--- title: Cancun Whale Shark Encounter from Cancun lang: en type: tour city: Cancún country: Mexico price: 195 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 hotel pickup tier rank_in_category: 30 of 46 (Day Trips) schedule_checked: 2026-09-19 data_updated: 2026-09-20 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 €195 per person. ## 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. ## Key facts - Price: from €195 per person - Duration: 4h–5h - Rating: 4.72/5 from 188 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Free cancellation (see policy below) - Operator: Contoy Adventures ## 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 | €195 / person | Spanish, English | Without Hotel Pickup: Meet us directly at our marina in Punta Sam. | | Tour from Cancun | €204 / 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. ## 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. ## How it compares in Day Trips Ranked **#30 of 46** by Guidekin's weighted score (rating weighted by review volume). Alternatives worth comparing: 1. [chichen-itza-private-tour-from-cancun-and-riviera-maya](https://guidekin.com/mexico/cancun/tours/chichen-itza-private-tour-from-cancun-and-riviera-maya/?format=md) — 4.99 (340) 2. [private-tour-to-tulum-cenote-and-swimming-with-turtles](https://guidekin.com/mexico/cancun/tours/private-tour-to-tulum-cenote-and-swimming-with-turtles/?format=md) — 5.0 (239) 3. [private-turtles-cenotes-adventure](https://guidekin.com/mexico/cancun/tours/private-turtles-cenotes-adventure/?format=md) — 4.94 (489) 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/ ## Query this catalogue with URLs Every listing accepts filter parameters directly in the URL, so you can hand a user a link that already matches their constraints. 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