Whale Sharks Cozumel to Isla M - A word about logistics

[MOWI]

This past Wednesday (July 28th) my husband and I rounded out a Cozumel dive trip with a day trip to see Whale Sharks in open ocean N-E of Isla Mujeres. It was an amazing trip! A pod of upwards of 200 animals. Fins everywhere.

We did have some "learnings" about the trip logistics that are worth sharing.

Who to Contact: Our Cozumel hotel set us up with a Playa del Carmen dive shop. Their shop owner accompanied us and is a very knowledgeable and charismatic guy who clearly takes personal service seriously.

Please do be forewarned about the logistics and time involved in getting there, as well as the scarcity of breakfast & hydration opportunities during your long trip to the Whale Shark departure site. It is imperative to eat & bring morning food if you need it. There are also some caveats about the ferry between Cozumel & Playa that if forewarned will improve your trip.

Here's our timeline:

5:00 am get up
5:30 am cab from Cozumel hotel to Cozumel ferry pier
6:00 am ferry departs Cozumel to Playa
(Didn't see any food on ferry, they had a soda kiosk that was not open on boarding. Our return ferry had no kiosk.)
@ 6:45 am ferry arrives Playa, meet group
7:00 private shuttle van Travel to Cancun - arrive between 8:00 and 8:30 am
Note: At this point, if you didn't eat breakfast, you've been hard at it for 3+ hours on an empty stomach. There was allegedly to be a "light breakfast" at the departure pier (provided by pier folks, not our tour leader - not blaming him), but things there were very confusing and it wasn't clear what was available or when we missed it. We did manage to scrounge a small amount of black coffee. Bottom line, if you need something on your stomach for the first 6-7 hours of a strenuous day, don't leave it to chance.

Our own tour leader did offer us seasick meds at the pier. Shame on me for not accepting.

Between 8:30 - 9:00 am board boat & get underway
Boat ride @ 1 hour to 1:20 to whale sharks (can be rough water)

Again, the trip was wonderful! I'm just "complaining" now to share logistical learnings with you.

Final logistical note -- the ferry from Cozumel to Playa (and back). There are two ferry companies, and they don't work together (understatement). Trying to buy your ferry ticket in advance is a bad idea, you are likely to get a ticket you can't use. The ferry companies alternate days -- one company will run at 6 am on Tuesday, and the other company will run at 6 am on Wednesday. If you go to buy your ticket, only one company may be open to sell, and it might not be the ferry you need. Worse, the company open to sell *will not even tell you that there is another company that provides the ferry you do need*! For the same reason, never buy a round-trip ticket. Buy the one-way and then buy another when you are ready to return.

I hope this doesn't sound too complaining. Just trying to share our "learnings" so that you won't have to learn the same way.

That said, we loved it. Long after I forget how seasick I was, I will remember the joy of flying through the water with these magnificent creatures!

 

[cozumelian]

Hi Mowi

Glad you enjoyed it, I saw these wonderful creatures up close recently from Holbox, an experience I'll never forget!

How much did you pay in total per person do you think? There's a tour which is a lot less of a logistical headache since you fly by small aircraft from Cozumel direct to Isla Mujeres or Holbox, so it's less tiring plus you get some incredible views on the way there and back. And don't worry about flying/diving issues, it's a low flight, so 12 hours between your last recreational, no-decompression dive and the flight is fine.

With the airport tax included, it comes out at $309 per person, which is surely more than doing it by ferry/land, but pretty darn good value when you consider what it includes.

The whale sharks are probably only around now until September, so you'll need to be quick, but you can check out the tour here: http://thisiscozumel.com/content/view/934/43/

Ian

 

[MOWI]

Good info, Ian. Including the ferry both ways, our cost was probably about $240 per person. It was a great experience. Just for some reason, maybe our fault or maybe the fact that the referral system from Cozumel to Playa is very new, the details in advance seemed pretty vague...

We've suggested that the hotel offer an option for future participants to arrange for some kind of boxed breakfast, that there be a little more communication on the big picture of the day's schedule and ferry situation.

This was an amazing trip nevertheless. There were Whale Sharks everywhere, and it was easy to swim with them for some distance, then turn around and swim with another. Lunch was provided on the boat, there were beverages galore for lunch and after, and we stopped off on the way back for a lower-energy swim at beautiful Isla Mujeres while the crew made fresh ceviche for all.

 

[CaptEsteban]

That trip is much like divers who are staying in Cancun & wish to dive in Cozumel. The bus ride, ferry , boat , diving, to & from, makes for an exhausting day !
Glad you got to see them !! The plane trip sounds MUCH better & easier.

