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Whale Sharks and Sea Lions Snorkeling Plus Balandra Beach Lunch
4.9
38 Ratings
La Paz
Snorkel with whale sharks and sea lions, then relax at Balandra Beach with a delicious lunch. Small groups, expert guides, and unforgettable memories await.
Snorkel with whale sharks and sea lions, then relax at Balandra Beach with a delicious lunch. Small groups, expert guides, and unforgettable memories await.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Topete 125 - We will meet at “Marina de La Paz” located at the intersection of “Topete and Miguel de Legaspy” streets. It is VERY important to arrive on time.
Then we will provide you with all the necessary gear: mask, snorkel, fins, and wetsuit (shortie). After that, we will head to the whale shark area and request a spot at the control stand for…
- Topete 125 - We will meet at “Marina de La Paz” located at the intersection of “Topete and Miguel de Legaspy” streets. It is VERY important to arrive on time.
Then we will provide you with all the necessary gear: mask, snorkel, fins, and wetsuit (shortie). After that, we will head to the whale shark area and request a spot at the control stand for the Whale Shark area.
Once we find one or more whale sharks, we will begin the watching and snorkeling activity. Our groups are limited to a maximum of 9 people per boat, ensuring uncrowded boats and a more professional and personalized service. We will conduct the snorkeling activity in groups of 2 to 4 people at a time in the water, ensuring a comfortable experience. The guide will take turns with each group, allowing you to swim multiple times, likely with more than one whale shark. The number of times you snorkel is up to you; we won’t restrict you to just 1 or 2 times as is common with other tours.
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Federal permits and whale shark donation for its conservation
- Use of snorkel equipment and wetsuits (shorties 3mm)
- Traveler’s insurance
- Complete food and drinks
- Pictures and videos of your tour with GoPro (quality depends on conditions)
- Professional guide
- Federal permits and whale shark donation for its conservation
- Use of snorkel equipment and wetsuits (shorties 3mm)
- Traveler’s insurance
- Complete food and drinks
- Pictures and videos of your tour with GoPro (quality depends on conditions)
What's Not Included
- Towel, sweatshirt and biodegradable sunscreen
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Gratuities
- Towel, sweatshirt and biodegradable sunscreen
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Gratuities
Meal Options
- Fish ceviche - Marinated fish with tomato, onion, cilantro and cucumber, all seasoned and served alone or with chips.
- Burritos - Flour tortilla, two options: with beans and cheese or shredded meat
- Additionals - We also bring fruit and soft drinks
- Fish ceviche - Marinated fish with tomato, onion, cilantro and cucumber, all seasoned and served alone or with chips.
- Burritos - Flour tortilla, two options: with beans and cheese or shredded meat
- Additionals - We also bring fruit and soft drinks
Additional Information
This tour offers a combination of the “Whale Shark Tour” and “Sea Lions and Balandra” experience. In addition to swimming with whale sharks, participants will:
Explore the “San Rafaelito” islet and enjoy snorkeling with sea lions, a coral reef, and the diverse marine life surrounding them. Discover “La Gaviota” Island, which is home to the Blue-footed…
This tour offers a combination of the “Whale Shark Tour” and “Sea Lions and Balandra” experience. In addition to swimming with whale sharks, participants will:
Explore the “San Rafaelito” islet and enjoy snorkeling with sea lions, a coral reef, and the diverse marine life surrounding them. Discover “La Gaviota” Island, which is home to the Blue-footed Booby (season: Aug-Nov) and other unique bird species.
The tour concludes at Balandra, one of Mexico’s most stunning and untouched beaches. Here, lunch will be provided, and there will be time to relax on the beach or take a short hike in the area.
- Activity restricted for safety and federal regulations to: women in pregnancy, heart, neck and breathing problems
- Freediving is not allowed due to Federal regulations, only snorkeling in the surface
- In case of bad weather forecast, we will let you know 2-3 days in advance. In some cases the waves can be moderate causing a choppy ride, and on other days with high winds, the bay may be closed officially to all boat tours
- Bring towel and warm clothes (VERY important Nov-March) and biodegradable sunscreen
Location
Topete 125
Topete
It is VERY IMPORTANT to arrive on time at the hour. There's no tolerance after the meeting time since the whale shark area is strictly regulated by the Government.
We will meet at "Marina de La Paz" which is located in the corner of "Topete and Legaspy" streets.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(38 Ratings)
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1 star
Sheena0115
Apr 26, 2025
Snorkelling with sea lions - We were hoping to swim with whale sharks but alas there weren’t enough to be allowed to. However instead we swam with sea lions which was just amazing!!!!
We left the marina quite early which was good as we were alone with the colony. The sea lions are so playful and curious. A joy! There’s also so much more to see as you are snorkelling in a protested park on a reef in the Sea of Cortez. It’s like being in an aquarium.
