Whale Shark Excursion from Cozumel to Cancun

[moviegal06]

We are looking to book the Whale Shark Excursion on our July 25th Carnival Cruise. I'm hoping to get some reviews from anyone here that has been. I'm wondering how long the transportation is from Cozumel port to Cancun.

[tandemcruzr]

Ferry from Coz to Playa del Carmen -- 30 minutes plus or minus depending on water conditions (calm vs rough)

 

Transportation to Cancun, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Another ferry to the whale shark site -- probably depends on where they are.

 

Turn around and repeat.

 

Hopefully you will be in Coz for a long period of time and you are booked for the excursion through Carnival.

[evandbob]

Ferry from Coz to Playa del Carmen -- 30 minutes plus or minus depending on water conditions (calm vs rough)

 

Transportation to Cancun, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Another ferry to the whale shark site -- probably depends on where they are.

 

Turn around and repeat.

 

Hopefully you will be in Coz for a long period of time and you are booked for the excursion through Carnival.

 

Whale Shark area is usually off Isla Holbox, which is a good distance north of Isla Mujeres, which is 20 -30 minutes from Cancun.

 

Obviously these fish can migrate, but they are usually not near Cozumel. The furthest north I've been in this area is Contoy Island, and even that is south of Holbox.

 

I second the above recommendation. I'd also add that this is not an excursion for beginning snorkelers or anyone prone to motion sickness.

[Kevin308]

Ferry from Coz to Playa del Carmen -- 30 minutes plus or minus depending on water conditions (calm vs rough)

 

Transportation to Cancun, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Another ferry to the whale shark site -- probably depends on where they are.

 

Turn around and repeat.

 

Hopefully you will be in Coz for a long period of time and you are booked for the excursion through Carnival.

 

 

It is a long way. But you can do it safely on a Coz Plus cruise. Carnival offers it as a ship bought excursion. So they will wait on you if you use them.

[moviegal06]

Thank you all for your input, the travel time is my biggest concern but since we are booked thru Carnival I'm hoping we will not have any issues. Does anyone have personal experience with this excursion? Would you say it's worth the travel time vs. the time you get in the water?

[cherbear4000]

I believe this is a new excursion for Carnival. I have been to Cozumel many times and have never seen it offered before.

[TrqoisWtrs]

Would you say it's worth the travel time vs. the time you get in the water?

 

I personally would book this in a heartbeat, especially since it is a ship excursion - so no worries on the time frame. Carnival only offers this excursion on Cozumel Plus cruises and only during I think July-August due to the whale shark season. This is on my bucket list and I tried to find a cruise I could sail on, but unfortunately going solo and paying the double supplement was just too expensive during that time.

 

If you go, please report back with lots of pictures. :)

[evandbob]

Just some things to consider......most of your time will be spent in a small boat either getting to the whale shark area, or once there, waiting in the bobbing ocean as everyone gets a turn in the open ocean with the fish.

 

In other words, if there are 12 in a boat, and only 3 allowed in the water at a time, you might get 15 minutes of snorkeling and 45 minutes of wait time rocking up and down while the others get their time in the water.

 

No one prone to motion sickness should chance this. You will only make things miserable for yourself and uncomfortable for others.

 

Also, since the encounter is in the open ocean, one should be an accomplished snorkeler. Anyone who flails their arms while snorkeling or can't handle water in their snorkel tube might want to develop better skills before attempting this type of encounter.

[gladahc]

There have been some inquiries about this excursion in the port of call sub-forum....someone may have done it by now?

[SLCruisers]

My husband and I just did this excursion last week while we were on the Breeze. Let me start by saying that it was incredible!

 

There is a long travel time ... Ferry to Playa, van to Cancun, then another boat 20 miles out into the water (about an hour). The water is beautiful! There were snacks for the van ride (water, cookies bananas). Our guide was very knowledgeable about whale sharks and gave us instructions on how to act and what to expect in the water. We learned quite a bit before even getting onto the boat. There were 8 of us on this excursion so we weren't crowded at all.

 

When we were moving from van to boat, we were given the choice of wearing a wetsuit or live jacket. If you opted for wet suit, it was an extra $15. The speedboat was comfortable with lots of room. It took about an hour to find a shark. There were a couple of other boats out there, which resulted in quite a few people in the water. We ended up going further out and I'm so glad we did!

 

We were divided into two groups and each had a guide. We found an area with several whale sharks so we were able to swim beside them and stay in the water for a while. You have to swim fast at times to catch up with them! Listen to your guide ... She was very helpful in getting us to where we needed to be to have the best experience possible. Before we got out the water, I looked around me. You could see sharks coming to the surface to feed in all directions! I know I saw a minimum of 8 sharks at that particular moment! These creatures are beautiful! At one point, I was so close and he turned while feeding so I had to move to keep him from running into me!

