Swimming With Wild Whale Sharks: 10 Things To Know Before You Go

Looking for something epic to do while vacationing in Cabo? After the usual sun bathing on Medano Beach, filling your stomach with authentic Mexican food and having more than your fair share of margaritas, perhaps you’re ready for an adventure. Time to add swimming with wild whale sharks to your bucket list! If you’re looking for a great company, check out Cabo Expeditions– I can’t recommend them highly enough. But before you dive in, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Whale Sharks Are Gentle Giants

Swimming with whale sharks in Mexico… It sounds much scarier than it actually is. Just the words “whale shark” are likely to evoke feelings of fear. But did you know, these massive animals are actually slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark? Slow and non threatening but still the largest known fish. So large in fact, they will most likely be the size of your boat! These gentle giants eat mostly plankton and pose no threats to humans-just avoid getting hit by their tails as they swim past 😉

2. Full Day Excursion

If you want to do this excursion, be prepared to commit a full day! A driver from Cabo Expeditions will pick you up in the lobby of your hotel between 8am-9am in a company van. (Don’t worry it’s spacious and air conditioned!) Mostly likely there will be several other stops at nearby hotels to pick up the other guests. Once everyone has been picked up in Cabo, you’re off!

Swimming With Wild Whale Sharks: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico- 10 Things To Know Before You Go

3. Scenic Drive To The Sea Of Cortez

The drive from Cabo San Lucas to the Sea of Cortez is long, over two hours. But fortunately, the drive is incredibly scenic! For much of the trip, you are driving along beautiful beaches, cactus fields and lush hillsides of palm trees. Your driver will also let you stop at a rest stop half way. On your route in the morning, you will stop at a quaint little roadside rest stop and cafe with coffee, beautiful scenery and a cute farm area of donkeys, horses and goats. It looks like something out of a movie set! On your return home, you will stop at Hotel California to stretch your legs and briefly see the area.

4. Wet Suit, Fins and Snorkel Gear Included

When you arrive at the marina, you will be asked to sign a waiver then your gear will be distributed. The water is pretty chilly, so Cabo Expeditions provides everyone with a wet suit, fins and snorkel mask. You can also rent a Go Pro for the excursion if you don’t own one. I recommend leaving everything you brought in the lockers at the office. Everything you bring out on the boat will get wet– so I recommend not bringing cell phones, backpacks etc. When you’re putting on your wet suit, leave the rest of it behind!

5. Choppy, Murky Water

Be prepared for choppy, murky water! The serene, still and crystal clear pictures you see of people swimming with whale sharks only happens under pristine conditions. Most likely, the water will have less visibility due to all the plankton. It can be difficult to even see the whale sharks until they are quite close to you! And with the choppy water, be prepared for salty waves to crash into your breathing tube as your swim alongside the sharks. You might swallow some ocean water on this excursion!

6. 10-12 Guests Per Tour

Typically your excursion will include 10-12 other guests during the busy season. Our group had a great time getting to know everyone on the drive up, we shared travel stories from all around the world and got along very well. I did the excursion solo but there were married couples of all ages and one family.

7. Two Hours Spent In The Water

Once you get into the boat and head out past the marina and into deeper water, your instructor and boat driver will begin searching for the whale sharks. You will get two hours of total time in the water but be prepared to get in and out of the boat several times. When the first whale shark is spotted, you instructor will have half the group dive in first and swim towards the animal. They swim quickly so once the whale shark is no longer visible, your boat driver will swing around and pick everyone up. Now it’s the other group’s turn! Diving in small groups of 6 allows you to get really close to the whale shark and collect your bearings between swims.

You’ll get back to the marina around 3:00pm for a late lunch. The company provides a small snack bag for breakfast on the way up but you’re likely to get hungry if you don’t eat before!

8. Follow Your Guide’s Hand Signals

Your guide will be pointing towards the direction you should swim in. They will gesture when to stop and look down into the water if you aren’t already. That means a whale shark is about to pass right underneath you! Stick close to your guide to guarantee best visibility. As soon as you hop off the boat and into the water, start swimming after them immediately! If you take too long to adjust your gear and swim over, you risk missing out on seeing the whale shark that round!

9. Look But Don’t Touch

With most marine life, it’s in their best interest that we don’t touch! And if your guide sees you intentionally touching the animal, you may not be allowed back in the water on the next round. These docile creatures will calmly swim past you, totally unphased by the humans gathering around them. So it’s easy to get close enough and take pictures without trying to actually grab the whale shark.

10. Cost: $189-$210

This excursion costs a bit more than other things you can do around Cabo but it includes so much: your gear, almost 5 hours of transportation, a guide, a small breakfast, lunch and unforgettable memories! If you have time to commit a full day, I highly recommend it! Definitely worth the cost.