Cozumel Whale Shark Tour

[ggunn]

I'm about to book a tour in June. How do I get the scubaboard discount?

My guess would be to go to the link in the post you quoted.

 

[ggunn]

duplicate post deleted

 

[kjshank]

I went to the link, I didn’t see any details regarding a discount code or anything.

 

[ggunn]

I went to the link, I didn’t see any details regarding a discount code or anything.

Call or email them.

 

[Catito]

No worries, I heard through Jose that you were going out Thursday and Sunday.


Trip Report:

We left on the 7am ferry from Coz to PDC on Friday. (Be there ~30 minutes early... the Winjet ferry was full.)

The ferry was bout 15 minutes late arriving to PDC.

~8:10am - One of our guides, Cora, met us in front of Senior Frogs right off the pier. We made up some time on the ride to Cancun as traffic was light and the driver was speedy.

~9:30am - Arrived at the northern most marina. After a ~15m restroom stop and lite snack everyone loaded on the boat and we were off.

~11am - I counted about 50 boats across the horizon as we were arriving to our jump point. Most boats had left by our 2nd jump (later arrival due to 7am ferry from Coz).

The guides estimated there were approximately ~12 whale sharks in the vicinity (more certainly across the entire area serving all boats). I have photos from the boat with at least 3 in view within ~125 meters. Also got a photo from the boat with a Whale Shark and Manta feeding side by side. Didn't see the manta on our jumps, but it's in the UW video shot that day.

Note - The guides indicated were were only going to get two jumps with a somewhat cramped boat of ~9 people... I would have been quite disappointed with only the first two jumps. We ended up making 3 jumps, with the 3rd lasting quiet a bit longer due to the WS turning and making a second pass. We probably could have talked the guides into a 4th jump, but we were quite tired at that point... those life jackets add a lot of drag and it takes a lot of energy to out swim a whale shark from tale to mouth. (Advice - Don't be the first to jump so you can observe the situation and have a game plan to maximize your time as it goes quick.)

~12:20pm - We were on our way to Isla Mujeres.

~1:30 to 2:30pm - Light lunch on the boat @ the Isla Mujeres party beach. A younger group would have wanted more time at the beach, but I was happy to trade the time (or all of it) for the 3rd jump with the whale sharks.

Short trip back to the Marina ~2:45 arrival. Rest room break, outdoor fresh water rinse, change of cloths for anyone that wanted it and then to the taxi van to PDC. Traffic was a little heavier on the return trip to PDC but made it by ~4:15pm.

~4:20pm - Quick walk to the pier and in the very long line back to Coz. (No time to spend in PDC... we were near the back 1/3 of the ferry line and the boat was full. Had we missed the 5pm ferry, next departure 7pm.)

All in all, I'm glad we made the trip as Whale Sharks were on the bucket list.

I highly recommend divers/tourists stop this practice. Yes, 50 boats surrounding 12 sharks. Water tastes like gasoline. I did it in July 2021. Regretted it as I arrived to the scene. Regret it still. I thought it was a pod in the open sea with a boat. Nope. Terrible. I regret contributing to their demise (on the way back, boat Cpt admitted that they are seeing fewer and fewer). No regulations, swimmers grabbing the dorsal fins. Terrible

 

[JFS]

I'm about to book a tour in June. How do I get the scubaboard discount?

Hello. Yes we will be again offering scubaboard discount. Just mention scubaboard in follow up email that you will receive from Blue H2o Cozumel. June was our best month last year with lots if mantas and whale sharks. The weather is a bit rougher though.

 

[JFS]

I highly recommend divers/tourists stop this practice. Yes, 50 boats surrounding 12 sharks. Water tastes like gasoline. I did it in July 2021. Regretted it as I arrived to the scene. Regret it still. I thought it was a pod in the open sea with a boat. Nope. Terrible. I regret contributing to their demise (on the way back, boat Cpt admitted that they are seeing fewer and fewer). No regulations, swimmers grabbing the dorsal fins. Terrible

Never have seen what you are describing in twelve years of whale shark tours. The tours are highly regulated and often watched by Federal enforcement in the area. Customers are warned not to touch the sharks and if they do, their tour is done. Don't know what shady company you used but Blue H2o Cozumel respects all rules and safety for the animals.

 

[DandyDon]

I highly recommend divers/tourists stop this practice. Yes, 50 boats surrounding 12 sharks. Water tastes like gasoline. I did it in July 2021. Regretted it as I arrived to the scene. Regret it still. I thought it was a pod in the open sea with a boat. Nope. Terrible. I regret contributing to their demise (on the way back, boat Cpt admitted that they are seeing fewer and fewer). No regulations, swimmers grabbing the dorsal fins. Terrible

Which Op did you go with?

 

[Catito]

Which Op did you go with?

I am not saying that our guide/boat was terrible. The whole event was terrible. We hired a private tour (2 of us). We did that thinking that it would be a peaceful trip out to find a pod. However, finding a pod is like finding a needle in a hay stack. So all the boat captains radio to each other when a pod is located…hence the 40 to 50 boats which surround the pod. The other boats had up to 10 people per boat. Allegedly the regulations restrict snorkelers to 2 persons per whale. I did not see that. There was no enforcement. It was a free for all.

Never have seen what you are describing in twelve years of whale shark tours. The tours are highly regulated and often watched by Federal enforcement in the area. Customers are warned not to touch the sharks and if they do, their tour is done. Don't know what shady company you used but Blue H2o Cozumel respects all rules and safety for the animals.

oh my goodness. Are you serious? Just like another person wrote on Scuba Board…40 to 50 boats surrounding a pod. Total chaos. No enforcement. Our private tour was not “shady.” What was “shady” were the number of boats with up to 10 person per boat corralling the pod, more than two per whale, the water tasting and smelling of gasoline. We cut our trip short because it was terrible and I felt terrible for being part of it. Off Isla Mujeres. You know it is true. It was not a one day occurrence.

 

[JFS]

I am not saying that our guide/boat was terrible. The whole event was terrible. We hired a private tour (2 of us). We did that thinking that it would be a peaceful trip out to find a pod. However, finding a pod is like finding a needle in a hay stack. So all the boat captains radio to each other when a pod is located…hence the 40 to 50 boats which surround the pod. The other boats had up to 10 people per boat. Allegedly the regulations restrict snorkelers to 2 persons per whale. I did not see that. There was no enforcement. It was a free for all.

oh my goodness. Are you serious? Just like another person wrote on Scuba Board…40 to 50 boats surrounding a pod. Total chaos. No enforcement. Our private tour was not “shady.” What was “shady” were the number of boats with up to 10 person per boat corralling the pod, more than two per whale, the water tasting and smelling of gasoline. We cut our trip short because it was terrible and I felt terrible for being part of it. Off Isla Mujeres. You know it is true. It was not a one day occurrence.