LaPaz whale shark excursions

We are considering a January Mexican Rivera cruise which includes a stop in LaPaz. We're very interested in swimming with the whale sharks and would like any information on vendors. (We generally do our own excursions rather than booking with the ship. In this case, especially, the Princess excursion is only 2.5 hours, which seems too short to get off the ship, onto a boat, out to where the whales are, finding whales, etc.) I've done searches on various forums in Cruise Critic, but haven't found much recent information that includes actual vendor names. Thanks in advance for your help!

We just booked the same cruise for next fall. I've been searching like you, and somewhere buried in the threads was a recommendation for this, which I bookmarked:

http://www.marlinadventures.net/whale-shark.php

I cannot recommend them yet but it is one we are considering because someone else did. It may have been on the snorkeling and scuba diving thread, so I suggest a visit there.

We swam with the sharks a few years ago on a Princess excursion. We had a shorter port time and wanted to make sure we got back.

We met our panga at the pier and had more than enough time with the sharks.

For the private excursion, find out where you need to be met and where the panga leaves from. Town is a good 20 minute drive away from the port.

Thanks to everyone for your comments!

We used Marlin a few years ago in La Paz. The tour to snorkel with the whale sharks rates as one of our best excursions ever! There were only five of us on the boat and the price was reasonable. The ship's tour boat was loaded!

I wrote about our day and the tour in my blog here is the link to La Paz http://vickieandbernietravel.blogspot.ca/search/label/La%20Paz

Thanks Vicki & Bernie, that sounds like just what we're looking for! Good to hear a first hand account on Marlin.

We are considering a January Mexican Rivera cruise which includes a stop in LaPaz. We're very interested in swimming with the whale sharks and would like any information on vendors. (We generally do our own excursions rather than booking with the ship. In this case, especially, the Princess excursion is only 2.5 hours, which seems too short to get off the ship, onto a boat, out to where the whales are, finding whales, etc.) I've done searches on various forums in Cruise Critic, but haven't found much recent information that includes actual vendor names. Thanks in advance for your help!

Are you talking about whales or whale sharks (two very different things)?

For the whale sharks, you can simply show up at the main pier in town on the malecon. There are touts across the street who can hook you up and the panga captains right at the pier in their boats.

Thanks to all who answered my posts. Have been away from home for about 3 weeks & just now reading them. Was talking about whale sharks, not whales, and did find an excursion that will work well, I think. They will pick us up at the ship and have read good reviews on them.

Thanks to all who answered my posts. Have been away from home for about 3 weeks & just now reading them. Was talking about whale sharks, not whales, and did find an excursion that will work well, I think. They will pick us up at the ship and have read good reviews on them.

Good reviews? It's really up to the panga driver, and I don't think you can really know who it might be on any given day.

All there is to these trips into the bay is getting you sufficiently in front of any whale shark spotted so that you can get ready on the edge of the boat, jump over the side, and have a few seconds during which you can try to keep up with it as it swims. (You really have to be a strong swimmer with fins to keep up with them for very long.) Some drivers can spot and position well; some just throw you out there. If there is a good guide on board, s/he can help you see as much as possible, especially if you are not the strongest swimmer. That can make a big difference in the experience.

As far as spotting them, there are going to be a lot of pangas out there whose passengers your panga driver can see go over the side and anticipate the direction the whale shark is swimming, and hopefully, lots of whale sharks to choose from.

The water can be cool/cold, and you might want to rent a wetsuit--but you will be swimming strongly which will also keep you warm.

The other thing is how fast/responsive the driver is getting over to pick you up once the whale shark has gotten out of watching distance. There may be several people scattered about in the water waiting.

Are these the criteria discussed in the reviews?

Note: Picking you up at the ship is the least of it; it's only a few blocks and there are taxis from there to the pier.

Thanks for the comments. We are going with a tour company that will provide full wetsuits, and the reviews I read did speak of safety issues, among other things. We are experienced snorkelers and have our own gear. I have been corresponding with the guide and feel confident that the trip will be a good one. From lots of experience, we know that these are wild animals and there is no guarantee of seeing whale sharks, but I'm sure we'll have a great time trying!

Please come back after January and post some details about your experience. There is so little information about vendors for this activity that your input would be really valuable. And, of course, I'm sure I personally would benefit from your feedback. :)

We'll be there in early December, will it be warmer or will we want wetsuits too?

Thanks, MJC. I will definitely try to remember to do that! I don't know for sure about water temps in Dec. I think I found information on TripAdvisor that led me to check with our tour guide about wetsuits. Or I might have just Googled LaPaz and water temps--sorry, can't remember!

...we know that these are wild animals and there is no guarantee of seeing whale sharks, but.....

....since there are usually SOOOOOOO many just right out close in the bay, you should see plenty enough to keep you busy.

Just to reiterate what's already been stated... Yes, you will no doubt see whale sharks. But those fishies are fast. Even if you're an experienced snorkeler/diver, be prepare to expend a lot of energy trying to get close and keep up with them.

I'm sure we'll enjoy trying!;)

Hi, everyone!

