Itinerary
You will meet with your guide and group at the local Restaurante Mandarina Seaside, in Isla Holbox at 6:30 am, is located two blocks from the dock where we will board the boats. There, you will have a small briefing and get all the necessary equipment. You will also enjoy a light breakfast to have a great start.
Then, you will walk to the pier, where the boat is waiting to start the journey to find the whale sharks. The trip will take you between one and two hours and you may find different species on the way (if you see a giant manta and its behavior permits it, you can also swim with this harmless creature). Once in the area, you will swim by the whale shark in groups of two plus the guide, for safety reasons and to ensure you get the best experience.
On the way back, you will stop near Cabo Catoche to snorkel the "cuevones" reef and maybe see sea turtles, nurse sharks, lobsters, squids, octopuses, and different reef fish. During the journey, we will prepare the freshest ceviche you'll ever have. Finally, you will go to Santa Paula, where you can stretch your legs, have a pleasant swim and enjoy the ceviche. From this point, you have a 45-minute journey back to Holbox.
Stop At:
• Yum Balam Reserve, Holbox Island Mexico
See Availability.
Mandarina Seaside Restaurant, Av. Damero 310, 77310 Holbox, Q.R., Mexico
06:30 AM
7 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Children under 6 years old are not allowed.
Season starts officialy May 15, but the arrival of whale sharks to the area vary each year.
Not wheelchair accessible
Subject to favorable weather conditions. If cancelled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : T3361ZCnadiap
This experience for humans is a nightmare for the animals. Hundreds of boats are chasing a few whale sharks, trying to feed. The boats are very loud; we all know the sounds spread faster in water, and the whale sharks are very sensitive to sound. Moreover, the boats release chemicals in the water that kill their food. The locals explained that this activity is done disrespectfully towards nature. They push further and further away the sharks from their feeding grounds. Please read before booking if you want to be educated, informed, and intelligent (not egoistic).
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Posted On : 2024-04-20
Posted By : 817catn
First off, Gustavo is incredible! He was a lovely guide and such a kind and thoughtful person. I was nervous on the speed boat and he was so kind and lovely to me the whole trip! The other staff members were super great as well. The whale shark experience was amazing, we got really up close to a beautiful one. The only negative is that there were so many boats and people around the sharks that it seems to have been stressful for them. Although the coast guard was there keeping a close eye on everyone which is great.
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Posted On : 2023-09-15
Posted By : LukeL285
Excellent experience, what people don’t realise the distance you have to travel and you may still not see anything. I was lucky and it was an amazing day with our team.
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Posted On : 2023-09-15
Posted By : 203jackt
My partner and I had booked our dream trip to see the world’s largest fish - and we weren’t disappointed at all. Eddie and Jorge were absolutely fantastic the whole time and did an amazing job to make sure everyone in the group could swim with the whale sharks. We had a bad view the first time, and Eddie and Jorge did amazing to make sure we could end the trip with incredible views.
We would 100% recommend VIP Holbox - Eddie and Jorge were extremely professional and respectful of the whale sharks; something not consistent across all of the tour companies unfortunately. So we left feeling looked after, and most importantly the whale sharks too.
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Posted On : 2023-09-03
Posted By : Sh A
Can I leave more than 5 stars? Eddy and Jorge made the entire trip and experience unforgettable! From start to finish the communication was excellent. Please understand that the whale sharks are wild but if you are lucky enough to see them Jorge will position you and Eddy will swim with you alongside these beauties. The trip out is a bit rough even in fabulous weather but worth every bounce. Lunch and snorkeling (huge rays all around) just topped off an incredible experience. We felt safe,taken care of and respectful of the wildlife with VIP. Cannot recommend enough!
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Posted On : 2023-09-02
Posted By : AnnaP9615
Such a great activity from the very start to the very end.
Breakfast at a restaurant in town followed by a safety briefing from Eddie.
We then made our way to find the whale sharks. We were so impressed with the care and respect they have for these animals and allowed us to see them without disturbing them.
Everyone on the trip had the chance to see the whale sharks!
We then went for a snorkel followed by some delicious ceviche and soft drinks.
I would recommend this tour to everyone and Eddie was a great guide.
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Posted On : 2023-09-02
Posted By : abennett94
We had a great trip out with Eddie and Jorge. Absolutely worth it.
It’s quite a long trip out by boat and on very choppy water at times but worth it once you get there. Each couple gets 2 “jumps” and after each jump, the boat has to join the back of the queue - there were anywhere between 5-10 different boats around at the same time. They are quite elusive creatures, often spending a few minutes at the surface and then diving deep out of sight and then popping up somewhere else. When they are at the surface they don’t hang about much either.
The snorkelling on the way back is a bonus and lunch was good.
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Posted On : 2023-09-02
Posted By : 811benteh
Excellent start to finish! Our guide, Eddy, was really knowledgable and welcoming - swimming with the whale sharks was incredible, but it would have been a fantastic day even if we hadn’t been lucky enough to find them, with swimming, snorkeling and sightseeing around Holbox. Be mindful that the waters are really choppy, so if you are prone to seasickness take the offered Dramamine.
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Posted On : 2023-08-25
Posted By : Matty_N
Eddy our guide was so awesome and so so helpful!
The shark experience itself was simply wonderful and magical. One of kind experience for sure.
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Posted On : 2023-08-25
Posted By : Jennifer M
I wanted this experience to be amazing, but unfortunately it was not. Our guide was great, snorkeling was fun and the ceviche was delicious! But once we got to the whale sharks it was a scary mess. There were several other boats all competing to see the whale sharks the waves were high. Boats crashing into each other, the gas fumes were terrible it was awful. I was scared to get into the water thinking I could be hit by a boat. I was so bummed that it turned out this way. I don't believe any of the boats had a care in the world about the whale sharks and their safety. It was a sad and disappointing experience.
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Posted On : 2023-08-24