Afterwards we had a great lunch on a lovely beach and headed back to La Paz in the afternoon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lnandck
Apr 16, 2025
No sharks, and still a great tour!! - MeXplore was good at keeping us informed as we had hoped to do the whale shark tour, but no sharks ☹️. However they gave us a refund for the shark tour and credited back the difference for the sea lion tour. The tour itself was fun and will managed. The food for lunch was great.. lots of ceviche! Highly recommend this company and hope to do the whale shark tour another time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Teachfrog
Apr 9, 2025
A fantastic experience. Michelle was fantastic. - Whale Sharks have left the premiss but our guide Michelle and our Captain did a terrific job of making this a worthwhile trip anyway. The boat was comfortable and well equipped and Mexplore provided all needed snorkeling gear and also took and shared GoPro video of our excursion.
We had a bilingual group including younger kids and Michelle easily switched between Spanish and English. She also took remarkable care and responsibility for the two younger kids on our trip which went above and beyond.
On the way in we pointed to a whale spout and our captain immediately changed course to get us closer to what turned out to be a playful and large humpback playing with two pods of dolphins and several sea lions - magic.
We then went to the Northernmost point of Espiritu Santos where the sea lion “nursery” is and we had about 25 minutes of snorkeling with playful sea-lion teenagers - not nearly long enough but lots of fun.
We were to return with another reef snorkel on the other side of the island, but it was too windy. The upside was that we got two hours on “Bonanza beach.”I have been a lot of places in the world and it is not hyperbole that this was the most beautiful beach I have ever been on. Michelle and our captain set up a beach picnic with chairs and umbrellas and served us beef burritos, cheese and bean burritos, ceviche, and fruit salad. All of it was great.
In short, this was a fantastic trip and well worth the cost. We will be back for swimming with whale sharks and will definitely consider Mexplore as the tour company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Guer0
Mar 29, 2025
An incredible tour with informative guides and a very nice boat. Would recommend. - This was a very organized, professional tour. We had an amazing marine biologist on board, Carla, and a very experienced driver named Alejandro. They made the tour very entertaining . Carla explained all about the island and smaller islands and about the various marine life we saw. We saw all manner of fish, sea lions, and Manta Rays and when we asked them if we could have lunch elsewhere they recommended a beautiful beach. The boat was very nice, and the lunch was delicious. On top of providing lunch, they also provided drinks, and Carla even volunteered some cookies that she had brought. At the end of the trip, we were able to see an amazing display of jumping devil rays that are unique to the area and the guide informed us on them. Overall, it was an amazing tour with even more amazing tour guides and I would definitely recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scenic67215693803
Mar 22, 2025
Fun family excursion - We went on the sea lions and Balandra tour with Alejandro and Karen. It was amazing. Being that close to the sea lions was unbelievable. After snorkeling around and watching the sea lions play, we headed to Balandra and had lunch - which was delicious. We relaxed on the beach and were able to nature watch. Alejandro and Karen were fantastic! Karen gave us a lot of great information about the birds and sea lions as well as the habitat - and we even saw bottlenose dolphins in the bay on the way out. Our family had a great experience and would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pcowanseattle
Feb 20, 2025
Baja wildlife - Too cold for whale sharks, but we saw a young humpback throw himself out of the water again and again. A great snorkel with seals lions, lots of lovely bird life and a nice lunch on a beautiful beach. A great day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrea
Feb 7, 2025
Amazing time with sea lions and balandra - We were a group of 9 with five kids from 6-10 years old and we had a fabulous time. We got so close to the sea lion and even though the water was cold some kids enjoyed. They had wetsuits and snorkels even for the kids. The food on the beach was great and it was all super relaxing. Karla our guide was a knowledgeable biologist and a great host. Would totally recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mike_k
Jan 26, 2025
Mexplore did a great job... - Mexplore did a great job from start to finish. Communication for weather changes, great staff on board, safety, tasty lunch and best of all Whale Sharks!
Review provided by Viator
207evalinac
Jan 21, 2025
Memory for a Lifetime - Jaime and El Capí were excellent at helping us find and experience the many whale sharks around us. Sea Lions were cute and the beach was beautiful.
Those with less water experience were taken care of in the water with support from Jaime guiding them to their best experiences.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carl_j
Jan 19, 2025
Interesting and Unique, but Short of Expectations - Guide was very knowledgeable. However, tour was cancelled twice (due to unfavorable weather) and when it was successfully rescheduled, two key parts were cut out (snorkeling with sea lions and Belandra Beach) - although the price of the tour was reduced. Per the guide, water was not as clear as normal, so the whale sharks were harder to find and then not as visible when snorkeling with them. It was interesting and unique, but not quite as "transformative" as we might have expected or hoped. The day was also chilly when on the boat tracking the single whale shark or on the long rides to get to the area.
Review provided by Viator
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