When I mentioned to my family that we could swim with whale sharks (ethically) – they were very much on board (except my Mom who is more of a relax-by-the-beach traveler than a jump-in-the-water-with-a-shark traveler). With pressure to pick a good trip, I put a lot of research into which tour company to book for snorkeling with whale sharks. We had a great experience on the whale shark Isla Mujeres snorkel trip and I’m happy to share my knowledge with you.
We’ll go through all the important information about what to expect with whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea – including what to wear, how much time you get in the water, and tips for an epic visit!
If you’re interested in booking an Isla Mujeres whale shark tour, I had a great experience with Isla Fun Tours. The tour package included the boat ride, food, drinks, and snorkeling equipment. The captain was great with navigating the 4-6 foot (1-2 meter) swells of the open ocean and our guide got us in a fantastic position for the sharks. Please note that I was not compensated for my review in any way.
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My Tour Information
I’ll go through the entire itinerary and my experience, but here’s a quick breakdown. I booked this tour through Viator and Isla Fun Tours. It had over 300 reviews with a 5-star average rating. They also have a badge of excellence through Viator (meaning customers are happy!) Always be sure to check reviews before booking.
Tour tip: The average cost of the tours is $160 USD per person, so it is important to be cautious if you come across lower prices, as safety should not be compromised when you are out in the open ocean.
The boat we took was in good condition, and our captain (Felipe) was skilled and knowledgeable about the boat (and the ocean waves). Our guide (Uriel) ensured everyone on board had an enjoyable and memorable day. The two explained about balancing the boat and ensuring that we stay in our seats while we were out in the ocean. They also explained the rules for snorkeling with whale sharks that the Mexican government has put in place to protect these precious animals.
When making a reservation, be sure to choose the “English guide” option to ensure that you are provided with an English-speaking or bilingual tour guide. Additionally, you can inform them of any dietary restrictions or accessibility requirements you may have. We were provided with ceviche after the snorkel adventure, so if you can’t have seafood or shellfish, be sure to let them know. They also had watermelon for a snack.

Snorkeling with Whale Sharks Tour Itinerary
Get to the Meeting Point
The meeting point is at the Isla Mujeres dock, usually around 7:45 am. We were near the La Playita restaurant. Once the organizer split us into groups of 10 (the maximum amount of tourists allowed on each boat), we got to our boat and departed around 8 am. Please note that not all whale shark snorkeling meets here, but some of the companies do.
The captain let us know that life jackets are required for the entire time we are on the boat. While the dock is located in calm, shallow waters, the whale sharks are not. They’re in the open ocean that isn’t protected by the island so the waters can be rough. Our swells were between 4 to 6 feet (1-2 meters).

Take a boat to the area where whale sharks can be found.
The usual travel time is one hour, but it took us 1.5 hours due to rough seas – swells of 4-6 feet constantly are a bit much! Don’t forget to pack your dramamine for seasickness. (You should take one about 2 hours before getting on the boat, but you may need another on the boat as well). I don’t usually get seasick so I didn’t take any, but some of my boatmates took three and still threw up on the side of the boat. (No shame! Seasickness is rough and unpredictable.)

Visitors and guides went into the water in groups of two at the area where the whale sharks hang out. Our boat was separated into pairs of two and told how to rotate around the boat to keep it balanced. You had to be ready to jump when the guide said jump, so be prepared! The first time I was so excited to get in, I forgot to put my mask on, my brother had to help me!

Actually swimming with whale sharks!
Each pair had the opportunity to enter the water for approximately two minutes on two occasions to observe the whale sharks. I know this doesn’t sound like a lot of time, and I was already disappointed about it. However, whale sharks swim VERY fast. They don’t look like it because of their size, but in my video, I am really trying to keep up with her, and can’t. Even if I wanted to stay in the water longer, I wouldn’t be with the shark!

After departing from the whale shark area, we were provided chicken salad sandwiches before the boat journey back to Isla Mujeres. If you’re dealing with seasickness, wait until you’re moving to start eating again. The waves (and thus nausea) were worse when the boat wasn’t moving around the whale sharks. Even Spencer got sick as soon as we got back in the boat after our second swim.
We parked the boat on the sandbar near Playa Norte, the best beach in Isla Mujeres, in order to take a swim. The water was a vibrant blue and very beautiful. It was a great place to relax and reflect on our time with the whale sharks.
Once the food was ready, the captain called us back to the boat. After lunch, we returned to the main dock in Isla Mujeres. The total duration of the tour was approximately six and a half hours.

