Top La Paz Whale Watching

Make sure to bring a thin jacket if you are prone to freezing easily. You will be served a lunch with softdrinks. The lunch was the worst we had during our 14-day trip. They said that it would be the last week for whale watching and that only 50 whales were still in the bay. However, we could see quite a few pretty close to the boat. Every now and then sticking there head out of the water. The boat trip was partially a bit bumpy. Keep it in mind in case you are prone to seasickness.

Despite a slight hiccup locating the meet up point for the trip, we had an amazing time on our whale shark excursion. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our family, and I’ll share more details below for anyone considering booking this tour. Whale shark encounters are regulated by local authorities and divided into four time slots (7am, 9am, 11am and 1pm). We initially booked the 9am slot. Two days before the trip, the tour operator messaged us explaining that while they request your preferred time, the final slot is assigned by the authorities and can occasionally change. They asked if we would be available for 11am if moved. We confirmed, and the day before the trip they let us know we had been reassigned to 11am. To get to the meetup point, I pasted the exact address provided in the booking into Google Maps, but it routed us to the wrong location. Instead of having us go South along the Malecon, it routed us north. I was able to reach our captain on the phone right away when we figured out we must be in the wrong place, and he dropped a pin via WhatsApp to the correct location. We were about 12 minutes late but it didn’t seem to cause any major issues. I would recommend just typing La Costa restaurant into Google Maps to get to the right location and avoid any confusion. Our initial reservation was for 6 people but one of our party ended up being sick that day so 5 of us went out, and only 4 actually got in the water. We were each issued a wet suit, snorkel, and pair of flippers. Francesca, our assigned marine biologist and tour guide, began the trip by explaining the local guidelines for swimming with the whale sharks. She also shared some key facts about the world's largest fish, and what to expect during the swim. We each had 3 opportunities to jump in the water to swim alongside them. One member of our group even had the unexpected opportunity to swim alongside a pod of dolphins, which made the experience even more special. Francesca stood at the bow of the ship to spot the whale sharks, which are located either by their dorsal fins or large shadows under the water. Once a whale shark was spotted, the next person in line quickly put on their flippers and snorkel and prepared to enter the water. Everyone goes one at a time for each encounter, and we were directed to always stay behind our guide. We found it much easier to jump in and swim alongside the fish without the life jacket, though it’s recommended you keep it on if you’re at all concerned about your swimming skill level. Once you lose sight of the whale shark, you swim back up to the boat and the captain lowers a ladder to let you back on board. As far as the athleticism and mobility needed for this activity, I would say it’s minimal. I am 39 years old and plus size and was able to get on and off the boat without issue. My 12-year-old son also had no problems getting on and off the boat, or keeping up during the swim. The main requirement is that you are a confident swimmer. This was hands down one of the most unforgettable experiences we’ve ever had. My son hasn’t stopped talking about it and says it’s something he will remember for the rest of his life. If you’re considering this tour, book it.

The guide and ship captain were fantastic. Alprin (most likely misspelled) was a thoughtful, enthusiastic and engaging guide. This crew kept the Shark Whales and their environment at the top of their priorities. Very ecologically minded boat crew. We saw those amazing fish and were awed.