Where to Dive: the 5 Best Whale Watching Dives Worldwide

1.Swim with Whale Sharks in the Ningaloo Reef: 3 Island Shark Dive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 919 reviews · from $444Our pick

Spend about eight hours on Ningaloo Reef with the Three Islands crew, following a spotter plane to find whale sharks. You’ll snorkel the reef, watch for manta rays, turtles, dolphins, dugongs, and whales, and enjoy lunch, snacks, drinks, bubbles, and professional underwater photos. Hotel pickup from Exmouth is included.

“We didn't see a whale shark None had been sited for 8 days so really it's a bit naughty to keep running the trip at the moment...especially when it's £280 each and you only get a 50 refund We snorkelled twice in the 8 hours on board. A bit boring sadly. We realise nothings guaranteed but maybe let people off the boat more”

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2.Swim with Humpback Whales – Ningaloo Reef – 3 Islands Whale Shark Dive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 120 reviews · from $430

Spend about eight hours with Three Islands Whale Shark Dive off Exmouth, searching for humpback whales from a spotter plane and entering Ningaloo Marine Park for guided snorkelling. The crew provides wetsuits, gear, meals, photos, and hotel transfers. Children 12 and under may snorkel but cannot enter the water with humpback whales.

“Amazing day! The crew were helpful, enthusiastic and ready to treat us to what was a fantastic day. We were lucky enough to be in the water to see both humpback whales and a whale shark-a rarity, so thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”

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3.Shark Dive & Whale Watching Combo Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 22 reviews · 6 - 12 hours · from $292

From Kleinbaai and Gansbaai, you’ll pair a cage encounter near Dyer Island with a Southern Right Whale trip in Walker Bay. The shark boat includes breakfast, briefing, and a wetsuit, while the whale outing usually lasts about two hours. You can complete both in one long day or split them over two days.

“Speravo di poter osservare più specie tra squali e balene, invece solo 3 squali e 2 balene. Esperienza comunque nel complesso molto adrenalinica che consiglio!!”

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4.From Cebu City: Scuba Diving with Whale Sharks Trip in Oslob

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 14 reviews · from $172Best value

Leave Cebu City around 5:00 AM in a private car for Oslob’s whale shark area. An English-speaking instructor handles the briefing and equipment, then you spend about 30 to 40 minutes in the water with the whale sharks. The trip suits first-time and licensed scuba participants, but weather can cancel the session.

“Whale shark watching in Oslob starts early at 3am, but you should definitely go. There are many snorkeling tours, but there are a lot of people lined up to board the boat that goes out to sea, so you have to wait quite a while. And the surface of the sea is also full of people. However, with diving, you can enter directly from the beach without having to wait to enter, and the water is empty so you can move freely and see well. It's a little more expensive than snorkeling, but diving is definitely recommended. At Sumilon Island, we didn't dive, we went snorkeling. The drivers are very…”

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5.Whale and Dive Combo Tour in Los Cabos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $260

Start early in Cabo San Lucas for whale watching, a light brunch, and a cruise past El Arco. Then explore two nearby underwater sites with an instructor ratio of 1:4, with refresher help available. You may see rays, eels, octopus, reef sharks, pufferfish, sea lions, and perhaps whales passing nearby.

“This excursion was really great! We were lucky to be the only ones on the boat and felt very well cared for. Xo and Javi were very knowledgeable and it was clear they enjoyed their jobs. I was super nervous initially and Xo did a wonderful job comforting me. We got so lucky and got to see a mama and baby humpback whale along with two male whales fighting for her affection! While snorkeling, I loved seeing a family of sea lions hanging out on a rock. We definitely recommend this tour!”

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