If you plan to swim with whale sharks in Isla Holbox or Isla Mujeres in Mexico, be sure to follow the recommended regulations for responsible whale shark tourism and look for responsible
whale shark tour operators.
Whale shark tour guides are there to make sure you get the best possible sighting of a whale shark, but also to ensure you're abiding by the regulations and being respectful of the whale sharks.
Your travel partner
for whale shark tours, freshwater and saltwater fishing, snorkeling and diving expeditions from Holbox Island, Isla Mujeres and many other destinations of the Yucatan Peninsula and the Riviera Maya.
Research the operators
of whale shark tours before booking to ensure your experience is with one that adheres to safety and sustainability standards.
I scoured the internet looking for information on
sustainable whale shark tours in Isla Holbox but found it difficult to glean any real information about tour companies that were particularly sustainable or to know whether the few who claimed they were really would be.
After much consideration and extensive research, we have decided we will not be promoting the
Oslob whale shark tour package any longer.
After having an extremely bad experience dolphin watching in Bocas del Toro a few years ago, I was really, really worried about
what whale shark tours would be like.
The Southern Environmental Association (SEA), a local environmental / conservation organization that manages the marine reserves and parks off the Placencia coast, holds annual community meetings to discuss and fine tune Whale Shark Interaction Regulations based on the experiences of
local whale shark tour operators and tour guides, local fishermen and interested communty members.
Persons
conducting whale shark tours must have a valid Belize tour guide license, dive master certification for scuba diving or skin diver certification for snorkeling.
However, on a
sustainable whale shark tour, only two snorkelers should go into the water at a time to further minimise disturbance to the whale sharks.
It's also very interesting to learn more about the
Oslob whale shark tour, to which they are completely against.
There are number
of whale shark tours on the Isla Mujeres but it is important to keep a few things in mind.
Also famous for its local taste, friendly people, sandy streets, lobster pizza and mainly for
the whale shark tour.
I have been guiding
whale shark tours for over 11 years and swam with them over 8000 times!
We'll help you get to and from Oslob, but will not help with booking
the whale sharks tour itself.
You can book
a whale shark tour to swim with whale sharks in Isla Holbox when you arrive.
Whale shark tours are priced at $ 70 per person (1300 Mexican pesos), and the price is generally the same amongst tour operators.
Our whale shark tour guides briefed everyone about the importance of not touching the whale sharks and keeping a good distance from them, but otherwise failed to outline any of the other regulations.
We booked
our whale shark tour through Tribu Hostel.
You can organise
a whale shark tour from either Isla Mujeres or Isla Holbox.
It's the responsibility of both
the whale shark tour operators to inform tourists not to wear sunscreen and for the tourists to know the regulations about this.
You need to book
your whale shark tour the day before because tours leave early in the morning.
You should check that
your whale shark tour operator is authorised by SEMARNAT.
Several operators specialize in
whale shark tours.
There are many
whale shark tour operators in Isla Holbox, but we found it difficult to differentiate which would be the most sustainable whale shark tours.
Our whale shark tour guides actually did brief everyone about the importance of not touching the whale sharks and keeping a good distance from them.
Splash Dive Centre can arrange snorkel trips, PADI courses, dive packages,
whale shark tours and trips, inland adventure tours, accommodation and cater to single divers, families and group bookings.
All of Splash Dive Centers scuba diving and snorkelling staff are PADI professionals and registered with the Belizean Tourism Operators association, and for
our Whale shark tours, they are educated and licensed for proper interaction with Whale sharks, so you get the most from your encounter and trip to Gladden Spit when the Whale sharks are in season.
All snorkeling gear is supplied on
the whale shark tour.
In Australia Ningaloo Reef is the only place guests can join
a whale shark tour to swim and snorkel with whale sharks.
We partner with a leading whale shark Researcher, Deni Ramirez, for all of
our whale shark tours; so not only do you get the thrill of a lifetime, a portion of your tour cost goes back to supporting this important research.
The whale shark tours typically last six hours and are offered seasonally based on the whale shark migration.
Whale Shark tours are available only from Placencia, Belize.
There we will make sure you are completely prepared for
the whale shark tour!
Whale shark tours are only offered out of Placencia, but please contact us for assistance booking travel arrangements from other locations.
If you visit during the months of March through June, you may also have the opportunity to do
a whale shark tour when they come to Belize to spawn.
On
these whale shark tours you can snorkel with whale sharks, interact with manta rays, encounter dugongs, turtles, humpback whales, dolphins, amazing colourful tropical fish and coral in the Ningaloo Reef.
Custom fishing trips,
whale shark tours and snorkeling trips.