Whale Shark Experience

Jump! Jump! Jump! That’s all you hear before letting your body fall into open sea with the largest fish ever recorded.

It turns out that swimming with a 10 to 15 meters long animal is a thrilling experience, the blood-pumping-like-crazy type. Some may call it exhilarating, others (me, Maggie) nerve-racking. Either way, it is an absolute must in La Paz.

Truth be told: we had never snorkeled before. Looking back, this wasn’t the best time to figure out the equipment. But, how hard could it be…

So, here we were, two amateurs in a very choppy sea, with almost zero visibility, trying to tame the Sea of Cortés. From the footage we had seen in Google Images and Youtube, it seemed like a peaceful experience in still and very clear water. Well, this wasn’t exactly that. In fact, it was just the opposite.

My nerves hit the roof when the captain told us some guidelines like: not to swim next to the tail, or you might get struck, and not to get in front of them, because they will run over you (they can’t see ahead, their eyes are on the sides). Follow these instructions with zero visibility? Really?

Still, we jumped…

Catching my breath from the freezing cold water, took me a minute. Then, the captain began to yell at us to swim left or right. But, who was he yelling to… we were six people scattered around trying to follow the guide, while looking down and losing all sense of direction.

After swimming for what felt like half an hour, I managed to get to the other side of the boat. And there I was, right next to the tail. Pure adrenaline. You can’t imagine the size.

Unable to swim fast enough to follow it and with a fair amount of sea in my stomach, I decided to head back to the boat. And that was it for me. With blue lips and shivering, I figured I’m not much of an extreme adventurer.

Nils, however, jumped four more times. In one of those, actually landing just in front of the mouth. He says it was one of the best experiences he has ever had, because it combined feeling vulnerable and terrified, with the fortune of being able to swim with such a majestic and harmless creature.

All in all it was a great adventure, and would definitely do it again- with better weather.

Have you done this? We’d love to hear your experience…

Useful information

What to expect: it is a two-hour tour that consists of jumping, swimming with the whale shark for 3 – 4 minutes, returning to the boat to catch him up or to look for another, and jumping again. It can vary, but, on average, you get to jump 5 to 6 times.

When to go: you can swim with whale sharks almost all year round (they close in May), just choose a very sunny day. According to the captain, April has the best weather and visibility.

Word of advice: wear a wetsuit, pack a towel, and when you get into the boat, sit on your left side. Otherwise you’ll end up like me, burning all your energy just trying to get around the vessel. The whale shark was on the left side four times out of five.

Tour contact: Eduardo’s Tours (cel: 044- 612-152-1213; phone: 612-166-1657;e-mail: [email protected]).

Tour price: $850 mxn per person (we managed that deal, because we also booked with them the tour to Espíritu Santo Island. Without that one it was $950). The guide’s tip isn’t included.

*Keep in mind that you may not get the exact deal, but at least you’ll have a range of price.

Wetsuit rental: Eduardo’s Tours don’t have wetsuits, but you can rent them ($100 mxn, per piece) from a guy that stands in front of the Burger King, near the malecón. Be there early (8.30am), or call him the day before, because he rents them quickly. His name is Héctor Villaseñor Acevedo, cel. 044-612-168-2312.