We are back from a wonderful Baja/Sea of Cortez cruise on the Ruby Princess, and just wanted to say that our whale shark snorkel was the highlight of the trip! We booked our own excursion and were picked up right at the ship, taken across the bay to the office to get our wetsuits & fins (brought our own masks & snorkels), and pay--then it was back into the panga and off to see the whale sharks. It was a brief ride, probably 10 minutes or so. On the way over, our guide talked to us about what to expect and about safety issues, as well as respecting the animals (not trying to touch, etc.) There were plenty of whale sharks & we started seeing them right away. There weren't a lot of other boats around where we were, maybe 1 or 2 others, and very soon our driver had us in position. There were 8 of us in the boat & our guide took 4 at a time to see the 1st whale shark. I was one of the first & he held my hand til I got in position to see. It was the experience of a lifetime! This particular shark swam away in a short while & we got back in the boat. We found another very quicky & the guide took the next 4 in. This shark was slowly feeding, so the guide waved more of us in. This time we were able to stay with the whale shark easily and had plenty of time to watch. When the shark finally left, we returned again to the boat. We soon found another & it was back into the water! By this time, the wind had come up a little & there was a little more wave action, but we still were able to stay with the feeding shark for quite a while. When we were in the boat, we were able to see several sharks on the surface of the water. The ones we swam with were approx. 20-27 feet long. The last 2 that were feeding moved slowly & it wasn't hard to keep up with them.

We are experienced snorkelers, so managed the waves in the latter part of the snorkel without problems, but it's something to be aware of. We really liked this trip because it was in a panga (about 26 ft. or so) and not in a catamaran with a lot of people. However, if someone hasn't snorkeled much, it might be a little more difficult for them. You would need to feel comfortable with slipping over the side of the boat & climbing back in a small ladder. The water wasn't as cold as I was afraid it might be, but we were really glad we'd paid the extra $10 for long wetsuits.

At the end of the trip, we were taken back to the dock right next to the ship. We've snorkeled with wild dolphins, manta rays, & on the Great Barrier Reef, but this experience was truly amazing and is one we'll never forget!

Thank you for coming back with an excellent review of your whale shark adventure. Like you, we are experienced snorkelers, and any excursion involving pangas is right up our alley. The primary reason we booked this cruise was for the whale shark experience. If you would please share the name of your vendor I would appreciate it. You can email me at folkdt at aol.

Welcome home!

this experience was truly amazing and is one we'll never forget!

Next trip to the area (make time for one!), you should stay long enough to go to Puerto Alfonso Lopez Mateos (about 3 hours north from LaPaz) and go out in a panga to "pet" the gray whales and their babies that come right up to the boat!

MJC,

I believe that since you requested it, I can give you the name of the vendor here. It was Espiritu Baja, and their e-mail is contacto@espiritubaja.com.mx

I never did get our boat driver's name and am not sure of our guide's, but the guide was from Chile. Both spoke English and did an absolutely fantastic job. The guide was so enthusiastic about the whale sharks & was excited when we got excited, yet he also wanted to be sure that they weren't touched or harassed in any way. I hope that whatever vendor you choose, you have as great an experience as we did!

VidaNaPraia,

Thanks! We have friends who are going in March to spend a week at Loreto. Is Puerto Alfonso Lopez Mateos close to there? Since Loreto is north of La Paz, I'm hoping so, and I will tell them about it.

MJC,

I believe that since you requested it, I can give you the name of the vendor here. It was Espiritu Baja, and their e-mail is contacto@espiritubaja.com.mx

I never did get our boat driver's name and am not sure of our guide's, but the guide was from Chile. Both spoke English and did an absolutely fantastic job. The guide was so enthusiastic about the whale sharks & was excited when we got excited, yet he also wanted to be sure that they weren't touched or harassed in any way. I hope that whatever vendor you choose, you have as great an experience as we did!

Thank you for sharing. I am glad to hear the wildlife was respected, that's important to us.

VidaNaPraia, you've given me another thing to add to my wish list!

https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2014/11/06/mexico-friendly-whales-ahead-and-pet-them/ZCSrOi7Zde0Ge3sPYP0nDO/story.html

VidaNaPraia, you've given me another thing to add to my wish list!

 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2014/11/06/mexico-friendly-whales-ahead-and-pet-them/ZCSrOi7Zde0Ge3sPYP0nDO/story.html

Good intro article.

I would disagree, though, with this (from the article):

"While the other calving areas — Laguna Ojo de Liebre (also known as Scammon’s Lagoon) to the north and Magdalena Bay to the south — attract friendly whales and are open to visitors, San Ignacio is the least touched by industrial or other development. "

Puerto Alfonso Lopez Mateus on Magdalena Bay is a small, quiet, relatively undeveloped fishing village, and the whale watching is great there. The people are very friendly and the panga captains are very knowlegable about the whales.

People coming to PALM from the two locations in the north said the chances to get close to whales were much better in PALM.

If you are leaving from Boston (since the article mentions that), you can overnight and do a half day sightseeing in Mexico City each way as a layover from Boston to LaPaz.

Take it off your wish list and put it on your to do list! :-)