 

We probably had about an hour in the water before heading back to shore. They had some drinks including water and beer plus sandwiches on board to eat. I was feeling seasick so I passed on the sandwich. My husband said it was dry and homemade ... Not the best. I do remember they only had 2 meats between bread, one being pork.

 

The time in the water will wear you out! Some of us even fell asleep in the boat on the way back to shore. Take the time to rinse off in the pool where the boat docks. We were covered with fish eggs from swimming in the area.

 

Overall, it was an incredible experience, especially if you are interested in sharks or diving. Even if you are not prone to seasickness, come prepared. You are not in a secluded cove with no waves. The sea can get rocky. I had ginger cookies with me, which really helped. In our review, we noted that they needed to figure out lunch. It's a very long excursion and there is no time to stop anywhere for food. We were starving when we got back to the ship so take something with you, just in case.

 

Equipment - they have all the equipment you will need. We brought our own and have dry snorkels so water never got into our mouths. Some of our group had trouble with the snorkels because they were shorter and open at the top. Their fins are the type where your feet slip inside like a shoe. There are no straps on the back. Make sure to wear sunscreen that is reef friendly.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I still need to download my photos so I'll post a few once I get that done. I hope this helps!

[TrqoisWtrs]

SLCruisers - thanks for posting! And yes, I would love to see pics. :) :)

[evandbob]

My husband and I just did this excursion last week while we were on the Breeze. Let me start by saying that it was incredible!

 

There is a long travel time ... Ferry to Playa, van to Cancun, then another boat 20 miles out into the water (about an hour). The water is beautiful! There were snacks for the van ride (water, cookies bananas). Our guide was very knowledgeable about whale sharks and gave us instructions on how to act and what to expect in the water. We learned quite a bit before even getting onto the boat. There were 8 of us on this excursion so we weren't crowded at all.

 

When we were moving from van to boat, we were given the choice of wearing a wetsuit or live jacket. If you opted for wet suit, it was an extra $15. The speedboat was comfortable with lots of room. It took about an hour to find a shark. There were a couple of other boats out there, which resulted in quite a few people in the water. We ended up going further out and I'm so glad we did!

 

We were divided into two groups and each had a guide. We found an area with several whale sharks so we were able to swim beside them and stay in the water for a while. You have to swim fast at times to catch up with them! Listen to your guide ... She was very helpful in getting us to where we needed to be to have the best experience possible. Before we got out the water, I looked around me. You could see sharks coming to the surface to feed in all directions! I know I saw a minimum of 8 sharks at that particular moment! These creatures are beautiful! At one point, I was so close and he turned while feeding so I had to move to keep him from running into me!

 

We probably had about an hour in the water before heading back to shore. They had some drinks including water and beer plus sandwiches on board to eat. I was feeling seasick so I passed on the sandwich. My husband said it was dry and homemade ... Not the best. I do remember they only had 2 meats between bread, one being pork.

 

The time in the water will wear you out! Some of us even fell asleep in the boat on the way back to shore. Take the time to rinse off in the pool where the boat docks. We were covered with fish eggs from swimming in the area.

 

Overall, it was an incredible experience, especially if you are interested in sharks or diving. Even if you are not prone to seasickness, come prepared. You are not in a secluded cove with no waves. The sea can get rocky. I had ginger cookies with me, which really helped. In our review, we noted that they needed to figure out lunch. It's a very long excursion and there is no time to stop anywhere for food. We were starving when we got back to the ship so take something with you, just in case.

 

Equipment - they have all the equipment you will need. We brought our own and have dry snorkels so water never got into our mouths. Some of our group had trouble with the snorkels because they were shorter and open at the top. Their fins are the type where your feet slip inside like a shoe. There are no straps on the back. Make sure to wear sunscreen that is reef friendly.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I still need to download my photos so I'll post a few once I get that done. I hope this helps!

 

Thanks for posting your experience, amazing! Hope to see your pics soon!

 

BTW, reef friendly sunscreen is either biodegradable or oil free! Hope everyone who enters our waters anywhere uses this!

Edited July 8, 2016 by evandbob

[moviegal06]

SLCruisers - thank you so much for the very detailed review! I look forward to seeing pictures when you have time to share them. How long would you say that van ride is one way? Is there room on the speedboat for each person to carry a backpack with towel, sunscreen and snacks? Did you arrive back in port at the time expected and not feel rushed? Thanks again for all the detail, It sounds like it was totally worth the travel time so I look forward to going with my husband and son.

[moviegal06]

Just wanted to offer a follow up after our excursion.

