Cancun sits like a string of pearls along the Yucatan peninsula. The waters are brilliant shades of blue, beaches are perfect for strolling, and sunsets legendary. It’s what lies beneath the ocean’s surface that many find most exciting. That’s where I went swimming with whale sharks while boating off the coast of Isla Mujeres just outside of Cancun.
The massive creatures return to the Cancun area each year between May and September. Their name is somewhat misleading as they are related to sharks yet are filter feeders. They’re in the Cancun waters to gobble up plankton while repeatedly swallowing gallons of water into their gaping mouths. The mouths seem intimidating when you’re swimming close but as long as you keep your distance the encounter is perfectly safe.

Chuck Nicklin filming a Whale Shark.
For most swimmers the idea of being a few feet from a feeding behemoth is daunting but the fear soon evaporates when you go with an experienced tour guide. There’s no guarantee that you’ll see the sharks either. We took a boat from Isla Mujeres early on two consecutive mornings, planning to wait through the day to find them. One day was filled with the fish, the next very few showed up.
It’s a long boat ride and sometimes rough. For that reason motion sickness medication is advised and take it before you get on the boat. For those of us lucky enough to avoid motion sickness, I’ve found having a mild and filling breakfast helps immensely. Waterproof sunscreen and reapplying it several times through the day is important. A hat helps – but bring one that won’t fly off as the boat speeds towards its destination. Other than that tour operators usually bring water, soda and a light snack, especially if they know you’ll be out for most of the day. They’re there to help you and always appreciate tips at the end of the trip. Safety for you and especially the whale sharks is paramount for the tour operators in the area.
Guidelines for swimming with Whale Sharks include:
- No more than ten people per boat
- Buddy-system swimming – only two people allowed in the water at the same time.
- No flash photography is allowed.
- No touching or pestering

Whale Shark feeding. Photo: Tripwellness.com
Several ways to get close to the whale sharks from Cancun:
Celebrate all things whale shark-ish at the 8th Annual Whale Shark Festival.
In 2015 the festival, held July 18-24, includes an exhibition about the island, traditional dancing and delectable food. Stay at a nearby Cancun hotel and settle in for the fest. The festival benefits the Blue Realm Project and Amigos de Isla Contoy, two groups dedicated to conservation and education about marine life and ecotourism in the Mexican Caribbean.
If you enjoyed this, here’s more about swimming with Whale Sharks on the Pacific side of Mexico in the Sea of Cortez.
Excelent post! Thanks for the mention 🙂
Thanks. I support what you do – carefully sharing our underwater wonders.
You have just reminded me to make room for this in my schedule this year! I keep missing the window. Thanks for the great tips!
I look forward to hearing about your experience when you do.
What an incredible experience! I had read before about people swimming with whale sharks somewhere in SE Asia but I guess it didn’t occur to me they were near Mexico as well 🙂 I will definitely keep this activity in mind for whenever we make it down there
Whale Sharks feed near Cancun and down towards Hobarts Islands. On the Pacific side they spend a lot of time in the warm waters near La Paz in the Sea of Cortez. I’m lucky enough to have seen them in both places.
I would LOVE to do this, they’re such beautiful creatures – I’ve been told by people in the past that you forget to breathe when you’re swimming with them because you hold your breathe from being so in awe! I can’t wait to add this to my list of epic adventures too!
Hi Meg, I love that about holding your breath out of awe. Easy to imagine. I was swimming so fast that wasn’t an option!
My husband saw a whale shark while diving in St. Croix. In his nervous haste he turned the GoPro OFF!! LOL – So no pictures but amazing memories.
It would be a shock if you didn’t expect to be in the water with them! I’ve dropped cameras and turned them off in surprise myself. The memories are pretty good still.
This looks absolutely amazing, love the underwater pics 🙂
Found you through #theweeklypostcard
Thanks, Esther. Glad you liked the pictures and story.
Great article…I need to get there and swim with these amazing creatures…awesome read & pics!
Thanks, Will. I’ve been lucky to get close in the Cancun area and on the other side of Mexico in the Sea of Cortez. Both stellar experiences.
Swimming with the whale sharks is on my bucket list!
Glad to hear it. You can find them around the world too.
That sounds like such an amazing experience. However, I think I would feel quite nervous swimming so close to such an enormous creature!!
It’s a bit nerve-wracking until you realize that you’re doing this with seasoned experts and snorkelers. They’re really docile.
What a cool experience. I really wanted to do this when I was in Cancun, but I wasn’t able to. They really are amazing animals.
You’ve got that right. I just love being in the water to witness and be close to major pelagics (nomadic, ocean creatures.)
Weren’t you a little afraid of these monsters, Elaine? They are so big that they could kill you with just one short unexpected move. Maybe that’s why only two people at a time are allowed in the water.
I wasn’t afraid, Anda. Whale sharks move pretty slowly as they feed. Wile they can maneuver surprisingly quickly they avoid contact.
A friend of our did this on a recent trip to Mexico, and we were terribly jealous. Looks like an amazing adventure, and something we would love to do 🙂
Sorry you missed the chance. Whale Sharks pop up at in seas around the planet, so maybe your paths will cross yet.
I’m glad you took such amazing photos of these magnificent creatures—because I can pretty much guarantee that’s as close as I’ll be getting to them. #1) I do get sea sick in small boats and #2) although I’m a good swimmer, I get really claustrophobic snorkeling and I can imagine that scuba diving would crank that up by some exponent.
Thanks, Suzanne. Sea sickness can nix a boat trip for sure and I’m sure you’ve tried every remedy. Sorry that snorkeling makes you feel claustrophobic. There are floaties with windows in them that might be a good option. Scuba diving isn’t an option with whale sharks anyway. It’s not allowed, at least in the La Paz and Cancun areas where I’ve been.
Sounds like an epic experience. Wish we would have made time for it when we were in Cancun last September. Hopefully next time.
The Whale Sharks keep returning to the Cancun area. Next time you’re there head over to Isla Mujeres and hop on the boat!
Would love to do this! And good to know can do this in Western Australia too! Will be there next year, so hope we can do it then 🙂
I hope you’ll be in Australia at the same time the sharks are there. Your kids will love it too.
What an incredible thing to do but sorry it work out exactly as planned
It worked out just fine. I’m still buzzed from the encounter.
I had the opportunity to swim with these beautiful animals last June in Western Australia. Such an amazing experience. Would love to do it in Cancun or another destination at some point.
HI Alyssa, I envy you swimming in Western Australia. Can’t wait to visit. These big fish sure get around!
Elaine, this is on my bucket list! I have an opportunity to go to the Cancun area to swim with them later this summer; I am hoping it will work out! Thanks for the great info and tips.
Great to hear. They’re such gentle giants. I hope it all goes smoothly. Explore Isla Mujeres for sure.