A Whale(shark) of a Good Time
Swimming and Snorkeling with Mexico’s Whale Sharks:
A Fish Tale to End All Fish Tales
“Such a fun summer trip for families!”
—Ellison Poe
6 Days, limited to 14 travelers
Just off the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is a small island untouched by mass tourism. Peaceful Isla Holbox might go unnoticed entirely, except for some high-profile visitors that frequent its warm ocean waters each summer. Averaging 40 feet long and weighing 15 tons, the whale sharks’ presence is hard to ignore. These gentle filter-feeders are actually not whales at all, despite their size, but the world’s largest fish. On this amazing adventure with Natural Habitat, you enter the water with them in pairs, alongside your Expedition Leader, for a low-impact encounter. Docile and unafraid, they allow you to swim close enough to observe the checkerboard pattern of pale white dots and stripes covering their thick gray skin. Their capacious mouths are 5 feet wide, and as you watch them swim with their jaws wide open to collect plankton, it’s easy to imagine Jonah’s fate!
HIGHLIGHTS:
Meet whale sharks up close alongside Nat Hab’s naturalist Expedition Leaders—swim with enormous friendly whale sharks as you make multiple excursions by boat in the warm Caribbean waters.
Stay on a small, peaceful island—explore idyllic Isla Holbox, a traditional fishing community with streets of white sand and virtually no cars, in contrast to the crowded resorts down the Yucatan coast.
Enjoy birding and snorkeling—visit Isla de Los Pajaros (Bird Island), teeming with frigates, flamingos, pelicans, herons and egrets, and snorkel over the world’s second-largest barrier reef.
What makes Nat Hab’s Whale Shark Adventure better than the rest?
Few nature aficionados will ever have the chance to see, let alone swim with, a whale shark. That’s because few adventure travel companies are passionate enough about nature to offer this rare opportunity. They do—and in a way that offers a far superior experience to other whale shark trips:
A more remote location for intimate wildlife encounters
The few tour operators who visit whale sharks off the Yucatan do so mostly from mainland tourist resorts like Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Nat Hab, on the other hand, avoid the mega-resorts, basing themselves on remote Holbox Island to visit a lesser-known group of whale sharks, far from tourist crowds. Plus, Holbox Island itself is a delightful, little-visited locale that adds to the experience.
The best guide-to-guest ratio you’ll find—average 7 guests per boat
Nat Hab has the best guide-to-guest ratio of any whale shark tour out there, with no more than seven guests enjoying the personalized service of a naturalist Expedition Leader. Depending on group size, which will never exceed 14, you may travel with two Expedition Leaders, dividing up into two smaller groups of no more than six per boat—meaning that you'll experience an exceptional level of care, service, and interpretation, plus more time in the water with the whale sharks than a typical tour gets.
Experienced guides who are whale shark experts
Nat Hab has a global reputation for hiring the world’s best naturalist guides. Our two Nat Hab Expedition Leaders who have long guided this trip have more than 19 years’ experience each and are among Mexico’s foremost authorities on whales and whale sharks. In addition, we are accompanied by experienced local guides, whose presence allows us to offer extra assistance in the water for those who need more support while snorkeling. Other companies’ whale shark trips typically include only the local guides—not a dedicated naturalist leader throughout.
An eco-conscious approach
Unlike some tour operators, Nat Hab is committed to a responsible, low-impact presence that prioritizes the well-being of the whale sharks. Where they travel, boats are spread out to each spend time with its “own” pod of fish. Taking turns, they permit just two snorkelers in the water at a time, accompanied by an Expedition Leader.
A well-rounded itinerary of diverse nature highlights
Though whale sharks are the main focus, you won’t miss other highlights on idyllic Holbox Island and the Yucatan coast. From exploring the mangroves of Isla de Los Pajaros, teeming with shorebirds and seabirds, to swimming in a freshwater cenote and snorkeling over the barrier reef, you’ll experience a thrilling array of tropical nature adventures.
An uncompromising commitment to safety and training
Their boat drivers and local guides are certified by the Mexican national park system, each year undergoing a refresher course about whale sharks as well as marine regulations—not the case with many of the local operators that other U.S.-based tour companies use in this area.
They guarantee your special whale shark experience.
With Natural Habitat Adventures, you receive their exclusive quality and value guarantee that they will meet the lofty expectations set out in their promotional materials. It’s perhaps the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company.
Feel good about your carbon-neutral journey.
Nat Hab cares deeply about the planet. When you travel with them, the carbon emissions from your trip are 100% offset—including your round-trip flights from home. Natural Habitat Adventures has been the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company since 2007.
Natural Habitat Adventures is WWF’s Travel Partner.
Because of their commitment to environmentally conscious travel, as well as the outstanding quality of our worldwide adventures, World Wildlife Fund, the world's leading environmental conservation organization, has named Natural Habitat Adventures as its worldwide travel partner, a designation that makes us exceedingly proud!
