--- title: Cancun Whale Shark Encounter from Cancun lang: en type: tour city: Cancún country: Mexico price: 199 currency: EUR price_unit: per_person availability: bookable rating: 4.72 reviews: 188 duration_minutes: 240 duration_max_minutes: 300 languages: [en, es] free_cancellation: "true" guidekin_pick: Cancún marina departure rank_in_category: 30 of 46 (Day Trips) schedule_checked: 2026-09-19 data_updated: 2026-10-03 canonical: https://guidekin.com/mexico/cancun/tours/cancun-whale-shark-encounter-from-cancun/ --- # Cancun Whale Shark Encounter from Cancun **Guidekin's take:** A seasonal boat trip from the Punta Sam marina to snorkel beside whale sharks with certified guides, ending with ceviche and a stop at Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres; breakfast, gear and hotel pickup are included. The dock fee and marine park tax are paid on the day. 4.72 from 188 reviews at €199 per person. In our comparison: #30 of 46 in Day Trips, by rating weighted by review volume (table below). ## Overview Come join us in this once in a lifetime experience and live the most incredible adventure swimming beside this ocean’s gentle giants, your encounter will be supervised by our very experienced guides not to mention you’ll be wearing our snorkeling gear certified by National Geographic Snorkeler. We start the adventure picking you up from any hotel in Cancun, Riviera Maya or Playa del Carmen to take you to our new private marina in Punta Sam in Cancun. After a light breakfast we board and head to the Whale Shark protected area where, after finding them, we will start the dives, 2 to 3 per person, always in couples and with our certified guide. After the dives it is not over, before we head back to our marina we will visit beautiful Playa Norte beach in Isla Mujeres where you will have an hour to relax and enjoy the best ceviche prepared by our crew! Then we go back to our marina in Cancun where our a/c vans will take you back to your hotel or condo. ## Before you book - Pickup differs by option: Hotel pickup only on 1 of 2 options (Tour from Cancun) - Starts 06:30, 07:10: 2 departures a day - Food included: Bottled water and soft drinks, Fish… - Wheelchair accessible: operator-marked - Strollers OK: infants accepted - Children from €172: ages 5 to 11 **Pickup:** Hotel pickup only on 1 of 2 options (Tour from Cancun) ## Key facts - Price: from €199 per person for the Tour from the Marina option; other options up to €208 - Duration: 4h–5h - Rating: 4.72/5 from 188 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Free cancellation (see policy below) - Operator: Contoy Adventures - Group: Shared tour - Guide languages: English, Spanish - Start times: 06:30, 07:10 - Booking: Instant confirmation, mobile ticket - Price checked on Viator: 2026-09-19 ## Reviews 4.72 from 188 ratings on Guidekin, Viator & Tripadvisor. 93% of ratings with a star breakdown are 4 or 5 stars: 175 of 188. - 5 stars: 165 (88%) - 4 stars: 10 (5%) - 3 stars: 3 (2%) - 2 stars: 4 (2%) - 1 star: 6 (3%) ### What reviewers say Reviewers praise the crew's care and close whale shark views, but some find the swims too brief. **Praised:** - Close whale shark views helped by precise boat positioning - Clear instructions and knowledgeable guides - Patient support for children and less confident swimmers - Fresh ceviche and sandwiches served by the crew - Enjoyable swimming and lunch stops off Isla Mujeres **Complaints:** - Rough boat rides and seasickness made the journey uncomfortable - Some found swims brief amid many tour boats, while others felt they had enough time in the water - Photo packages felt expensive, and some felt pressured to rent wetsuits - Some searches ended without a whale shark sighting Written by Guidekin from the 100 most recent English reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor (2020-09-03 to 2026-09-03); last checked 2026-10-03. ## Tour options Prices are the operator's current list price for two travellers (whole euros); options sold only to bigger parties say so; pick the option on the booking page. | Option | Price | Guide languages | Details | |---|---|---|---| | Tour from the Marina | €199 / person | Spanish, English | Without Hotel Pickup: Meet us directly at our marina in Punta Sam. | | Tour from Cancun | €208 / person | Spanish, English | Pickup included | ## What's included - Meeting point pickup for vacation rentals - Hotel pickup and drop-off from most Cancun hotels - Light breakfast and sterilized snorkeling gear - Bottled water and soft drinks - Professional and certified bilingual guide - Visit to Playa Norte beach in Isla Mujeres - Fish ceviche & snacks ## Not included - Dock fee and Marine Park Federal Tax ## Itinerary 1. **Playa Norte** (50m) - After the dives, we will head to this beautiful beach in Isla Mujeres where you can do some more snorkeling, and taste the famous Captain Ceviche! ## Schedule - Runs: daily - Departures: 06:30, 07:10 - Schedule last checked: 2026-09-19 - These are published departures, not a live seat count; availability is confirmed at checkout. ## Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time. ## Meeting point Our own private marina is conveniently located in Punta Sam right next to the Isla Mujeres ferry terminal and the Villa del Palmar hotel. Please arrive 30 minutes before the schedule departure time. Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJgYIg0z8uTI8RwMVydROvB1w Pickup points listed by the operator: 333 Ends: back at the meeting point ## Good to know - Wheelchair accessible - Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries - Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller - Not recommended for pregnant travelers - Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness - Children must be accompanied by an adult - Dress code casual, don't forget your swimsuit! - Operated by a bilingual guide - Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required - Pregnant women are not allowed for safety reasons and as per federal regulations. - Even though the probability of seeing whale sharks is very high, we cannot guarantee sightings. ## Compared with other Day Trips | Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group | |---|---|---|---|---| | **This tour · #30 of 46** | €199 | 4h–5h | 4.72 (188) | shared | | [Chichen Itza Private Tour from Cancun and Riviera Maya](/mexico/cancun/tours/chichen-itza-private-tour-from-cancun-and-riviera-maya/?format=md) | €399 | 6h | 4.99 (342) | private | | [Private Tour to Tulum, Cenote and Swimming with Turtles](/mexico/cancun/tours/private-tour-to-tulum-cenote-and-swimming-with-turtles/?format=md) | €270 | 5h | 5.0 (239) | private | | [Private Turtles & Cenotes Adventure](/mexico/cancun/tours/private-turtles-cenotes-adventure/?format=md) | €282 | 5h | 4.94 (489) | private | Ranked #30 of 46 in Day Trips by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €18 to €813, median €100; typical length 8h. 6 of 46 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market. Full list: https://guidekin.com/mexico/cancun/day-trips-from-cancun/?format=md ## More in Cancún - All Cancún tours: https://guidekin.com/mexico/cancun/?format=md - This page as HTML: https://guidekin.com/mexico/cancun/tours/cancun-whale-shark-encounter-from-cancun/ Filters, the full catalogue and the URL contract for this city: https://guidekin.com/mexico/cancun/?format=md