{"id":450,"date":"2026-09-01T18:18:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T18:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baja-expedition.com\/?p=450"},"modified":"2026-09-21T20:09:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T20:09:48","slug":"whale-shark-season-la-paz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baja-expedition.com\/es\/whale-shark-season-la-paz\/","title":{"rendered":"Whale Shark Season La Paz: 2026\u201327 Dates & What to Expect"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Why Freedive in Baja?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Whale shark season<\/a><\/span> in La Paz, Baja California Sur runs from October through April. Whale sharks gather in Bah\u00eda de La Paz to feed on plankton inside a federally protected refuge zone, and swimming with them is legal only with a permitted operator. Baja Expedition runs small-group trips from the La Paz marina throughout the season.<\/p>

We are Baja Expedition, based in La Paz, Baja California Sur. Alejandro Ortega owns the boats and captains them. He grew up pulling pangas off this beach with his father and has worked these waters for more than ten years. What follows is what we tell guests on the phone, written down.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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When is whale shark season in La Paz?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Whale shark season in La Paz runs October through April. The refuge zone sits in Bah\u00eda de La Paz \u2014 [the Mexican environment ministry SEMARNAT established the protected area running from San Juan de la Costa to the entrance of the La Paz inlet, between Punta El Mogote and the La Paz Malec\u00f3n](https:\/\/www.golapaz.com\/blog\/post\/whale-shark-experience-in-la-paz-mexico\/<\/a><\/span>). It is a short run from the marina, not an offshore expedition.<\/p>

Whale sharks come into the bay to feed on plankton. Plankton follows water temperature and nutrient movement, which is why the season has edges rather than a switch. Early October and late April are real parts of the season, but they are the thin ends of it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\r\n Month\r\n <\/th>\r\n \r\n Whale sharks\r\n <\/th>\r\n \r\n Notes\r\n <\/th>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n <\/thead>\r\n\r\n
October<\/td>\r\n Season opens<\/td>\r\n Early arrivals; warmer water<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n\r\n
November<\/td>\r\n Building<\/td>\r\n Fewer boats on the water<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n\r\n
December<\/td>\r\n Active<\/td>\r\n Holiday period brings more visitors to La Paz<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n\r\n
January<\/td>\r\n Active<\/td>\r\n Gray whale season also begins<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n\r\n
February<\/td>\r\n Active<\/td>\r\n Peak visitor month in La Paz<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n\r\n
March<\/td>\r\n Active<\/td>\r\n Gray whales still present<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n\r\n
April<\/td>\r\n Season closes<\/td>\r\n Last weeks; conditions shift<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n\r\n
May\u2013September<\/td>\r\n Closed<\/td>\r\n Sharks are not in the bay<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n <\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you want the bay quieter, look at October and November. If you want two species in one trip, look at January through April, when gray whales are also in Baja California Sur waters.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Will you actually see a whale shark?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We do not guarantee sightings and you should be careful with any operator who does. These are wild animals in an open bay, and some days they are not where they were yesterday.<\/p>

What we will tell you is what conditions look like before you commit. If the week is bad, we say so. If we cancel for weather, you choose \u2014 full refund or free reschedule, and that is your call, not ours.<\/strong><\/p>

The other honest answer: whale shark encounters are usually short. A shark that is moving will outswim you in under a minute. A shark that is feeding vertically stays put and you get longer. Either way, you are in the water in short bursts rather than one long swim, and that is by design \u2014 the rules cap how long any one boat can spend with any one animal.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What are the rules for swimming with whale sharks in La Paz?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Swimming with whale sharks in Bah\u00eda de La Paz is regulated by SEMARNAT and CONANP, and permitted operators work inside a booking system with assigned time slots. The rules are not suggestions \u2014 boats are checked before they enter the zone.<\/strong><\/p>

Here is the sequence on the water:<\/p>

  1. Vessel registration:<\/strong> Boats register with CONANP before heading out. Permits and guest numbers are verified.<\/li>
  2. One boat per shark<\/strong>: Boats do not crowd a single animal.<\/li>
  3. Approach from behind, at an angle<\/strong>: No cutting across, no approaching head-on, no passing over or under the animal.<\/li>
  4. Five swimmers plus one guide, maximum<\/strong>: Larger groups take turns. Our trips cap at eight guests to one guide.<\/li>
  5. Enter the water gently<\/strong>: No jumping, no backward rolls, no splashing.<\/li>
  6. Keep the minimum distance from head and tail<\/strong>: CONANP sets specific distances and your guide will brief the exact figures.<\/li>
  7. No touching, no riding, no chasing, no flash photography.<\/li>
  8. Wetsuit or flotation at all times. We supply both.<\/li><\/ol>

    The most common first-timer mistake is swimming at the shark. People see it, get excited, and kick hard toward the head. That breaks the approach rule and it usually ends the encounter, because the animal turns away. The people who see the most are the ones who swim parallel and slow.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    What does the day actually look like?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    You meet us at the La Paz marina. Our whale shark trips are small \u2014 most trips cap at eight guests to one guide \u2014 so there is no crowd, no queue and no megaphone.\u00a0<\/p>