Swimming With Whale Sharks in La Paz, Mexico! (2024 Guide)

Nothing could quite prepare us for the moment we first saw a whale shark the size of a bus glide slowly by, just feet away.

It was one of those OMG moments, an almost other-worldly experience.

How wondrous that we could swim with whale sharks in La Paz, Mexico – that these amazing creatures allowed us to snorkel alongside them in the wild.

If you’re visiting Baja California Sur, put whale shark snorkeling on your list. No question, it’s one of the most memorable things to do in Mexico!

Whale sharks in La Paz

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are unfortunately an endangered species.

However, there are still a handful of places in the world where you can swim with whale sharks.

The Bay of La Paz (on the Baja California Peninsula) in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez is one such place.

Swimming with whale sharks in La Paz: Two experiences

We recently went snorkeling with whale sharks in La Paz a second time.

The experience was just as amazing as the first – only different.

The first time we booked our whale shark day trip with Cabo Expeditions.

The second time, we arranged our La Paz whale shark tour with Baja Charters, which uses a large catamaran as a support boat in the Bay of La Paz.

We’ll tell you all about these and other whale shark tours in La Paz in a jiff.

First, though, let’s get to know whale sharks a little better…

Interesting whale shark facts

1) Is a whale shark a whale or a shark?

Whale sharks are actually not whales or normal sharks. Gray with white spots, they are filter-feeding fish – the largest fish in the world.

2) How big do whale sharks grow?

They grow up to 60 feet long and weigh up to 47,000 pounds.

3) What is the biggest whale shark in the world?

The largest whale shark ever recorded was 61.7 feet, according to a study on marine giants.

5) How long do whale sharks live?

They live to a nice old age of 130 years.

6) What do whale sharks eat?

Whale sharks are filter feeders which eat only plankton, krill and small fish.

7) Why does a whale shark have a big liver?

Their livers are huge – about 70% of a whale shark’s body is liver. The liver stores oil, which helps keep the whale shark buoyant.

Is it safe to swim with whale sharks?

Even though whale sharks are humongous, they are really just gentle giants. Whale sharks pose no threat to divers, snorkelers and swimmers.

The only concern we had when swimming with the whale sharks was to stay away from their cavernous mouths.

To feed, they open their mouths very wide to suck in gallons of sea water from which to filter out algae and krill.

And our concern wasn’t for us – a whale shark won’t swallow you.

Even though their mouths can stretch to four feet wide, their sieve-like “gill rakers” are designed just to feed on tiny things.

About the La Paz whale sharks

There are some 95 whale sharks in La Paz, mostly juveniles about 15 to 30 feet long – but plenty big to swim with!

The whale shark feeding zone in La Paz Bay (called “El Mogote”) became an underwater national park in March, 2019.

Swimming with the La Paz whale sharks is highly regulated by Mexico’s SEMARNAT (the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources), and all boats, captains and guides must be licensed.

The maximum number of boats allowed in the protected area at any one time is limited to 14 small pangas.

You have to work very hard to keep up with them. After a few minutes of full-on swimming, you’ll be quite breathless! 

The experience: Baja whale sharks with Cabo Expeditions

Our first tour with Cabo Expeditions included picking us up from our resort in Cabo San Lucas and driving us by van to the city of La Paz (about a two-hour ride away).

In La Paz, we geared up in wet suits, then climbed aboard our boat for the cruise out into the bay.

We were accompanied by our Cabo Expeditions guide and a federally licensed local guide with good knowledge of marine biology (along with a boat captain, of course).

Aerial spotter planes looked for the whale sharks from above, communicating their location to our boat captain.

Other pangas and boats also descended on the spot where four or five whale sharks were feeding.

When a whale shark was spotted swimming close by our boat, our guide excitedly shouted at us to slide into the water and swim up to it.

We felt like paratroopers, quickly jumping in one after the other like dominoes.

Then we’d swim alongside the whale shark while peering down at it through our snorkel mask.

Afterwards, we were taken to a local restaurant in La Paz for a Mexican meal of hot soup and tortillas, then driven back to Cabo.

The experience: Luxury catamaran tour with Baja Charters

Our first whale shark adventure was so epic that we just had to make it a twice-in-a-lifetime experience!

Baja Charters operates a little differently.

Their day tours also include transfers to and from Cabo San Lucas, but they use the 60-foot catamaran “Island Cat” as a support boat.

Upon boarding the catamaran around 9:00 am, we were treated to coffee, cake and fruit and relaxed on the boat as it motored out into the bay.

It was unusually cool and overcast, so while we could have lounged about outside on cushions or the netting at the bow, everyone huddled instead inside the cat’s lounge.

The captain even put the heater on!

It was just as well we had a warm place to hang out, as we had to wait an hour until a couple of other pangas left the protected whale shark area.

