Swimming with whale sharks in La Paz, Mexico
Whale sharks are magnificent creatures. To see them up close is an awe-inspiring experience. Our time with the whales was among our favorite during our month in Baja. Strangely enough, they are neither whales nor sharks. They are actually the largest fish in the world. Whale sharks can weigh up to 20 tons (18,144kg) and grow to over 60 ft (18m) long. Whale sharks feed exclusively on plankton and small fish and pose no threats to humans. La Paz is one of the best places in the world to see whale sharks because of its unique currents. Plankton are carried by the currents to the sanctuary. The shape of the Bay of La Paz causes the currents to move in a circular motion and the plankton are unable to escape. This creates a high concentration of their favorite food. There are so many Whale sharks in the bay that 95% of all tours are successful at finding them. The season for swimming with the whale sharks in La Paz is October through May.
We were careful about which company to choose for our tour because we heard that many companies do not respect regulations concerning the whale sharks. With regards to whale sharks, Mexico is heavily regulated. They have created a sanctuary for the whales in which only 14 boats can enter at one time. If your boat is number 15 you have to wait outside the sanctuary until a boat leaves. The government monitors this by GPS. Also, boats are only allowed to idle their motors inside the sanctuary to decrease the possibility of striking the whales.
A combination of Google and Trip Advisor reviews will help you select a reputable company. Talk Baja is a really helpful Facebook group that you can also ask about all things Baja. Another thing to consider is that smaller companies will sell your reservation to others if they do not have enough to fill their boat. This means you did all of that work to no avail. After about a week of research, we chose Baja Adventure Co’s four-hour tour.
Baja Adventure Co’s office is located at the Costa Baja Marina. We arrived 30 minuities early planning to have coffee at Doce Cuarenta Coffee and Bakery, next door. Our guide Chris was already there. Before we could order he introduced himself and whisked us away to get sized for our wetsuits and flippers. Once we were done we went back to Doce Cuarenta for coffee. Highly recommended! After our espresso we exited to meet the other two people on the tour and meet our Captain, Jose.
On the boat, we were given life jackets and bracelets. Each person who enters the sanctuary must pay a $7 entry fee, usually included in the price of the tour. The bracelet ensures that everyone inside of the whale shark sanctuary has permission to be there. Then the boat proceeded to the checkpoint where they ensured we were wearing our lifejackets and checked our bracelet. This is where we received the bad news we were boat number 15. Chris decided we would visit the nearby mangroves until it was our turn to enter, but the tide was too low. Then we went to the bay to spot dolphins. I was beginning to wonder if our trip was going to be a success.
While we were looking for dolphins, Jose got a call over the radio that there was a humpback whale breaching outside of the sanctuary area. This was not included in the tour but we were still waiting to enter the sanctuary. There was about a 30-minute boat ride out to the whale. When we got there, we saw something horrible. Four boats were chasing the whale down almost driving right on top of it. By Mexican Regulations boats that are not idling should stay 300 meters away from the Whales. Jose tailed the other boats from a distance for a few minutes and then turned away. Chris informed us that the whale was swimming unusually fast, which meant the boats were stressing the whale. He also informed us that this activity could cause a calf to separate from its mother. Jose and Chris chose to respect the whale rather than try to get too close. We were really impressed by this decision. Shortly after we got to see 6 other whales and our boat was the only one in sight.
Small whale shark from boat in La Paz, Mexico
After about 30 minutes in the water, another tour group of eight surrounded the whale we were swimming with. Chris suggested we take a break. He later informed us that you are only supposed to swim with one whale for 30 minutes at a time and that there were too many people around the whale. Once we were back in the boat we went to locate a different whale shark. This time the whale sharks were not feeding which means they were swimming faster in a straight line. One would come by and we would swim as fast as we could next to it until it passed. We did this until our time for the tour had run out. Overall, I would guess we saw about 10 whale sharks during our hour in the water. We got out and headed back to the marina.
If you are in the La Paz area I would not miss swimming with the whale sharks. It is one of the most exciting things that we have done in our travels. Proceeds from the bracelet go to maintaining the whale shark sanctuary. Please make sure you do research on reputable companies that respect the whales, as there are companies out there besides Baja Adventure Co that follow the regulations. This helps keep the whale sharks protected and ensures that they are around for future generations to enjoy. We didn’t want to suggest any company that we didn’t have first hand knowledge of. Hope your experience swimming with the whale sharks is as magical as ours.