 

We left from Cozumel on a ferry to Playa del Carmen about 45 min to 1 hour ride. From Playa we took a van ride to Cancun another 45 min to hour. Once in Cancun we took a boat ride for another hour before arriving where the whale sharks are feeding. The travel time was around 2.5 - 3 hours to arrive at this point. We were on a small, fast boat out in open water. You can not see land! There were only 7 of us on this trip, which allowed for plenty of time in the water. I'm not sure how it works with other tour guides but these guys kept us focused and moving fast. Because we spent so much of our time traveling we had very limited time to explore the whale shark area, therefore it's important to be ready to jump in when they tell you and you must keep swimming in order to see the whale sharks, they don't stop for you! The waves are rough to handle but once under the water its fine. I, along with my husband and son, are good swimmers but the waves are a beating and after 15 min in the water you will need a break. We came in for a few minutes and the guide was ready to get us back in the water. I struggled jumping right back in but my husband and son were off and in the water. I followed but when jumping into the water I swallowed a lot of salt water.... lesson learned. Do not put the mouth piece in when jumping, wait till in the water. After about 10 minutes of swimming I was done and I had to get out of the water. The rocking of the boat is intense and our boat ride was not comfortable. The snorkel gear they offer is not the best so take your own if you have it.

 

Now, I have been to Cozumel three times and would never return on this excursion again. I missed the leisure snorkel I get when at a private beach area and relaxing in the sun. My husband loved this excursion and would do it again, just a matter of preference on how you want to spend your day. My son was happy with seeing the whale sharks but I do think he missed out on experiencing the beautiful beach in Cozumel.

 

Upon our return to port, right about 5:30, we had no time for shopping, it was time to leave Cozumel.

 

If we were in Cancun I would probably book this trip again but not from Cozumel, too much travel time for me.

 

Thanks to everyone for their input prior to our cruise and happy cruising to you all!

[NoJolt4U]

I personally would book this in a heartbeat, especially since it is a ship excursion - so no worries on the time frame. Carnival only offers this excursion on Cozumel Plus cruises and only during I think July-August due to the whale shark season. This is on my bucket list and I tried to find a cruise I could sail on, but unfortunately going solo and paying the double supplement was just too expensive during that time.

 

If you go, please report back with lots of pictures. :)

 

We had already booked our excusion for Cozumel when they added it on the available options for this month. I tried despareatly to convince my family to do this instead of the sea turtle excursion but alas my wife and daughter outweighed me and my son's votes. (Happy Wife, happy life ;) ) But now that I know they offer it, I have a goal to be back for it. Maybe next year?

[TrqoisWtrs]

Moviegal - thanks for the update. It does sound intense, but would love to do it just once.

 

nojolt4u - I agree...maybe next year. Hopefully they will still offer it. :)

[JP-Cruise]

On 7/8/2016 at 9:59 AM, evandbob said:

 

Thanks for posting your experience, amazing! Hope to see your pics soon!

 

BTW, reef friendly sunscreen is either biodegradable or oil free! Hope everyone who enters our waters anywhere uses this!

 

On 7/8/2016 at 9:59 AM, evandbob said:

 

Thanks for posting your experience, amazing! Hope to see your pics soon!

 

BTW, reef friendly sunscreen is either biodegradable or oil free! Hope everyone who enters our waters anywhere uses this!

 

On 7/8/2016 at 8:18 AM, SLCruisers said:

My husband and I just did this excursion last week while we were on the Breeze. Let me start by saying that it was incredible!

 

There is a long travel time ... Ferry to Playa, van to Cancun, then another boat 20 miles out into the water (about an hour). The water is beautiful! There were snacks for the van ride (water, cookies bananas). Our guide was very knowledgeable about whale sharks and gave us instructions on how to act and what to expect in the water. We learned quite a bit before even getting onto the boat. There were 8 of us on this excursion so we weren't crowded at all.

 

When we were moving from van to boat, we were given the choice of wearing a wetsuit or live jacket. If you opted for wet suit, it was an extra $15. The speedboat was comfortable with lots of room. It took about an hour to find a shark. There were a couple of other boats out there, which resulted in quite a few people in the water. We ended up going further out and I'm so glad we did!

 

We were divided into two groups and each had a guide. We found an area with several whale sharks so we were able to swim beside them and stay in the water for a while. You have to swim fast at times to catch up with them! Listen to your guide ... She was very helpful in getting us to where we needed to be to have the best experience possible. Before we got out the water, I looked around me. You could see sharks coming to the surface to feed in all directions! I know I saw a minimum of 8 sharks at that particular moment! These creatures are beautiful! At one point, I was so close and he turned while feeding so I had to move to keep him from running into me!

