsula in a small aircraft. You will fly low enough to enjoy spectacular views!
Whale-Shark-Tou...After landing on Holbox’s or Isla Mujeres small airstrip you will be transferred to a fast boat for an unforgettable whale shark tour.
The 4 hour whale shark tour includes experienced multilingual guides, plenty of time to have a close encounter with these amazing creatures, snorkel equipment, drinking water and sandwiches.
After the boat tour, you will return to Holbox or Isla Mujeres island to have a beach snorkel (Isla Mujeres only) and lunch. At Holbox we have added some free time to explore the small village before your flight back to Cozumel. At Isla Mujeres you will have extra time at the beach lunch.
You will be back at Cozumel Airport at around 3 pm.
Included in the Tour:
- Round trip flight Cozumel - either to Holbox or Isla Mujeres – Cozumel in small aircraft
- 4 hr whale shark tour
- snorkel equipment
- multilingual guide
- drinking water and lunch
Price:
Price to Isla Mujeres: US$321.00 per person (minimum 3 passengers*)*This tour is available for 2 passengers with an extra $59.00 per person supplement.
Not included in tour price: US$ 35.00 airport tax to be paid at the airport.
Price to Holbox upon request
What to Bring:
- Confortable walking shoes and lightweight clothing
- Swimsuit, towel and change of clothes
- Sun protection (biodegradable lotion only)
- Pocket money for airport tax, optional tips and souvenirs
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Whale-Shark-Tou...
whale-shark-tou...Information for divers:
The flight from Cozumel to Holbox or Isla Mujeres and back has a height of 1500 - 2500 feet which is a low flight. To be extra sure there is no problem for divers, the local hyperbaric chamber recommends 12 hours between your last recreational, no-decompression dive and this flight. Normal dives on Cozumel are no-decompression dives, so you can have a normal day of diving before taking the Whale Shark Tour! You should be out of the water at 7 pm the day before the flight; night dives are not recommended on the night before this tour.
As you probably know, there is no problem with diving after flying.
- Ground Transfer
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cozumel-holboxGround trips from Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cancun
You will be picked up from your hotel early in the morning and drive to Holbox or to Isla Mujeres from where the ultimate whale shark experience begins.
Each of these 2 destinations, Holbox or Isla Mujeres have their own elegance and appeal. Since the location of Holbox is in the Gulf of Mexico where waters are richer in plankton you can get to see more wildlife compared to the Caribbean Sea. From Cancun and Isla Mujeres you will see the Whale Sharks in the very clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. We recommend you to visit both to see and appreciate the best of each.
Meeting point is at your Hotel lobby:
- Tulum - Playa del Carmen 6:00am-6:30am
- Playa del Carmen - Cancun 6:30am-7:15am
Transportation to Holbox takes 3 hrs while to Punta Sam (near Isla Mujeres) takes only 1 hr.
After arriving to Isla Mujeres or to Holbox, you will be transferred to a fast boat for an unforgettable whale shark tour.
The 4 hour whale shark tour includes experienced multilingual guides, plenty of time to have a close encounter with these amazing creatures, snorkel equipment, drinking water and sandwiches.
After the boat tour, you will return to Holbox or Isla Mujeres island to have a beach snorkel (Isla Mujeres only) and lunch. At Holbox we have added 1 hour of free time to explore the small village before your return to Cozumel. At Isla Mujeres you will have extra time at the beach lunch.
Tours to Isla Mujeres expect to be back at your Hotel around 4 pm.
Tours to Holbox expect to be back at your Hotel around 7 pm.
Included in the tour:
- Round trip ground transfer trip from your hotel to either Holbox or Punta Sam (near Isla Mujeres)
- 4 hr whale shark tour, snorkel equipment, multilingual guide, lunch, snacks and drinking water
Price:
Seasonal discount price to Isla Mujeres from Playa del Carmen or Tulum:
US $189.00US$ 169.00 per person!From Cancun to Isla Mujeres:
US $189.00US$ 163.00 per person!Price to Holbox: US$189.00 per person
What to Bring:
- Confortable walking shoes and lightweight clothing
- Swimsuit, towel and change of clothes
- Sun protection (biodegradable lotion only)
- Pocket money for optional tips and souvenirs
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Whale-Shark-Tou...
cozumel-flight
By land from Cozumel
This ground tour starts at Cozumel and can go either to Holbox or to Isla Mujeres. Each of these 2 destinations have their own elegance and appeal. Since the location of Holbox is in the Gulf of Mexico where waters are richer in plankton you can get to see more wildlife compared to the Caribbean Sea. From Cancun and Isla Mujeres you will see the Whale Sharks in the very clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. We recommend you to visit both to see and appreciate the best of each.
