SWIMMING WITH WHALE SHARKS - CANCUN Mexico

Obviously, when you are traveling, you will have a limited amount of room in your bags, hence the limited amount of things that you pack in your bags... not to mention, you most likely are not going to rent a car, especially in a foreign location like Cancun Mexico! 

We ALWAYS do our due diligence when it comes to excursions and making sure we are getting the necessities for the event... this ultimately lead us to Ocean Tours! Here is whats included on your Whale Sharks excursion, when you book with Ocean Tours:

• Transportation - Depending upon where you are staying, they will pick you up & drop you off. They have a small 12 person utility van, and whoever is on that van (except the driver) will be on the boat with you too. We were staying at the Royalton Chic Suites in the Hotel Zone (watch our full room & resort tour), and the ride to the dock was about 20-30 minutes.

• Snack Items & water- When you arrive at the dock, they will have fruit and water available for a light breakfast. Once you are on the boat and have finished your 2 (possibly 3) jumps, they have sandwiches and soft drinks available. Last but not least, after you do a quick snorkel off Isla Mujeres, they go just shy of the beach, let everyone wade in torso/chest-deep water & they break out some ceviche (super fresh & delicious), guacamole, and tortilla chips to finish off the tour.

QUICK TIP: I would bring a few granola bars, maybe some jerky if you don't like those options. At the end of the tour, we worked up an appetite and were turning into Hangry Karens... don't become a Hangry Karen... bring something to munch on!

• All the gear - They will provide all the necessary gear for you. They gave us snorkel masks, water fins, and lifejackets. On a side note, we did see other boats that did not offer water fins... trust me, you need the fins to keep up with the massive Whale Shark! You get what you pay for!!!

QUICK TIP: Even though they supply the fins & masks, I would prefer to bring my own. The risk of getting the wrong size fins and snorkel set, or the risk of using someone else's mask is highly possible. These fins fit excellent in a carry-on & are adjustable to fit all 3 of our feet sizes 7 to 11, and this snorkel mask is also adjustable to fit my tiny head, to my son's big head.

• Pictures - Your tour guide will have a GoPro and will be taking pictures and a few small clips here and there. You can purchase these pictures & clips for $50 (they accepted cash & credit card). They will give you a receipt and send you an email (roughly 7 to 14 days) with the Google attachments so you can download them.  

QUICK TIP: I would HIGHLY recommend you bring your own waterproof camera! We brought 2 with us. Nate had the GoPro 7 and I had the GoPro 8, trust me, you WILL want this camera for your tour! See the video for yourself 

• SOLAR PORTABLE CHARGER - We had 2 GoPros going and the batteries go quick, not to mention, this charger charges itself (on the go power!) Just make sure you bring the power cord for whatever device you are going to charge!

QUICK TIP: Make sure the charger is fully charged via wall charge for best results.... works like a charm, especially when you are needing juice for your camera to capture this amazing trip!

• HAT - Trust me, this is something you WILL want! Another layer of protection! Don't worry, if you forget your hat (like Nate did), they were selling some at the dock, plus the money they receive goes towards Whale Shark research in Cancun Mexico! Win-Win for everyone!

• HAIRBRUSH - I know this sounds funny, but anyone who has long hair WILL want this... you will thank me later for this suggestion! 

• DRY BAG - A must when going anywhere with water contact! We brought a towel, a change of clothes, our phones, a couple of granola bars, and a few other things that we didn't want to get wet. 

• CASH - You will need to pay the dock fee, it was $13 at the time for us & cash only! Also, they do take photos and videos of you with the Whale Sharks ($50), but you can use a credit card for this or cash. Plus, they have a few Whale Shark hats and shirts that you can buy... we got a hat ($10)! 

• SNORKEL MASK & FINS - They do provide these items when you book the Whale Shark excursion, but we normally will bring our own. If you don't bring you own snorkel mask, make sure to always keep track of yours and don't set it down. All the masks that they give out, look exactly the same & the chances of someone grabbing yours (if you put it down) is HIGHLY possible. We saw it happen a couple times... no bueno!

• DRAMAMINE - Don't risk getting seasick... they did have some when we arrived, but don't risk it & bring your own!