Whale Sharks and Sea Lions Snorkeling Plus Balandra Beach Lunch

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…
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)
What's Not Included
  • 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
Additional Information

Important update: As of January 29th, the whale shark season has been temporarily suspended due to lower temperatures in La Paz Bay, which have prompted the whale sharks to seek food elsewhere.
We anticipate their return soon, although the exact timing is uncertain. Consequently, availability for February has been closed, while March and April remain…

Location
Topete 125
Topete
It is VERY important to arrive on time at the hour marked on your ticket. The tolerance is max 10 min. We will meet at "Marina de La Paz" which is located in the corner of "Topete and Legaspy" streets, you can just walk into the marina and search for the "meeting point".
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(34 Ratings)
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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
F9960rlpaulh
Jan 18, 2025
A great day with Whale sharks and more - We had a wonderful day on the water with Michelle our guide and local marine biologist and Archie our boat captain. It was amazing to see these majestic sharks so close. The shallow water was really surprising but made for an even better experience. It was great to see the importance placed on animal health and the respect for place and life that permeated the tour. After swimming with the whale sharks, we had another quick snorkel with the sea lions, before lunch at one of the most picturesque beaches I've ever seen. We loved our experience and would encourage anyone who ever wanted to swim with the Whale sharks to do so!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katrynah2018
Jan 10, 2025
A must if you are visiting. - Fabulous trip. We had Michelle as our guide. A fully qualified marine biologist with lots of knowledge and passion about the whale sharks and all sea life. Our boat captain was very helpful and excellent at being just the right distance from all the creatures we saw. Amazing experience swimming with the whale sharks in such shallow water. The little island with the sea lions has beautiful coral and fish of many sizes. Perfect tour with care for the environment and great opportunities to view. Finished with a yummy lunch on a perfect beach. A must if you are visiting!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
918micheleh
Jan 6, 2025
Great experience - Snorkeling with a whale shark was a great experience. MeXplore provided good quality equipment and Carla, our guide, was excellent—well spoken English and clear communication on what we needed to do to enjoy the experience. She even held my hand and pulled me along next to the whale shark to help me keep up with it! The sea lion colony isn’t the best but still a good experience (Espiritu Santo is the place to go for that!). A very nice lunch was provided on the beach.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanieei7013sa
Jan 5, 2025
Unique experience, amazing tour - We had an absolutely fantastic tour. Group of 8 people. 4 and the guide may only enter the water at a time. We were allowed several times in the water and had several whale sharks up close. A very impressive experience. In addition, we were able to snorkel with a manta. Later we drove by a small seal colony for snorkeling and afterwards we had a great lunch in a secluded bay on the famous Balandra Beach. I can only recommend the organizer Mexplore. Great organization small groups, great guided tour by marine biologist Carla. In total you are on the road for 5-6 hours which is also a huge difference from many other tours.
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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