What a whale shark swim in La Paz costs
The two swims that start in La Paz itself cost ~$123 and ~$187 per person and take three to four hours. The day trip from Los Cabos costs ~$259 because it adds hotel pickup, a long drive and lunch. Below, the three side by side, then the extras the headline price leaves out.
Three whale shark swims on one table
The table lists the three tours on our home page at their "from" price per person. Prices move with the date and with the booking site, so read each figure as a guide rather than your final bill.
| Tour | From | Length | Group | Start point | Included | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco Migrations (our pick) | ~$187 | About 4 h | Small group, eight per boat on the listing | Eco Migrations office in central La Paz | Full wetsuit plus snorkel kit, bilingual marine biologist guide, transfer from office to boat | Curious swimmers who want the sharks explained |
| Mexico Travel Adventure | ~$123 | About 3 h | Up to 10, in the water in groups of five | Muelle Fiscal on the Malecón | Snorkel gear, marine biologist guide, water | Budget travelers already staying in La Paz |
| Cabo Adventures | ~$259 | About 10 h | Up to 10 per group | Hotel pickup in Los Cabos | Transport, panga, guide, snorkel gear, wetsuits and life jackets, taco lunch with soft drinks | Visitors based in Los Cabos without a car |
All three cancel free up to 24 hours before the start on GetYourGuide. Winter wind can close the bay, so that flexibility matters more than a few dollars either way.
Why the cheapest swim costs less
Mexico Travel Adventure's swim from ~$123 is the lowest fare here, and its reviews are excellent. It scores 5.0 from 40+ reviews on GetYourGuide and 5.0 from 50+ on Viator.
The saving comes from a lean format. The trip runs about three hours from entering the whale shark area to stepping back on land, you meet the boat at the Muelle Fiscal on the Malecón, and nothing is laid on before or after.
The kit list is the plainest of the three. It names snorkel gear and water plus a marine biologist guide, but no wetsuit, so ask before you book if you feel the cold.
Guests swim in groups of five, which spreads the time in the water fairly across the boat. There is no pickup and no food, and our packing list for the panga covers what to carry yourself.
What the Eco Migrations fare adds
Our pick, Eco Migrations' swim with a marine biologist from ~$187, costs more than the budget trip. It scores 4.9 from 40+ reviews on GetYourGuide and 4.7 from 50+ on Viator.
Part of the difference is kit. At the company's office in the center of town you are fitted with a complete snorkel set and a full wetsuit, which keeps winter water from cutting your swim short.
The other part is the guide and the group size. A bilingual marine biologist talks you through the sharks and the bay, and the listing puts eight guests on a boat.
The trip lasts about four hours, and the transfer between the office and the boat is included. Hotel pickup is not mentioned, so plan a walk or a short taxi ride to the office.
A full wetsuit and a biologist on board
Eco Migrations' small-group swim from its office in central La Paz. The fare differs a little between the two sites, so compare both for your date.
On GetYourGuide the Eco Migrations fare has been a little lower than on Viator. Treat that as a date-by-date difference, not a rule, and check both before you pay.
The Cabo price is mostly the road
Cabo Adventures' day trip from ~$259 is the most expensive option, yet the swim itself looks much like the La Paz ones. The extra pays for a full day of logistics around it.
A vehicle collects you at your hotel in Los Cabos and drives about 2.5 hours each way with air conditioning. The fare also covers a traditional panga, wetsuits with life jackets, a Baja-style taco lunch and some free time in La Paz.
It is the most reviewed whale shark tour we compare, with 4.9 from 1,100+ reviews on Viator and 4.7 from 10+ on GetYourGuide. Our Cabo or La Paz guide weighs the long day against a night in town.
Costs the fare leaves out
- Tips for the crew and guide, not included on Eco Migrations and listed as optional on Cabo Adventures
- Photos, sold as an optional photo CD on Cabo Adventures; on the La Paz swims ask the guide (see filming the sharks yourself)
- A taxi to the Eco Migrations office or the Muelle Fiscal if your hotel is outside the center
- The fee for the protected area, which one tour we do not list includes; for our three, check the listing
- Motion-sickness tablets and reef-safe sunscreen, which none of the three lists
- Breakfast before a morning start, since only the Cabo trip includes a meal
None of these is large on its own. Taken together, a taxi and a tip can close part of the gap between the budget swim and our pick.
Getting more from the money
Whale sharks are wild animals, and no ticket at any price guarantees a sighting. What a higher fare buys is comfort and explanation in the water, not better odds of finding the sharks.
The cheapest insurance is time. Book the swim for an early day of your stay, so a windy morning can move to the next one, and read what happens when a trip is cancelled.
The sharks only gather in the bay for part of the year, and our month-by-month season guide shows when. Before you go, the rules in the whale shark zone explain why turns in the water are short.