The meeting point is at Playa del Carmen ferry pier at 6:45 am. You should take the 6 am ferry from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen.
The a/c ground transportation will be waiting for you at Playa del Carmen to take you either to Holbox or to Isla Mujeres. Both tours cost the same, however transportation to Holbox takes 3 hrs while to Punta Sam (near Isla Mujeres) takes only 1 hr.
After arriving to to Holbox or to Isla Mujeres, you will be transferred to a fast boat for an unforgettable whale shark tour.
The 4 hour whale shark tour includes experienced multilingual guides, plenty of time to have a close encounter with these amazing creatures, snorkel equipment, drinking water and sandwiches.
After the boat tour, you will return to Holbox or Isla Mujeres island to have a beach snorkel (Isla Mujeres only) and lunch. At Holbox we have added 1 hour of free time to explore the small village before your return to Cozumel. At Isla Mujeres you will have extra time at the beach lunch.
Tours to Isla Mujeres expect to be back at Cozumel around 6 pm.
Tours to Holbox expect to be back at Cozumel around 8 pm.
Included in the tour:
- Round trip ground transfer trip from your hotel to either Holbox or Punta Sam (near Isla Mujeres)
- 4 hr whale shark tour, snorkel equipment, multilingual guide, lunch, snacks and drinking water
Price:
Seasonal discount price to Isla Mujeres:
US $189.00US$ 169.00 per person!Price to Holbox: US$189.00 per person
Not included in tour price: Ferry between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen ($28 Round Trip).
What to Bring:
- Confortable walking shoes and lightweight clothing
- Swimsuit, towel and change of clothes
- Sun protection (biodegradable lotion only)
- Pocket money for ferry ($28 pp), optional tips and souvenirs
- Background
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Whale Sharks in Mexico
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the world's largest fish, it has a history of 60 million years in which it has traveled the oceans of this world. The shark has a massive body that can reach up to 18 meter (60 feet). Its coloration is gray or dark blue on its back, with circular spots and light colored white or yellowish horizontal and vertical lines and a white belly. In Mexico these patterns give the whale shark its local name: "domino."
The whale shark is a solitary fish which occasionally forms groups to feed in areas with large food concentrations. Its head is broad and flattened; its eyes are small and are located on the sides. Behind the eyes are the spiracles; respiratory openings that allow contact between the air or water and the internal respiratory system. The position of its eyes makes vision of much less importance than smell.
The mouth can measure up to 1.5 meters wide. Whale sharks have about 3000 teeth in each jaw, but these are very small (less than 6mm in length) and are not used for feeding. Whale shaks are believed to live an average of 60 years, maybe more.
Named after the shark’s nickname Domino: The Mexican Atlantic Whale Shark Project was created in Mexico in 2003. The project was established for whale shark conservation and allows whale shark tour operations to run Whale Shark excursions for visitors that would like to swim with the animals.
The whale shark is present in several international protection lists; the sharks are listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Redlist. In Mexico the whale shark is protected by the Mexican Secretary for Natural Resources.
Holbox Island
We invite you to spend some time on Holbox Island! Here's why:
Holbox is a small island off the north coast of Yucatan Peninsula. This is where Whale Shark Tours first started when local fishermen noticed the amazingly friendly behavior of huge spotted sharks. Holbox remains a welcoming island of fishermen and sandy streets; a well kept secret! Nature is amazing here and beaches have white sand and shallow waters. Around the island you will find mangroves and lagoons with flamingos and other wildlife. Further out from the island one finds pretty reefs and amazing marine life like Whale Sharks and Manta Rays.
Transfer to Holbox
Duende Tours can arrange your transfer from anywhere in Mexico to Holbox Island. You can book your hotel with us and add additional excursions like a kayak tour on the local river, deep sea and recreational fishing, snorkel and scuba diving or a boat tour of the island’s main attractions…
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Whale-Shark-Tou... - Pictures
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These are pictures from this tour.
