The transportation did not arrive at our hotel one our assigned date. One we contacted Total Snorkel, they agreed to get us the next day. We were sent to another company for our outing, Whale Sharks. There was no coffee or snacks as noted and no bathroom on the boat, as noted in the comments. The gear provided may have been purchased a dollar store, and was garbage. The snorkel was open at the top with no ball or valve to keep sea water out. We were told to jump off the boat and swim after the whale shark. When I jumped off the boat I got a mouth full of seawater. It was choppy so every time I cleared the snorkel, more seawater went into my mouth. Please bring your own gear. The mask's seals were loose allowing water into the mask. One I was in the water, I was told to get back on the boat, so the next two could jump off the boat. I then jumped again and filled my snorkel with seawater again. I purchased the $45 photo disk before the trip. There was no photographer on the boat. When I inquired after the trip, I was told that was not an option on the Whale Shark outing. I was told I would have to wait several weeks for a refund for the pictures, if I even get a refund. I swam with bull sharks in Florida and had pictures taken. It was a great experience. I do not recommend this tour.

DON'T EVEN THINK TO BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY. My daughters dream was to swim with the Whale Sharks. We did this with this company and were assured there would NOT be a problem for us to get our pictures. I spend thousands of hard earned dollars to get my daughters to Cancun for this special dream of theirs to "Swim with the Whale Sharks." It has now been a month, I have given this company EVERY chance possible to provide me with the pictures of the Whale Shark swim of my daughters and me and they have failed to do so. I have had to call (spoke to a man), emailed numerous times and I they ALL assured me "Not to Worry," I will get my pictures, but I still have not received the pictures. This is the ONLY memory my daughters will have for the rest of their lives of their dream to swim with the Whale Sharks. This company has chosen NOT to provide the pictures, they promised which we agreed I would pay for them as soon as I got them; still NOTHING. it is clear they don't care about your customers and the memories of pictures people want and have come thousands of miles to have; to give the families that book with them the memories they deserve. They ASSURED me, "Not to Worry" I would get my pictures, we agreed I would pay for them after I got my pictures, still NO PICTURES. Their promises are worthless. I'm sorry I ever booked this trip through Viator, as this company has proven to be a company that does not keep their word and it is clear they care about their customers after they get your money for your excursion with them. I am beyond sad, as now my daughters and I will never have the pictures of their "Swim with the Whale Sharks." I am so sorry I ever booked this ever chose this trip with this company as they are not reputable.

I'm so glad we did this excursion! I just happened to stumble upon their website, and glad we booked. We first went out with Rob who took us out to find and swim with some sea turtles.They were so beautiful! We got to see a ton of different fish including puffers and barracuda! Next we met up with the whale shark snorkeling team. I can't remember their names, but it was a group of 3 that took us waaaaaaaaaaaay out into the deep ocean to find the migrating whale sharks. It was a fast ride and super cool! When we found the sharks we took turns in groups of two to spend a few minutes snorkeling next to these massive sharks. Holy fricking cow it was amazing! These guys are HUGE!! An experience I'll never forget! I think the main tour guide was Fernando, and he was so calm and caring. I was a little nervous at first, but he grabbed my hand and got me in there to witness the sharks. It took my breath away. After the snorkeling they took us to a stop in Isla mujeras to enjoy the clear beach, and munch on some homemade sandwiches and ceviche! YUM!! Take this tour if you can. You'll be happy you did!

My friend and I went to the turtle snorkel and whale shark swimming !! It was a great experience. Robert the turtle guide was awesome and friendly. Alex took great photos and our captain really were all amazing and accommodating !! The whale shark swimming was amazing as well , they were so big and lots of them.

WOW what a great experience and boy oh boy do these guys do everything they can in their power to make you happy! Our first experience with them was doing the whale shark encounter..HOLLY COW that was amazing! First they took us to some statues in the ocean and then too see some turtles, then we left for the whales. This was an adventure we will never forget!! FYI bring cash to tip :) After we had some hot pyramid excursions, we came back to these guys to do some more snorkeling at the ship wreck the statues and turtles again. This 2nd time I was able to swim with a turtle for about 20 minutes. It was very cool, before i new it i was separated from my boat. Nothing to fear they came right to me and everyone else on the boat was able to swim with the turtle too. Way to spoil us on our anniversary and make us feel like a king and queen. Our Snorkel guide was Rob, our captain was Jorge for both snorkel events. These guys were great! Ricky was our guide and Alan was our captain for the Whale share tour. All these guys were great! they took very good care of each and every one of us! I felt safe and in good hand each and every time they took us out. They even gave us a private taxi to and from our hotel for our second tour! Talk about customer service, this place knows how to do it right!! P.S. Bring cash for the whale tour if you plan on tipping and getting pictures!

