Whale Sharks in September?

[bradStyle]

Hello all,

We've got a dive buddy that is getting married in October, and a few of us want to take him on a little trip to Mexico beforehand. We're hoping to see some Whale Sharks. If possible we'd much prefer to encounter them "by chance" on dives, than participate in some fiasco with dozens of boats and hundreds of screaming tourists waiting for their three minutes of glory to jump in and mob them.

If the snorkeling trips aren't as bad as I've described above, I would love to hear about it, or if some operators have a way to avoid the masses.

I've been looking seriously at the Isla Mujeres, Holbox, Cancun, Playa, Cozumel, Tulum area, but we are open to other destinations as well. Cancun and Playa appeal because we'd also like to enjoy some of the local restaurants and nightlife, but we understand that the whale sharks don't always reach out to coordinate their schedules with ours.

Your advice is like gold. Thanks.

 

[runsongas]

cabo pulmo/la paz would give you a shot for whale sharks at that time frame. and it fits the bill for chance encounters on scuba at el bajo, but it is less guaranteed than the snorkel trips to isla mujeres.

 

[Jenny Vannari]

Hello all,

We've got a dive buddy that is getting married in October, and a few of us want to take him on a little trip to Mexico beforehand. We're hoping to see some Whale Sharks. If possible we'd much prefer to encounter them "by chance" on dives, than participate in some fiasco with dozens of boats and hundreds of screaming tourists waiting for their three minutes of glory to jump in and mob them.

If the snorkeling trips aren't as bad as I've described above, I would love to hear about it, or if some operators have a way to avoid the masses.

I've been looking seriously at the Isla Mujeres, Holbox, Cancun, Playa, Cozumel, Tulum area, but we are open to other destinations as well. Cancun and Playa appeal because we'd also like to enjoy some of the local restaurants and nightlife, but we understand that the whale sharks don't always reach out to coordinate their schedules with ours.

Your advice is like gold. Thanks.

Nope. Whale sharks are in the area until early September. You can only snorkel with them and its super crowded and sharks are super stressed.. would not recommend. If you'd like to see whale shark in their natural environment without being terrorised by people - Maldives, La Paz/Socorro, Galapagos, Thailand. Let me know if you need help with dive trips

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Both above are correct and if land based then a stay in La Paz or Cabo Pulmo would likely yield them. You might even consider a liveaboard from La Paz such as the Valentina which has space for Sep 14-20.

14.09.2019 20.09.2019 Valentina Sea of Cortez from La Paz 6 nights $2740 12 spaces

Another cool one would be the Quino El Guardian to the Midriff Islands but note she has only quad cabins.

7 nights September 15-22, 2019 Quino El Guardian - Sea of Cortez - Midriff Islands
$2200 + National Park Fees $28 • Hyperbaric Chamber Fee $15 • Nitrox Fee $120 - includes all meals, snacks and beverages including canned soft drinks • Complimentary local beer & wine •
embark/disembark: Puerto Penasco

 

[bradStyle]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a cursory google search of La Paz (Mexico) indicated that the whale sharks come in the winter time there.

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Sorry to say but I think you are wrong - they are there thru the summer until as late as November then move south

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

I apologise Brad, you may not be completely wrong but I have swum with whale sharks off La Paz in late August, September and November over the years and we have had them at Socorro in November, and each year they swim with them off Bahia de Los Angeles in August so my experience indicates to me that they are there at that time, but as no doubt you googled, and found that maybe there was a difference off opinion. There are certainly not the numbers that you find at the isle Mujerres in July and August but they are definitely there. From 30 years in the business I have never actually sent people to dive in the sea of Cortez in the winter so I have no personal experience of that but a colleague tells me that you may find them there off la Paz in winter. It would be interesting to get input from others who may have swum with them in the winter months.

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Hi Brad - this is one place where the whale sharks congregate in summer in sea of Cortez.

Wayyyyy off the beaten path in a hidden bay in the northern sea of cortez up to 220 whale sharks gather every summer.

The whale sharks are amazing and we love nothing better than getting in the water with them. The nearby scuba diving is great. And local colonies of up to 1000 sea lions are the icing on this particular cake. These trips kick-off in San Diego at our dive center by Nautilus. Disembarkation will be in Cabo San Lucas for the exciting start of our Cabo Pulmo season!

Trip Boards at 8:00 am on Aug 31, 2019 and Disembarks at 8:30 am on Sep 12, 2019

 

[bradStyle]

Thanks for all of the advice Dom. I think we'll be ruling liveaboards out for this trip. We're going to want to variety of activities that only a city allows for. We may just decide to forego whale sharks entirely and head to Cozumel for diving and Playa Del Carmen for restaurants and nightlife.

 

[Dom@DiveAdvice]

Thanks Brad - sounds like an excellent suggestion for a last adventure before the wedding Don't hesitate to let us know if we can help you with anything in future. Have a fabulous trip. Cheers dom