Small Group Snorkeling and Swim with Whale Sharks & Sea Lions in La Paz

Inclusions / Exclusions

Mobile ticket
Offered in: English, Spanish
Underwater pics and videos
Snacks
Lunch
Use of Snorkelling equipment
Wetsuit
Soft drinks and beer
All Fees and Taxes

Gratuities

Overview

Imagine yourself swimming next to the biggest fish in the world (the whale shark) in its natural habitat, learning about its biology, and having the time of your life. In addition to that, you will swim with friendly sea lions and visit one of Mexico's best beaches, Balandra.

Meeting points

*Please show up at least 15 minutes prior to departure time! *The location is on the corner of Topete and Legaspi street, go through the blue gate with the big "Marina de La Paz" sign and we will be waiting for you at the "Tour Meeting Point" area, just a few steps ahead by the boat ramp.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Snorkel with the biggest fish in the ocean, the whale shark! We will also take you snorkeling with the friendly sea lions in San Rafaelito, where you will also get to witness a beautiful coral reef full of colorful fish. End this amazing half-day tour with a visit to one of Mexico’s best beaches: Balandra, where you will enjoy fresh ceviche and cold beer while you dip your toes in this incredible turquoise-water sandy beach. IMPORTANT INFORMATION There are 4 turns to get into the Whale Shark area each day and there's a limited number of boats that go in depending on how many Whale Sharks are in the area. The turns are assigned via WhatsApp and they are given in the order in which they receive the messages. We always aim for the second turn ( 9 AM) but there are days that we don't get it, so we have to ask for a chance in the 3rd or 4th turn. We cannot guarantee that we will get a turn or which turn we will get until after the turns are assigned each day. We will get in contact with you if we don't get the desired turn (9 am) to let you know the turn we got assigned.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Free Cancellation

April 26100% refund

April 27No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

48 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

5 stars

48
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We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 48 reviews with 5 stars

Best Whaleshark and Sealion Tour

Published on Dec, 2024

What an amazing once-in-lifetime experience! The whale sharks in La Paz are well known to be among the best in the world, and Tuna Tuna Tours was an amazing way to experience them. The guide - Estephanie - was knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and welcoming to everyone in the boat. She made sure that everyone had a great time, regardless of skill level. Her and the boat capitán were so skilled at spotting marine life, that in addition to several whale sharks and sea lions, we saw a baby humpback and many (many!) fish. They also emphasized the importance of keeping the oceans clean and made sure to talk about the conservation efforts in the area, which is appreciated! The boat was basically a panga (which worried my often-seasick wife) but they knew how to navigate to keep the motion to a minimum. Booking was easy and great with help from Juan Carlos. The whole experience was memorable and worth every penny. As full-time travelers, we don’t often splurge on tourist activities like this, but this one was well worth it!!

Bucket list, adventure nailed. Snorkeling with whale sharks and sea lions on the combo tour

Published on Dec, 2024

This was on the top of our bucket list and it did not disappoint one bit. The tuna, tuna tours team did a fantastic job. We got in the water three different times with the whale sharks. It was super exciting.

The most professional and courteous tour operator in La Paz

Published on Dec, 2024

1. Overall: Tuna Tuna has the fastest service of all the tour companies that we reached out to. We were very impressed by their professionalism, their attention to detail, their pricing and payment process. Juan Carlos is a seasoned operator with great communication and provides all the information with utmost clarity. 1. We booked the 5 hour tour to swim with the whale sharks and the sea lions. It was the Thanksgiving weekend and the 10 slots on their boat were filled 3 weeks in advance. Juan Carlos promptly informed us about a cancellation 2 days prior and accommodated us on the tour with amazing efficiency. All the communication is via email and WhatsApp. 2. We reached on time and the payment process was very simple at the Marina itself. 2. Swimming with the Whale Sharks: This is a once in a lifetime activity and at Tuna Tuna Tours, they take your experience very seriously. Our tour guide Carlos was very fluent in English and Spanish. He was warm and explained all the aspects of the excursion very well. They followed all the legal protocols to the letter and had all the required permissions in order. Once on the boat, they were on lookout for the Whale Sharks during their feeding time (at 7:00AM). After about an hour of looking for them, we saw a huge Manta Ray in the bay and soon after that, we were blessed with two 4-5m female whale sharks. The 10 person tour group was promptly divided into 2 groups of 5 persons and each group got 2 opportunities to swim with the whale sharks. The boat was impeccable and our Captain Marcos knew how to ensure we all had a great time. The snorkelling equipment, fins, life-jackets and the wetsuits were very well maintained and sanitised for our use. 3. Swimming with the Sea Lions: After about 3 hours of chasing and swimming with the whale sharks, Marcos and Carlos took us to swim with the sea lions. Carlos was aware of the entire group and did a fantastic job ensuring that we all had an unforgettable experience with the sun bathing sea lions swimming and playing in the ocean. 4. Lunch at Balandra: This was the most astonishing beach we have been to in Mexico. Balandra consists of 7 virgin beaches protected by the government and the one we went to an exclusive beach accessible only by boat. Carlos and Marcos were well prepared with delicious food - a spread of ceviche, burritos, sodas, beer, salad, salsas, chips and cream wafers. They had Beach umbrellas and a table set up for the group while we enjoyed the clear waters and the mesmerising views of this magical beach. We highly recommend Tuna Tuna Tours for an unforgettable experience at La Paz!

Christian and Marco were...

Published on Nov, 2024

Christian and Marco were amazing and took great care of us. They got us so close to the whale sharks, it was unreal! And the homemade lunch they served on a beautiful beach was delicious! Fair warning, the tiny jellyfish in the water can be brutal, so might want to bring a full body wetsuit if you are sensitive to it.

FANTASTIC Adventure with a wonderful team!

Published on Nov, 2024

Absolutely amazing trip with the Tuna Tuna team!! They kept us up to date before the trip to let us know about the draw for times to swim with Whale Sharks. We even had a Humpback Whale putting on a show near us when we were with the Whale Sharks. Swimming with Seal Lions as pretty fun as well. My family had a blast and I highly recommend this adventure while visiting La Paz. You won't be disappointed!