We booked the whale shark experience and although seeing the whale sharks was pretty cool, the overall experience was pretty subpar. They charge major money so I feel like they have to add the turtle and isla mujeres part to make people feel that they got their money’s worth. The turtle swim equates to us sitting on the boat with the captain driving around looking for a turtle, when he spots one, the crew yells for us to jump off the boat and chase it until it gets away. Then back on the boat to do it again. Ridiculous. Then it’s an hour boat ride to the whale sharks with about 100 other boats also racing to the same area. When you arrive, the area is packed with other tours and the captain again is driving around looking for a whale shark then the crew yells at 2 people to jump off the boat and swim over to the whale shark. As soon as it passes by, your turn is over and it’s back in the boat. I was traveling with 2 nervous kids and asked if the 3 of us could go together. I was told no so one had to stay in the boat while I went with the other. You spend about 2 minutes in the water then wait on the boat to have another turn. Several people on our boat only got one turn, we got 2 turns because I asked for it but the crew hesitated in allowing it. After everyone got their turn, we headed back in to isla mujeres which is basically just a crowded beach, not really my scene but it was fine. Another frustrating part was the number of different crews that ask for tips. 1- the driver to the tour. $ 2- the turtle captain and crew $$ 3- the whale shark captain and crew (different from the turtle crew) $$ 4- the driver back to the hotel $ 5- don’t forget to buy their pictures! $$ Overall, I’m glad I saw the whale sharks but I’m not super thrilled with this company and I would not recommend them to anyone.

Early morning start, transport on time with Air Con. After a short briefing (4 in our group/all experienced with snorkelling) we had a short boat ride to snorkel with the Turtles. Our guide/instructor, Robin/Robert? (Aladdin) found some straight away, amazing creatures to see swimming in the wild. A brilliant experience. Then we headed out to sea on another boat to go and see the whale sharks. After about an hour we were on location and went swimming in pairs. WOW!!! what a great experience to swim along side the whale sharks in their natural habitat. If your in two minds whether or not to do this excursion just do it, you will remember it forever. Once we finished with the whale sharks we headed to Isla Mujeres for a lunch buffet and refreshments (sandwiches, cerviche, watermelon and juice). We had a chance to have a swim in the crystal clear waters. Overall a truly amazing experience from start to finish. Would I recommend this? most definitely! Well worth the money and it’s far cheaper to book through Trip Advisor than your Holiday Rep. Thanks for an amazing day. Total Snorkel, you are great. Regards Chris & Vanessa (UK)

The whale shark excursion was great. The guide stayed with you the whole time and the boat captain maneuvered the boat so getting out of the water was easy.

Met at the hotel by our guides who were on time and taken to the dock. Boarded a small speed boat and attempted to look for turtles.... then back to the doc for a new speed boat and cruised for over an hour to find the whale sharks. When we found them it was amazing huge whale sharks and we were going to swim with them! We got dropped in two at a time and swam alongside a shark for approximately 3 minutes which is a bit short but the whale shark are so fast you can't keep up with them so that is long enough for some great GoPro footage!

