Isla Mujeres Whale Shark Tours See 40% Drop

Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo — Tourist service providers in Isla Mujeres are reporting a lower influx of tourists for whale shark tours, a situation they attribute to low hotel occupancy in Cancún and the Riviera Maya.

The low hotel occupancy in Cancún and the Riviera Maya has reduced the flow of tourists on whale shark tours in the waters around Isla Mujeres by up to 40 percent, affecting the economy of those who depend on this activity.

The representative of the island's tourism service providers, Misael Fernández Estermann, explained that their main clients are tourists coming from the Riviera Maya, especially during this season when between 200 and 700 whale shark specimens can be sighted in a single day.

He detailed that 2022 and 2023 were successful years, but in 2024 they experienced a 30% drop. Fernández Estermann highlighted that, in this area, the whale shark population is quite stable, and in "peak" months like July and August, plentiful sightings can occur. However, the natural spectacle has variations: while one day there might be 30, other days 100, 200, 300, or 400 specimens can surface.

For the seamen of Isla Mujeres, there are old acquaintances like “El Gallito,” a shark with a mark on its second dorsal fin, which is bent.

"On a day we can see up to 700, but that is on exceptional occasions; if you saw 400 today, tomorrow there will be 100 or 50. What is certain is that when the season starts in May, if you find two or three it's a lot, and as we advance toward August it increases, only to decrease again later," explained the interviewee.

The whale shark zone is located, in marine language, at longitude 31 with 32, about 25 nautical miles from the island, so it would take a vessel approximately one hour or one hour and 20 minutes to reach the area where the specimens live.

"The majority of their life is spent between 100 and 200, almost reaching 300 meters deep, and they stay in this area of Isla Mujeres; they come to the surface to eat plankton, particles suspended in the water, and the eggs that fish spawn, an essential nutrient for them," he explained.

Whale Shark Tours at 40% Capacity in 2025

The tourist activity conducted with this species since 2005 and 2006 currently has a registry of 150 authorized vessels in Isla Mujeres and some 300 people who depend on it. Daily, between 30 and 30 vessels are in the area.

This 2025, the men dedicated to this activity report a season at 40% capacity due to the low influx of tourists staying in the Riviera Maya, who represent their main market, more so than those staying in Isla Mujeres itself.

After successful years in 2022 and 2023 and a drop to 30% in 2024, a year in which service providers gave it their all, a recovery is still hoped for this year before the season ends on September 15.

What Fishermen Invest in Whale Shark Tours

To make a trip to see the astounding animal, an investment of about 3,000 to 4,000 pesos is required for fuel costs, the guide captain and sailor, who each receive one thousand pesos, plus expenses for food, drinks, and provisions, which implies at least 8,000 pesos, plus maintenance, paint, permits, and vessel insurance.

"A vessel that goes out with 10 people to do the activity will have an average income of about 16,000 pesos; that is the minimum a vessel would receive for taking 10 people," concluded the interviewee.