Signature Tour: San Rafaelito Sea Lions + Balandra + Whale Sharks · 7 Hours · Max 10 Guests · Whale Shark Season Only ¿México? Ver en español →
La Paz, Baja California Sur · Signature Tour

The
Grand Slam.

San Rafaelito Sea LionsBalandra BeachWhale Sharks

Three of La Paz's best, in one 7-hour trip · 8:00 AM start · Max 10 guests

Park entry fees included in your price

Book the Grand Slam → See the Itinerary
Three in One

The Most Complete
Day on the Water.

Snorkel with the playful sea lion colony at San Rafaelito. Visit Balandra, the beach called Mexico's most beautiful. Then swim with the world's largest fish.

Sea lion swimming up to the camera, La Paz

Sea Lion Colony at San Rafaelito

San Rafaelito is a small rocky islet with a lighthouse, on the way from La Paz to Balandra and inside the Balandra protected area. A colony of California sea lions rests and feeds here, and you snorkel right alongside them. Pelicans and gulls rest on the rocks, and along the route we watch for blue-footed boobies diving offshore.

Balandra Bay from the hilltop lookout: turquoise shallows, white sandbars and desert hills, La Paz

Balandra Beach

By boat to Mexico's most beautiful beach: turquoise water, white sand and El Hongo, the famous mushroom rock. Swim and walk the beach. CONANP bracelet included.

Snorkeler swimming beside a whale shark in La Paz Bay

Whale Shark Experience

Then the part everyone is waiting for: swimming with the world's largest fish. CONANP gives each boat a time slot in the zone. Your captain and marine biologist guide find a shark, watch how it's feeding and pick the moment. You slip in with your guide beside you, up to 5 at a time; we might send 3–4 when the shark is moving fast, and swim alongside it, then climb back aboard while the next group goes, and go again. At most 5 swimmers per shark, no touching, no chasing, and your guide films your swims.

8:00 AM
The Malecón

Depart La Paz

Meet your guide at The Hook on Paseo Alvaro Obregon at 8:00 AM. Quick safety briefing, premium snacks and drinks loaded aboard, and the boat leaves about 8:30.

3 STOPS
On the Water

Sea Lions, Balandra & Whale Sharks

3:00 PM
The Malecón

Return to La Paz

Back at the Malecón about 3:00 PM. Your guide's best photos and video from the day shared with you after the tour.

We start with the San Rafaelito sea lions and Balandra, then the whale sharks. Our whale shark time in the zone is assigned by CONANP, so on rare days the order can change.

Pricing

The Grand Slam
Package

$3,999 MXN
Per person · $3,999 MXN (≈$240 USD) · Whale Shark season only
Available November – April only

What's Included

  • Small group boat — max 10 guests total
  • Balandra Beach stop — CONANP bracelet included
  • Sea Lion colony snorkel at San Rafaelito
  • Whale Shark experience (CONANP certified)
  • Snorkel equipment for the full trip
  • Premium snacks and drinks
  • Free photos & video — captured by your guide, sent after the tour
  • Certified guide throughout
CONANP National Park fees included — the Balandra Bay bracelet is built into your price, no cash at the gate.
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Want the Boat to Yourselves?
Private Charter Available

Book the Grand Slam as a private charter — no other guests aboard, same itinerary and inclusions.

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FAQ

Common Questions

Almost always. We meet at The Hook at 8:00 AM, go to the San Rafaelito sea lions and Balandra first, then the whale sharks, and are back about 3:00 PM. Our time in the whale shark zone is assigned by CONANP, so on rare days the order can change. The stops themselves don't change.
The Grand Slam runs during Whale Shark season only, November through April, since the tour includes the Whale Shark encounter. Outside that window, ask us about our Balandra Experience or Sea Safari Norte tours.
No. San Rafaelito is a separate islet on the route between La Paz and Balandra, with its own Sea Lion colony. Los Islotes, near Isla Espíritu Santo further out, is featured on our full-day Isla Espíritu Santo tour instead.
No. The CONANP bracelet required for entry to Balandra Bay is included in your Grand Slam price — there's nothing extra to pay on arrival.
Yes — your guide captures photos and video throughout the day and shares them with you afterward. Usually same day, occasionally up to a couple days while we process footage. We're not professional photographers, and water conditions vary, but documenting your day is always the goal.
Yes. The standard Grand Slam is a small group tour shared with other bookings, up to 10 guests total. If you'd rather have the boat to yourselves, a private charter version of the same itinerary is available — ask us when you book.
Maximum 10 guests. For the Whale Shark portion, CONANP regulations limit how many snorkelers can be in the water at once, so we rotate guests through in small groups.
Baja's weather is reliable most of the season, but if conditions turn unsafe for the crossing, we'll reach out to reschedule or refund before you head to the Malecón. Keep the phone number or email you booked with active during your stay in La Paz — that's how we'll reach you if plans change.
The Hook's Signature Tour

The
Grand Slam.

San Rafaelito Sea Lions, Balandra Beach and Whale Sharks — all in one 7-hour trip, with premium snacks included and your guide capturing photos and video throughout. Whale Shark season only.

4.9★ on TripAdvisor
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Full refund if you cancel more than 10 days before your tour, or if we cancel for weather.
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