I have always wanted to swim with the whale sharks and i finally got to! We had a great day on the boat - I only gave 4 stars because of 2 things. The first is pre-trip communication. I booked way ahead and never received any confirmation/pick up information so I emailed 2 or 3 times before we were to go to Cancun and never received a reply. I called from the airport and they answered and were able to tell us what time we'd be picked up from the hotel. Once we arrived we got our gear together and were to head out to snorkel with the turtles. Unfortunately we had a couple that hadn't snorkeled before so Rob spent a long time working with them in the shallow area. By the time we made it out to search for turtles we were in the water less than 10 minutes and head to back to get on the whale shark boat. We switched boats and headed out. We were lucky and found the whale sharks fairly quickly. Our captain and guide were excellent. They positioned us away from most of the gaggle of other boats out there. They were adept and quick at finding the sharks and getting us in the water with them. You jump in facing the sharks and then turn and swim with them. The first jump is crazy and chaotic while you are trying to figure it all out - where's the guide? where's the whale shark? now what? Luckily we each got to jump 3 times and could have jumped a 4th but everyone was starting to get sea sick. Each jump was better than the first as we became used to the procedure. What an amazing experience to swim along side these docile giants. I highly recommend everyone do it. I bought the pictures before we headed out (which I also recommend) so you don't have to worry about taking pictures. When we arrived back to Total SNorkel it was mass chaos with people coming and going. They didn't have our USB drive ready but our ride was there to take us back to the hotel. They said they would deliver the USB between certain hours. We notified the Concierge and sure enough he caught up to us later and the USB had been delivered and was taken to our room. We had had our doubts about whether we'd see the USB (but they had given us a number and email to contact them). THey also said we would receive a link or pictures via email and I never did. The time on the boat was excellent. The shrimp ceviche was the best I've had.

It has long been a dream of mine to swim with the whale sharks. We were picked up on time, but when we first arrived, the guides took ages to get everyone together and on the boat to snorkel with the turtles. We were made to wear 'bibs' or deflated lifejackets which looked really stupid in the photos we got. Then, after about an hour, we were moved onto a second boat and taken out to the whale sharks. It took an hour to get out there and by that time, there was at least 50 other boats out there doing the same thing. When I said I didn't want to wear a lifejacket (I am a very competent swimmer), I was told I could only do so while wearing a wetsuit. It was too late for me to get a wetsuit - the company didn't even tell me this and I was made to wear a lifejacket the entire time (I would have much preferred to wear a wetsuit). The guy driving the boat was also incredibly rude explaining this to me, he raised his voice at me and made me feel belittled and small. He didn't even apologise - all he said was ,"Just tell the people when you get back on sure so they can make sure other people's experiences are better than yours". And look - the whale sharks are amazing and it's awe-inspiring, but I was in a constant state of anxiety. Everyone on the boat only jumps in two people at a time, and you get 2 jumps in the water with them and (I know this cos I timed it on my gopro) you only get 2 minutes and 53 seconds in the water with them. That's hardly enough time for it sink in that you're even there. Then they blow a whistle at you and make you come back. Afterwards we went to Isla Mujeres and ate lunch on the boat (which was just a ham and cheese sandwich, but tasted ok) but we found it hard to enjoy it - we were honestly just so shocked that we paid all this money for under 6mins in the water with the whale sharks and that we had been talked to so rudely by the guides. It would be much better if they explained to you exactly what the tour entails - how long you get in the water with them (all their website says is that you swim with them 'until you are satisfied' - how could anyone be satisfied with 6mins?), and that you have to wear either a lifejacket or wetsuit. We were picked up at 7.45am. If we had left straight away for the whale sharks, it probably would have been far less crowded than it was at 9am. I can feel all my disappointment come rushing back as I write this review.

As a solo traveller it can be hard to find somewhere to accommodate, but the guys are so helpful and make you feel at ease! We swam out and saw the turtles and there was a short wait for another boat at the dock To go out and see the sharks and what an experience! I was so nervous at first and didn't jump when I was supposed to, the guide was lovely and took me out separately and once you go in once, you want to go again and again. Absolutely amazing,

We were picked up a the hotel on time and taken to the marina where there was fruit, coffee and water waiting for us. After the needed instructions we boarded a boat and headed out to swim with the sea Turtles, we saw 2 turtles, 1 of each kind that are native to the area in about 1/2 in the water, very cool. We then went back to the marina for a quick fresh water shower and snack. We boarded a different boat and headed out to go swimming with the whale sharks. We were about 20 minutes out when we came across a pod of Dolphins happily swimming beside us. The driver stopped so we could watch them before continuing on to the whale sharks. About 20 minutes later we came across a family of Dolphins with a baby which we again stopped to admire, they were so cool. We continued for about another 20 minutes when we came to the area of the whale sharks. Wow they are big and gentle, and amazing. We began swimming with the Whale sharks when got another treat, a bout 16 ocean size Manta-rays showed up to swim with us. These rays were the size of a large car, I mean they were 10 to 15 feet across and so graceful. We stayed in the area for about 2 hours enjoying the experience before we headed back to land. We stopped after about 45 minutes at the tip of an island and swam on the massive sandbar for about an hour with lunch provide on the boat. We returned to the marina after that where they offered a USB stick of the pictures of your day as well as they will email them to you for $80 US. I would recommend this tour to anybody as there where small children with us, around 7 I believe and they had a great time. It is truly an amazing once in a life time bucket list type of event.

