We are very excited about the upcoming whale shark 2024 season. Offering this activity has always been very satisfying for us. We are continually trying to improve our services to provide you with an unforgettable experience. Many of our customers have said "It was the experience of a lifetime!"
It is important that you understand we will be doing an activity with wild animals in the open ocean. There are many factors at play that influence this activity. Every day conditions vary. The Whale Sharks are usually where our experienced team goes, however we can not guarantee that they will be there when we arrive.
Our goal is to offer you the best possible experience based on the circumstances while focusing on service and your safety.
Officially, the season starts on May 15th and ends on September 17th. The season has been determined by the Mexican authorities. It is during these months when the Whale Sharks are in the region during their migration pattern. Whale sharks don’t migrate from the same places and at the same time. We have scattered sightings between May and June, finding them in small numbers at first. As we get further into the season, the number of whale sharks increases until we reach a peak from July thru August. In September, they start leaving the area gradually. Although we know that they are still in the area after September 17th, we are not allowed by Mexican law to do tours after this date, so this is the end of the season for all tour providers in Mexico
When navigating in the open sea, we have to be especially aware of the weather conditions. Weather is not only important for safety reasons, adverse conditions will impact the tour in other ways. For example on a windy day, there will be more wave action, and we will not be able to travel as fast. Adverse conditions can cause the boat ride to be bumpy and seeing a whale shark at a distance will be more difficult. On calm days we can reach the Whale Shark area faster, smoother and it will be easier to see the whale sharks at a longer distance. On a calm day the swim/snorkeling will be more enjoyable.
We always have to follow the directions of the Mexican authorities. The regional and local Harbor Masters will determine if specific weather conditions are suitable for all operators to do the Whale Shark Tours. In addition to the official instructions from the Harbor Master, we will also make a determination if the conditions are suitable to do the tour. We consider safety, your comfort and the chances of finding whale sharks before every tour.
Generally weather conditions in our area are very good and relatively calm during the summer, but it is always possible to have a tropical system close to us that might affect the tour’s ability to leave port. Please keep in mind the chances of a tropical system are greater towards the end of the summer.
The total area where we can find whale sharks is approximately 6,300 square kilometers or a little more than 2400 square miles. Within this area we have several specific locations where we know that there is a greater chance to find a whale shark. Whale sharks don’t move that much from one day to the next, so we try searching the area where we encountered them in the previous days. We also have local fishermen as our informants, and they will tell us if whale sharks have been sighted in a specific area. This helps us to pinpoint their current location.
The time it will take us to find a whale shark once the boat leaves the pier can be between 45 minutes and as much as 2-3 hours. This will depend on the place where the whale sharks can be found on a specific day and on the current weather conditions (wind and waves). Whale sharks are plankton eaters and they follow the food. The vertical movement of plankton depends on different factors like water temperature, salinity or currents, etc. In our experience, we can say that plankton is more likely to be on the ocean surface between 8:00am and 1:00pm, so that is the optimal time to search for whale sharks. We have also observed that whale sharks are sensitive to atmospheric pressure and they might not come to the surface when we have lower barometric pressure.
Considering all the above mentioned factors, we have summarized the information in this table:
(Scroll right on mobile device)
| May 15 th - June 10th | June 11th - June 30th | July 1st - August 31 st | Sep 1st - Sep 17th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather conditions | Aceptable | Very good | Excellent | Poor |
| Whale shark sightings | Occasional | Frequent | Very frequent | Frequent |
Tourist activity with Whale sharks in the Mexican Caribbean is regulated by the Mexican government and there is a limited number of authorized licensed operators. Adventure Tours is a fully licensed operator.
Most of the time boats are scattered in the zone, but when the currents concentrate the food in a small area, you might see a large number of boats. In such cases, there may as well be a large number of whale sharks and the ratio can be of several whale sharks per boat.
On a few days during the season it could happen that due to a shortage or lack of plankton on the surface, we are only able to see a few whale sharks while the rest of the specimens remain near the bottom. If this happens there can be a large number of boats and only a few specimens to see. A new regulation mandates that if the number of whale sharks in a specific place is less than five, and the number of boats is larger than 5 boats per whale shark, tourists will not be allowed to swim with the whale sharks and the activity will be limited to watching these animals from the boat. This specific regulation was made to avoid the harassment of the animals. You must understand that all regulations were made to protect the whale sharks and we thank you in advance for your understanding of our position and your sensitivity towards the Whale Sharks. This last scenario doesn’t occur very often, but it is a possibility.
The Whale Shark management program, regulated by the Mexican Government, for this activity, specifically prohibits us from guaranteeing any Whale Shark sightings. This is because it has been proven that operators and captains offering a money back guarantee tend to disobey the rules in the area just to make sure that a tourist can see a Whale Shark in order to avoid paying refunds. That resulted in harmful practices harmful to the Whale Sharks.
We cannot and do not guarantee the sighting of a Whale Shark. Whale Sharks are wild animals in the open sea, and the presence of a Whale Shark in a specific area is absolutely not in our control. Our captains are former fishermen and they have traveled the area for many years. If there is a whale shark on the surface, they will most likely find it. If we consider that on a specific day it is less likely to see whale sharks because of the given conditions, we will inform you accordingly and offer you the opportunity to reschedule your tour. Our policy is to be very honest about the conditions and about what to expect. If the conditions are not preferable, we would prefer to reschedule so you are safe and comfortable on your tour with us.
If the harbor master closes the port or if we decide not to do the tour because of the conditions and/or the low chances of seeing whale sharks, we will refund 100% of your payment.
Cancellations prior to 7 days in advance of the tour date get a full 100% refund. Cancellations at a minimum of 6 days will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations under 2 days and "no shows" are NO refunds. $0 refund. The whole idea of our booking and cancelling policy is to secure our clients a seat on our tour and at the same time make sure that our boats are full. We don’t pretend to make extra money from cancellations.
According to Mexican law, this type of services known as "Nautical Tourism" have following restrictions:
Services will not be provided to pregnant women, people with recent injuries or physical disabilities, heart, neurological, nervous or back problems, and those who have ingested drugs, intoxicants or intoxicating beverages.
Services can only be provided to minors aged between 10 and 16 years if they are accompanied by an adult. If you have children aged between 6 and 10 years, they will only be allowed to participate in this excursion with a written liability release signed by the parents in the understanding that they will assume full responsibility. This service will not be provided to minors under six years, even if parents assume full responsibility.
The use of life vests is mandatory in all cases.
The service provider will not be held responsible for the damages caused to the users by their own fault or inexcusable negligence of themselves.
All participants must wear a bracelet that proves that the federal tax has been paid (tax included in the price).
The golden rule is "look, do not touch". Beside this one, there are many other rules mandated by the Mexican Government that operators and tourists must follow. Our staff is familiar with all of them and they will inform you if a specific behavior is allowed or not. Here are some of the most important rules that apply to tourists and that all participants must follow:
Each tourist is allowed to enter the water and swim with a whale shark a maximum of 4 times.
The maximum of tourists in the water at the same time is 2, always accompanied by the guide
The observer or tourist should slide cautiously from the boat into the water, avoiding making noise when entering the water
The use of a life vest while swimming with the whale sharks is mandatory
The swimmers are not allowed to submerge and try to swim under the whale shark
It is forbidden to touch the fin, tail or any other part of the Whale Shark
Only biodegradable sunscreens are allowed
The use of drones or remote piloted aircraft (RPA) for air or water for tourist and recreational activities related to TB observation activity is prohibited
It is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages, toxic or psychotropic substances before or during the trip
It is forbidden to take photos with flash