 

We probably had about an hour in the water before heading back to shore. They had some drinks including water and beer plus sandwiches on board to eat. I was feeling seasick so I passed on the sandwich. My husband said it was dry and homemade ... Not the best. I do remember they only had 2 meats between bread, one being pork.

 

The time in the water will wear you out! Some of us even fell asleep in the boat on the way back to shore. Take the time to rinse off in the pool where the boat docks. We were covered with fish eggs from swimming in the area.

 

Overall, it was an incredible experience, especially if you are interested in sharks or diving. Even if you are not prone to seasickness, come prepared. You are not in a secluded cove with no waves. The sea can get rocky. I had ginger cookies with me, which really helped. In our review, we noted that they needed to figure out lunch. It's a very long excursion and there is no time to stop anywhere for food. We were starving when we got back to the ship so take something with you, just in case.

 

Equipment - they have all the equipment you will need. We brought our own and have dry snorkels so water never got into our mouths. Some of our group had trouble with the snorkels because they were shorter and open at the top. Their fins are the type where your feet slip inside like a shoe. There are no straps on the back. Make sure to wear sunscreen that is reef friendly.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I still need to download my photos so I'll post a few once I get that done. I hope this helps!

 

Hi there. I just saw his post and thought I’d ask you a question rewarding photos. I am booked on this tour for July. On the Carnival Conquest ship.  This is a bucket list item I am so thrilled to cross off! 

 

I was wondering when you did it, did the guides take people photos for hem? Also, did they have photos available for purchase?

[SLCruisers]

I need to get on here more often.  My camera gave out so I only have a few good pictures to share.  

 

After reading back at my review and thinking back on the experience, it was one of my best in the water and I have 40 dives now. The sharks are beautiful!  The only thing I think would make it better for me is if I were in my scuba gear instead.  

 

The guide did have a camera but it did not work so don't totally count on that.  Because of that, the only pictures I have are from my camera, which it messed up on me (probably user error!).  I have since invested in a better camera so if I ever do this again, I'll be better prepared.  If you are planning to do this excursion, I HIGHLY recommend bringing your own dry snorkel.  They do cost more but are much better with the waves and in rougher water.  That will certainly make your experience better and you will have less chance of getting the salt water in your mouth.  

[JP-Cruise]

5 minutes ago, SLCruisers said:

I need to get on here more often.  My camera gave out so I only have a few good pictures to share.  

 

After reading back at my review and thinking back on the experience, it was one of my best in the water and I have 40 dives now. The sharks are beautiful!  The only thing I think would make it better for me is if I were in my scuba gear instead.  

 

The guide did have a camera but it did not work so don't totally count on that.  Because of that, the only pictures I have are from my camera, which it messed up on me (probably user error!).  I have since invested in a better camera so if I ever do this again, I'll be better prepared.  If you are planning to do this excursion, I HIGHLY recommend bringing your own dry snorkel.  They do cost more but are much better with the waves and in rougher water.  That will certainly make your experience better and you will have less chance of getting the salt water in your mouth.  

OH MY GOODNESS IN HEAVEN SLCRUISER!

 

even though your camera and the guides camera gave out these pictures are absolutely phenomenal!! I can definitely understand how this is one of the best dives! 

 

This is the first excursion I booked and it is the reason why I booked the cruise. This has been on my bucket list for 5 years! So excited to make this finally happen! I thought the exact same thing with regards to the dry snorkel. I purchase the top of the line dry snorkel last month just for this experience. I have no doubt it will make all the difference in the experience. I also have a mask that has an attachment for my GoPro. So I think I’ll get some amazing national geographic worthy footage ;). 

 

One question I have for you is, I know you’re not allowed to get close to the whale sharks, but did you have any problems with the sharks getting close to YOU? And you not getting away in time?  

Even if this were to happen to me I highly doubt I would be worried. I would be super thrilled haha :)

[SLCruisers]

Thank you!  

 

One shark did get really close to us but no worries at all!!  Their throat is only about the size of a quarter, which is why they eat the fish eggs and plankton.  The guides were very informative about how to swim with the sharks.  I was not worried at all!!  Like you, I was more thrilled!!  

 

Just a heads up ...  you may want to play with the camera possibly hold it in your hands.  I was holding my camera under water but I couldn't get my head under very well.  If the GoPro is on top of your head, you may miss the good shots because your camera is above the water or pointing in the wrong direction.  Maybe an option would be a stick that you can mount the camera on and hold in your hand so you have more control.  Make sure you have a loop on the handle so you can feel more secure with your camera.  

 

Have a wonderful time on your excursion!  I'll make sure to visit back here to look for pictures!!  I get to dive with the sharks in the Bahamas in June. That's my next bucket list item to cross off my list!!  I can't wait!!