This was an awesome experience. I would say that if you only do one excursion while in Cancun, this is the one to do. All of the guides were awesome. The marine life was plentiful.

This was a trip that my family had been talking about for several years, so our expectations were awfully high. I'll admit that I was a little torn beforehand on the idea of a bunch of boats and snorkelers surrounding these leviathans, but the crew stressed the importance of looking but not touching, and that eased my mind. Once we were in the water with them, it felt surreal, almost like it was part of a documentary. Their size is difficult to appreciate until you are with them. I was very impressed by how well Captain Alberto managed the boat in a way to put his snorkelers in the path of the sharks while keeping everyone safe in the water and in the boat. Oscar was our guide in the water, and that guy is a strong swimmer and even better videographer. Berto was a great guide for the whole trip. Everything went smoothly, from our pickup at our condo in Playa to the chilled out meal in Isla Mujeres. We would've gone regardless of the swim with the turtles, but seeing them was definitely a great perk (Tip: keep up with the guide while searching for the turtles, because they move fast!). We sprang for the pictures and videos that they took and don't regret it. It let us focus on what we were seeing out of our snorkel mask and not what was on the screen of our phones, and they did a much better job than I would've anyway. Some other advice: It's a long trip out to the site, so don't forget the Dramamine. And there's a lot going on at times, and it's easy to miss that you're sunburning, so plan ahead.

The Total Snorkel staff was friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. The deck hands were funny and very accommodating. The captain was extremely knowledgeable about Whale Sharks and put us in perfect position so we could get a great view at these amazing creature!! When we got back to the dock the rest of the staff was just as accommodating. I highly recommend Total Snorkel for your Whale Shark snorkel experience - you won't be disappointed!!!

Alberto was our photographer for whale shark swimming!! They killed it found what we were looking for!!!

Firstly, I realize that early June is not the best time to see Whale Sharks. However, the company should have been honest about weather conditions and the length of time of the excursion. The seas were so rough that there were 7 foot waves; we should have at least been told about conditions and offered the ability to reschedule or cancel. We were told that we would return to the marina by 3 pm. We did not get back until 5:15 pm and that was without getting to do the second snorkeling at the reef at all. The boat had no restroom and the captain gave us a hard time about stopping. Instead of the promised lunch of fresh ceviche they gave us some ham sandwiches.

Una de las cosas que más me emocionaba de realizar en Cancún era nadar con el Tiburón ballena, ese día comenzó bien temprano y puntual primeramente realizando snorkel apreciando toda la vida marina como tortugas, langostas, estrellas de mar, diferentes especies de peces, arrécifes y una parte del museo subacúatico. Luego el snorkel buscando al Tiburón ballena fue increíble sin palabras de haber nadado muy cerca de este impresionante y gigantesco animal, no contenta con eso decidimos realizar también el snorkel nocturno y de la misma manera fue alucinante apreciar la vida marina de noche y ver la magia de la bioluminiscencia, gracias a todo el equipo de total snorkel por la atención y profesionalismo.

No soy muy fans de los deportes acúaticos pero con Total snorkel te dan toda la confianza para disfrutar al máximo de una de las mejores experiencias de la vida, hacer snorkel apreciando la vida marina y luego buscar al tiburón ballena en aguas abiertas. Excelente atención, incluso te reciben con snacks para desayunar y frutas, todos muy amables y conversadores lo que te hace sentir parte del staff. El snorkel apreciando la vida marina y parte del museo subacúatico es fascinante pero más fascinante aún es el snorkel con el tiburón ballena woww woww woww alucinante tanto así que luego decidimos realizar otra excursión con ellos, la del snorkel nocturno igual de alucinante vivir esa experiencia de noche y ver la bioluminiscencia. Excelentes experiencias gracias Total Snorkel, recomendable 100%