Whale Shark Encounter & Snorkel Experience

Has anyone done this snorkel yet?

Who is offering this? Interested.

I'm pretty sure Princess had it as one of their excursions on our last cruise last week. I would assume it's a seasonal offering since the whales typically head further south in the winter. I have considered snorkeling with the whale sharks but it was 6 hours of transportation time and only less than 2 hours in the water with a chance of finding a whale shark.

I'm pretty sure Princess had it as one of their excursions on our last cruise last week. I would assume it's a seasonal offering since the whales typically head further south in the winter. I have considered snorkeling with the whale sharks but it was 6 hours of transportation time and only less than 2 hours in the water with a chance of finding a whale shark.

Hello, I just booked a cruise which includes Cozumel for next July just so I can do this excursion to say that I have swam with whale sharks (the biggest marine animal on the world) I think that alone is definitely worth the travel time :D

I called princess last week to book this excursion though, and they said that it’s is cancelled because the vendor has renewed their contract. They told me to call them back when they have finalized all their excursions for this cruise, which is on February 27, 2019. If this excursion is still not offered, then I’ll be cancelling my whole cruise. No point in me going if I can’t do this. This is on the top of my bucket list. But I can’t see why they would just cancel it indefinitely. I also asked if it’s a seasonal tour, if it’s only a certain time of the year and the representative said no it isn’t. It’s offered throughout the year

Sorry that the rep gave you bad info, but the tour is definately seasonal. You can look up private companies that offer the excursion. It looks like the season around Cozumel is mid-May to mid-September, so your cruise should be perfect! Make sure your ship gets into cozumel in the morning, as morning tours seem to have a better success rate of finding the whale sharks. I too would be very excited to snorkel with them.

Just so you know though, whale sharks are not the largest marine mammal in the world. A whale shark is indeed a shark, so it is a fish, not a mammal. They are typically 30-40 feet in length. The largest marine mammal is a blue whale which averages 80-100 feet. I hope this doesn't dampen your excitement to snorkel with them! One thought though, have you researched the success rate of finding the whale sharks off cozumel? Is it like humpbacks in Juneau where vendors will guarantee sightings, or are they much harder to find? If they are harder to find, and this is your whole reason for the trip, a land vacation may be better so you could go multiple days in a row if necessary.

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Sorry that the rep gave you bad info, but the tour is definately seasonal. You can look up private companies that offer the excursion. It looks like the season around Cozumel is mid-May to mid-September, so your cruise should be perfect! Make sure your ship gets into cozumel in the morning, as morning tours seem to have a better success rate of finding the whale sharks. I too would be very excited to snorkel with them.

Just so you know though, whale sharks are not the largest marine mammal in the world. A whale shark is indeed a shark, so it is a fish, not a mammal. They are typically 30-40 feet in length. The largest marine mammal is a blue whale which averages 80-100 feet. I hope this doesn't dampen your excitement to snorkel with them! One thought though, have you researched the success rate of finding the whale sharks off cozumel? Is it like humpbacks in Juneau where vendors will guarantee sightings, or are they much harder to find? If they are harder to find, and this is your whole reason for the trip, a land vacation may be better so you could go multiple days in a row if necessary.

 

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Thank you very much for all the information. It is greatly appreciated! I will definitely look more into the multiple day trips that offer swimming with them.

 

Thanks again :)

 

Ya I did a whale watch in Juneau last summer. Didn’t seen many whales that day, maybe like 3. But it is wildlife, you just never know what the whales will be doing and how many you’ll see. It’s like going to the casino haha