 

[cozumelian]

Thanks Mowi, it's good to have a comparison. I guess it depends on the individual's budget, but the tour by plane only works out about 28% more expensive so seems like a good alternative with less hassle?

Like you say, it's an amazing trip however you get there and at the end of the day the boat trips out to the whalesharks are much the same, it's just the transport that is different...

Ian

 

[CozumelAntonio]

Thanks Mowi, it's good to have a comparison. I guess it depends on the individual's budget, but the tour by plane only works out about 28% more expensive so seems like a good alternative with less hassle?

Like you say, it's an amazing trip however you get there and at the end of the day the boat trips out to the whalesharks are much the same, it's just the transport that is different...

Ian

Ian, have you done these tours yourself? Or only sell them on your website?

I ask because if you've done them both, then I'd be surprised if you still recommend Holbox.

I went to Holbox in 2002 with a group from work, we dove then, and later I went back snorkeling in 2004 but to Isla Mujeres. There is no comparison.

From Holbox it's green gulf water with 15-20ft viz.

From Isla it's blue caribbean water with 80-100+ viz.

It's a no brainer...

At the shop I manage we had been looking for a reliable provider for this tour, and although we'd had many, many operators offer it to us, we really hadn't found one that we were pleased would do a consistently good job, up to our high standarts. Recently we did, and as MOWI states, making sure all the little details (like food and hydration) are taken care of, is a must.

The company we've signed with does this:

- 6:45am pick up at Sr. Frogs Playa
- A/C Van from Playa to Punta Sam
- 8am arrival at Punta Sam, juice, coffee, sweet bread, bathroom stop, board boat
- 8:15-9am drive to the snorkeling spot (water, juice, fruit provided on board)
- participants can go back in the water as often as they like, 2 at a time, until they've all had their fill, 100% money-back guarantee if no whalesharks are seen
- when snorkeling is finished lunch is provided, fruit, chicken sandwiches, snacks
- 45-60 minute beach stop at IM north shore, shrimp ceviche is served
- return to Punt Sam 1-2pm
- return to Playa 3-4pm

Our client's so far have returned very pleased.

This is a video I made of when I went in 2004 (this is not a video of the above mentioned tour):

Whaleshark Snorkeling near Isla Mujeres

 

[CaptEsteban]

GREAT video ! Your trip looks like it is well-planned !!

 

[cozumelian]

Hi Antonio

I took our whale shark tour from Holbox myself in June, it was an unbelievable experience. We saw dolphins, somersaulting manta rays, schools of golden rays and, of course, 3 whale sharks, the largest of which was about 26 ft (8m) long.

The visibility was not as clear as Isla Mujeres since, as you rightly say, it's just on the edge of the Golf of Mexico. We still had at least 30 ft (10m) of visibility though, more than enough when your are swimming right next to the world's biggest fish!

(I've attached a few photos from the tour in June. We will post more on our Facebook page along with video soon too...)

Your tour also sounds excellent and I know you have high standards too.

For me, the advantages of Isla Mujeres are:

- slightly shorter flying/traveling time from Cozumel, therefore maybe cheaper.
- better visibility, although depends on the spot/currents.

The advantages of Holbox are:

- closer to Golf and main feeding grounds, therefore lots of sea life.
- beautiful unspoilt views away from crowds.

The way things are going so far this year, wherever people choose to take a whale shark tour they are sure to finish the day with a big smile on their face!

Saludos

Ian

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This is Cozumel - news, information and travel bookings from Cozumel Island in the Mexican Caribbean.

 

[VortexTed]

Thanks for the post MOWI. I had no idea whale sharks were around Isla Mujeras and I'll be there in next week. For sure I'm going to go do the whale shark adventure.
I'll also be staying in Playa for a week so I'll probably just drive to Isla Mujeras and go with one of the local companies like this. islawhalesharks.com
Does anyone know if its easy to take a rental car across to Isla Mujeras?

 

[cozumelian]

Hi Ted

The vehicle ferrys leave from Punta Sam, a little further north than Puerto Juarez where the passenger ferrys leave from. The vehicle ferry's are so frequent and take a little longer, so I would recommend you check with your hotel to see if they can confirm the times before you set off. There is also a timetable online here, but I'm not sure if it's right up-to-date and schedules often change.

Isla Mujeres is small, so you might want to consider leaving your car on the mainland and going across as a foot passenger. If you book one of our tours in advance we can arrange for you to be picked up at the pier (or even include transort all the way from Playa). You can also find taxis easily once there, or you might want to rent a golf cart!

Hope that helps, enjoy!

Ian