Once cleared to go, we suited up in shorty wetsuits and boarded our panga (there were two pangas, ours had five guests).

What struck us this time is that we got incredible views of the whale sharks right from the boat.

We could actually get a better overall view peering down at them from the boat, as they’d swim right up to the boat.

Our panga captain explained that whale sharks have poor eyesight. He constantly had to maneuver the panga to get it out of the path of the whale sharks.

Once in the water, it was difficult to see them until they were quite close because the water wasn’t crystal clear. All that plankton and food, which attracts the whale sharks, makes the water cloudy.

But it was thrilling to see first the mouth, then the gills and finally the tail as a whale shark passed by.

Before we knew it, three hours had zipped by and it was time to return to the “Island Cat.”

Shivering from the cold water, we made a beeline for the shower.

The “Island Cat” boasts two heads with fresh water showers, and towels are supplied. Standing under a hot shower never felt so good!

By the time everyone had showered, a hot lunch of seared tuna and fresh-made tortillas with chicken and beef was waiting.

And the complimentary bar was open.

We hungrily filled our tummies, with visions of whale sharks filling our thoughts, as we sailed back to La Paz’s Marina Palmira.

Brrr… it’s so cold

While tremendously exciting to watch whale sharks up close, it was hard on both occasions to ignore the cold seeping into our bones and stiffening our fingers. (We went in early January.)

In winter, which is the La Paz whale shark season, the water temperature drops to the low 60s.

So we felt both regret and relief when it was time to say goodbye to the whale sharks and return to Cabo.

When you plan your Los Cabos trip, you might actually want to stay in La Paz for a couple of days. (There are more fun things to do in La Paz – like snorkeling with sea lions.)

Whale shark season, La Paz

6 Best La Paz whale shark tours

Because there are strict rules for swimming with whale sharks in La Paz, the tour operators are ecologically responsible.

From what we observed, boats maintained safe distances from the whale sharks to avoid hurting them, and there were only a few people in the water at a time from any one boat.

Expect to pay about $250+ USD p.p. for a day tour departing from Cabo San Lucas (up to $400 for a luxury tour). Tours from La Paz will be less.

Here are some of the best La Paz whale shark tour operators:

2) Baja Whale Shark Charters

We also really enjoyed our small group tour with Baja Charters – and can highly recommend them also.

Their La Paz whale shark snorkeling trips are more expensive than those offered by Cabo Expeditions. But you get the use of the “Island Cat” (and its hot showers!) plus a freshly prepared hot lunch on the boat.

Tours also include all snorkel gear (choice of full-face or standard snorkel masks), wet suits, towels and reef-friendly sunscreen.

4) La Paz Whale Sharks VIP Tours

If you’re staying in La Paz, then check out MeXplore’s La Paz eco-tours.

Their top-rated small group boat tours (maximum of eight people) mean you can spend more time in the water with the whale sharks. On average, you get three or more jumps each.

You’re accompanied by a boat captain as well as an experienced guide. And your guide swims with you in the water, taking photos and videos which are included in your tour cost.

5) Fun Baja

We’ve heard from friends that Fun Baja also does a good job.

Because their tours start in La Paz, their trip cost is also less than Cabo Expeditions, Baja Charters and Cabo Adventures above. (Transportation from Cabo isn’t included in the price.)

6) Manta

Manta offers a full-day tour which combines two activities – whale shark swimming in La Paz and scuba diving with playful sea lions. It includes transportation from Cabo San Lucas.

(We’ve gone scuba diving in Cabo San Lucas with Manta – they’re very good.)

Practical information for snorkeling with whale sharks

Where else can you swim with whale sharks in Mexico?

La Paz is the best place to swim with whale sharks in Mexico in the winter months. But it’s not the only place.

You can also go whale shark swimming off Isla Holbox, a small unspoiled island north of Cancun.

The water is comfortably warm during the Isla Holbox and Cancun whale shark season (mid-May to mid-September).

Last words on swimming with whale sharks in Cabo

We’ve been fortunate to enjoy oodles of activities in and around Cabo San Lucas during the countless times we’ve visited Los Cabos.

One of the absolute best is a La Paz whale sharks tour. It’s truly an unforgettable experience!

We expect that, like us, you’ll hanker for it to become a twice-in-a-lifetime adventure too.

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Photo credits: 6, 7, 10, 13, 14 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | 11, 12 Baja Charters | 3, 5, 15 Cabo Expeditions | 4, 8 Manta | 16 La Paz VIP Tours

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We paid Cabo Expeditions a discounted rate and were invited by Baja Charters as media guests on our La Paz whale shark snorkeling tours. But as professional travel writers, we always report on our experiences as we see them (and point out issues you should know).

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