We recently did an incredible tour swimming with whale sharks in Mexico and put together a video as well as wrote a brief description of our experience.

Read on to know how we felt about the tour and at the end will be the video recap.

One of the reasons we chose to live in Mexico, and more specifically to the state of Quintana Roo, was because of its closeness to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (also known as the Great Mayan Reef). This reef is the second largest reef in the world stretching over a 1000 kilometers from Isla Contoy near Cancun all the way down to the Bay Islands of Honduras and of course is home to some incredible marine life.

However, what we did not realize until after we arrived to Mexico is that whale sharks migrate near Cancun every year around May - September.

Once we discovered this we knew that we had to experience these beautiful animals up close.

Rewind back to February of this year when we were in the Philippines where we almost did a whale shark excursion, but decided against it after a little bit of research.

We discovered that the whale shark snorkeling in the Philippines is often done unethically. The tour companies are known for feeding the whale sharks which is causing them to stay instead of continuing their migration which is leading to less reproduction of this threatened species.

So, before hastily booking a tour here in Mexico, we did thorough research to ensure that we would not be participating in an activity that would be harmful. We were happy to learn that the tours with the whale sharks are taken very seriously here. There is no feeding, no touching, boats and people must keep a certain distance, and only 3 people are allowed at a time (2 people + the tour guide).

Based on recommendation of some friends, we booked our tour with Buceo Xtabay and the owner/operator Luz Ma and her team were truly fantastic.

We started the day out bright and early being picked up from our home just a little passed 6 AM. Once everyone was picked up, we headed to the marina in Cancun where we then climbed aboard their boat.

We spent a few minutes going over the do’s and don’ts and were on our way to find the whale sharks.

The morning water was as still as glass and though we were still half asleep, we could feel the excitement in the air.

Once we reached the area with the whale sharks, we hurriedly put on our snorkel gear and waited for our turn.

When it was finally our time to go, we sat on the edge of the boat with our feet dangling above the water where we were told to jump the moment the crew shouted “GO!”.

Waiting…waiting…and GO!

From the surface, it is hard to see just how big the whale sharks are, but once in the water, it was like swimming next to a fish the size of a school bus (on average, they are about 30-40 feet long and weigh 20 tons).

These fish are MASSIVE (they are the biggest fish in the sea after all) and although they pose no real threat and mostly consume plankton, fish eggs and occasionally the small fish, it was hard to not feel a little nervous in the first few moments.

We did 3 different jumps and swam along side 4 different whale sharks. One thing we learned quickly is that these animals are FAST. I don’t think I have ever swam so hard in my life trying to keep up with them.

One of the whale sharks descended below us and it was such a surreal experience to be swimming in the vast open water and see a creature the size of a bus disappear into the void. It definitely gave us a bit more perceptive (and a little bit of the creeps) on the depth of the ocean as it was our first time swimming in open water so far from land.

After our time was up swimming with the whale sharks, we continued on to Isla Contoy.

On our way, we spotted a pod of dolphins and quickly jumped into the water with the hopes of getting a closer encounter.

Once in the water, we waited to see if the dolphins would reappear. We kept looking in the water with our masks and then again on the surface.

For several minutes we could not see them, but could hear their clicks and whistles meaning they were nearby.

Just when we were about to head back to the boat, we spotted them jumping above the surface. They were only a few yards away and coming directly towards us.

I could feel my heart racing with both excitement and nervousness. I realized these animals are extremely fast and strong and could do some heavy damage if they wanted to, but thankfully dolphins are not known for being aggressive.

We quickly put our heads back under the water and couldn’t believe our eyes, right in front us swam 5 or so dolphins only a few feet away. One even looked directly at Ricky (which he got on camera).

We lingered in the water a little longer in hopes they would come again, but eventually we climbed into the boat once more and continued on our way.

Not long after swimming with the dolphins, we spotted a black mass gliding just below the surface of the water.

Again, our guide told us to hurry and put on our gear as this was a manta ray and we could get a closer look if we wanted to.

We of course did not hesitate and Ricky was able to get a glimpse of the beauty on our camera right before it descended.

After one last dip into the ocean with the manta ray, we completed our trip with a ride around Isla Contoy soaking up the beautiful views while enjoying a fresh ceviche lunch on board the boat.

While going around the island, we spotted hundreds of native birds, a few flamingos, and even a sea turtle. The water was absolutely gorgeous as it changed from deep blue to turquoise.

It was the perfect way to end our incredible tour.

Video Recap:

A Few Notes:

All though we thoroughly enjoyed this tour and had an incredible time, we were slightly disappointed in the amount of boats and people swimming at once with the whale sharks.

This is not a reflection on Buceo Xtabay as they were absolutely amazing and did their best to stay away from the crowds and we would do another tour with them without hesitation.

We did our research beforehand and knew that there were protections in place, but it still felt like a massive invasion on the whale sharks as there were dozens of boats each filled with a dozen people all in the same small area.

As people who love and care about the earth and all of its creatures, we always do our best to only participate in activities that promote healthy interaction with wildlife, protection, and education and we encourage others to do the same.

Other than the amount of boats/people present, we were very happy with the protections in place (no touching, feeding, etc) and even appreciated the presence of military personal who were there to ensure these regulations were followed.

Overall, we were more than happy with our experience thanks to Buceo Xtabay and cannot wait to do it again in the future.

Written by Katelin Brooke