Is snorkeling with whale sharks an ethical animal experience?
This animal encounter was conducted with high ethical standards and strict regulations. I could tell that our guide and captain took their jobs seriously. In fact, they moved us away from a group of too many boats in order to try to find other sharks.
Mexico whale shark tours prioritize the well-being of the animals, ensuring that visitors can continue to enjoy this experience in the future. I was surprised by how many boats could be near a few sharks and was really glad when we split to find other sharks. The first sharks we found had about 30 boats (with 10 people each that’s over 300 people!). While this is well within the laws, it was still a lot.
When you choose Isla Fun Tours, you can expect a safe and responsible experience that prioritizes the well-being of whale sharks amidst the presence of boats and tourists. They are also one of the companies with propeller protectors to help prevent any injuries to animals.
You are not allowed to touch the whale sharks. n fact, our guide threatened to end the entire trip if someone touched a whale shark. I took his threat seriously (and thanked our boatmates for NOT touching them!).
So while I would like to see more regulations protecting these animals, Isla Fun Tours does take the regulations in place very seriously. This is considered an ethical animal encounter.

Tips for keeping it ethical:
Bring a sun-guard shirt instead of layering on sunscreen. Even reef-safe sunscreen puts oils in the water.
Do not touch the shark – it can scare the animal and harm it.
Do not ride the whale shark or grab onto the fin for a ride.
Follow the instructions from your captain and guide. They are the experts!
What to Pack for Snorkeling with Whale Sharks
Full Face Mask & Snorkel (the tour does provide one, but our boatmates said they had less obstruction in their views)
GoPro Perfect for all of your Isla Mujeres water activities!
Waterproof Sun Hat with Strap (I was envious of everyone who had a hat!)
Wow! What an exciting experience for you and your family to share and a memory that will last a lifetime. Thank you for doing the research to find an ethical company — it can be challenging. I really like the fact that it was emphasized that swimmers can not interfere with the whale sharks and that you were given strong direction (and a threat) to leave them in peace.
Thanks for sharing.
Lyn | http://www.ramblynjazz.com
Am so glad you chose an ethical company for this trip. I always do the same and even miss the opportunity at some things if I feel the company is exploitative of the wildlife.
It is something I would watch but am too scared of sharks (even non-aggressive ones , to actually get in the water with them! I would definitely NOT be tempted to touch one!
You had a great time that day, clearly and came away with such a great experience.
I’m not sure I could do even two minutes in the water with sharks! I don’t know much about whale sharks but I know I don’t trust them haha. Thanks for explaining your criteria in assessing this as an ethical animal encounter, it’s very helpful. Great tip about a sun-guard shirt vs. sunscreen.
Nice to see you are pointing to ethical animal tourism. I have seen people before doing anything that is put in front of them without considering the animals well being.
The water looks magical, but I am unsure if I have the courage to swim with sharks lol! They look huge! And yes, always good to use reviews to get an idea of the quality you can expect.
As someone who is quite pathetic on boats and really suffers from seasickness, I am torn between wanting to do this amazing activity and feeling queasy at the thought of those waves! (I’d be okay in the sea but would definitely struggle in the boat with that swell.) But, honestly, I think it would be worth the discomfort to have such a magical experience swimming with the whale sharks. We would both just LOVE to do that. Really impressed about the ethical element to the trip as well, it’s so important to respect these amazing creatures. Great post!
wow what a dream! A fabulous adventure, no doubt. I even got goose bumps just thinking about the thrill of being in the presence of these extraordinary animals.
The importance of taking care to choose a company that is truly ethical and respects the animals’ natural habitat is fundamental, in my opinion.
I confess that I would love to do an experience like this… as long as it was done ethically.
Thanks for sharing this with us Pam and above all bringing light to some of the ethical practices that all travel operators and travelers must do as a duty. I got to hand it over to your guide for being so strict about it. It surely is a wonderful moment to be swimming with these magnificent creatures of the sea specially when we contribute to keeping them safe 😉 #flyingbaguette
Jan – https://flyingbaguette.com/
This is such a wonderful life experience Pam, I’m so pleased for you and that you got to swim and snorkel with the whale sharks in Mexico. I appreciate the insights and in depth review as I was curious how such a tour would operate and what elements would be included, if it was worth it e.g. time spend snorkelling vs time travelling/lunch ect. Your information on the ethical side and how it was executed by your tour operator were great, too and have given me peace of mind that your tour operator was interested in keeping the animals safe and not disturb/disrespect them in any way (esp when there are families onboard and the children scream and want to touch the animals).
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
That sounds like about the length of time I’d be comfortable on open water so maybe this is the ideal tour for me. I’m so happy to read about all the rules in place and how ethical it is, as well as how seriously everyone takes that. Very important and really good to see companies making sure tourists don’t do stupid stuff to interfere with wildlife. What an experience, you’re very lucky to have gotten so close. Worth the seasickness I’d say