Warning: This is going to be a LENGTHY review, but there are just not enough words for the INCREDIBLE experience my friends and I had swimming with the whale sharks. (Plus the cost for this activity warrants all the details you can get, am I right?)
The reason we chose Cancun as our summer vacation destination was pretty much because my friend has been dreaming of swimming with whale sharks. I will say this is really pricy: $162.75 base rate, $25 for roundtrip transportation, $15 for a wet suit, $X for tipping your guide and "captain", $20 for a shirt. Granted, everything other than the base rate is optional, but I did end up spending ~$245 on this activity alone - but it was WELL WORTH IT.
The ticket itself gets you on a boat to swim with the whale sharks. It also includes a ham and cheese sandwich, granola bars, water/sodas, cervezas for when you return to land, and a visit to the Isla de Mujures while waiting for them to cook you fresh ceviche.
// SIDE NOTE ON REFUND POLICY: They do have a reasonable refund policy: 100% refund for cancellations prior to 48 hours of swim date, 50% refund for cancellations at a minimum of 24 hours, no refunds for no shows. Also, if they cancel on you due to weather, you will get a 100% refund. //
The company emailed us the day before warning us about bad weather and the potential for cancellation. Weather calmed down so our tour was not cancelled. When we headed out at sea, it took about an hour to get to the "prime location" for the whales. At that point, they spotted only one whale shark and it got away pretty fast. Apparently, because of the storm that was forming and strong currents, the plankton (whale shark's food) was not at one place, causing the whale sharks not to resurface. The storm started getting worse, so our tour guide, Diego, and the boat driver had to turn us around. Eventually, all eight boats formed a circle in the middle of the sea as we waited out the storm. It was pretty frightening seeing lighting and hearing thunder as the strong waves hit against our boat, but Diego tried his best to calm everyone on board down. They really had our safety in mind, which was comforting.
We then proceeded to head back to Cancun. At this point, everyone on board just wanted to get out of boat (sea sick and very cold winds). As we were feeling defeated that we spent $162+ for a boat ride to the deep sea for a near death experience (may be over exaggerating a bit), THEY FOUND THE WHALE SHARKS!!! They were amazing, incredible creatures -- who are by the way, not phased by humans. They instruct us not to touch the whale sharks, but it's so hard not to, especially if they hit you with their tail (doesn't hurt). The boat driver instructed each pair on when to jump into the ocean - when he says jump, YOU JUMP. The whale sharks swim so fast, that you have to go on cue. They position the boat so that you can encounter the whale shark headfirst. It's extremely helpful that Diego guides us on where to swim to ensure that we don't miss the whale shark. If you're not a strong swimmer, he will also hold your hand to lead to you the whale shark. Each pair got to jump in three times.
//SIDE NOTE ON WET SUITS: Honestly, not needed. We all ended up renting a wet suit so we can "go under" more vs a life vest, but most of us ended up using the life vest anyway since the current was still strong in the beginning and for convenience of not worrying about staying afloat. I will say though, had I not rented out the wet suit, I would have been freezing in my two piece while we were waiting out the storm. //
BOTTOM LINE: SPEND THE MONEY ON THIS EXPERIENCE. It was definitely the highlight of our trip. Just stay patient while they search for the fin, but also understand that there are factors beyond their control. However, you can still have faith in their have a 95% success rate for the past 10 years - they do their best to give you an incredible experience! read more