Puerto Vallarta Small-Group Whale Watching Experience

I did this trip on the morning of 7 Feb 2024. It was a very late booking, made the night before, when my planned bird watching trip was cancelled. I was just happy to be able to do anything. It was on a pretty big catamaran, with two decks of seating. I chose to sit upstairs, right in the corner at the back. This was really good for getting a view except to the front of the boat. It was also right next to a speaker, and they do play music quite loud at times! You leave Nuevo Vallarta just as dawn breaks. So watch out for some nice views of the sun rising above the mountains. We picked up more passengers at Puerto Vallarta, so you do spend almost an hour of the tour commuting between Nuevo and Puerto, and back again. Compared to the rib excursion I did the day before, it is obviously a lot bigger, with plenty of room to walk around. There are toilets on board, and a bar. They have food - bread rolls with ham, cheese and vegetables. It is more stable, so you are less likely to suffer from sea sickness. And it is a lot more sociable - you can easily talk to other people. The downside is that it isn't as fast getting to the whales, and when you do get there you can't get as close. And it is harder to take photos - there are more people in the way, and you are looking down onto the whales. We saw quite a few whales, but they were not in a playful mood. So no breaching. But we did see some dolphins Of the three trips I did, it was the only one where you could hear the whales when they dropped a hydrophone. You do get birds following the boat, especially closer to shore. This included gulls, pelicans, brown boobies and blue-footed boobies. The crew put on a show on the way back to Puerto Vallarta. I didn't get to see it - I was too busy chatting to other people. Personally I prefer going on a rib. But I think this might appeal more to families, or when someone is not sure about being on a small boat.

We have done several whale watching trips, but this one blew the doors off all of the others combined. The trip started with the 8:00 am check-in at the Terminal Maritima. Make sure if you take a taxi that you specify the maritime terminal where the cruise ships dock. You don't want to go to the marina. The terminal is basically an international access point to Mexico, so it won't hurt to bring along your passport for ID. Do not even think about bringing any contraband with you. They have a full security setup, and the personnel responsible are backed up by some very serious marines in full battle rattle, accompanied by a Belgian malinois that probably considers you to be the next best chew toy to his Kong. Get in early because there will be multiple boat departures, and you have to pay the port fee, whale conservation fee, plus check in with Vallarta Adventures and pass through security. For our trip, we had to wait for a few minutes while some monstrous cruise ship backed into the pier. You are provided with a life jacket prior to boarding. Wear it. If you want it for a seat cushion, attach it to the railing or chair and keep tabs on it. We motored off into the bay, looking for humpback whales. We were quickly rewarded with the sight of four males courting a single female. This was accompanied by a lot of blowing and breaching as they all jockeyed for position and favour. They came very close to our catamaran before we motored out towards the 'kindergarten' to try and find some calves. At one point, we were following a solo humpback that was breaching and slapping pectorals on the water. Very impressive! We did find a mom and calf who were accompanied by a solo dolphin. They got so close to the boat that they swam underneath. You could count the barnacles on the whale's head. The baby was swirling its tail and slapping pectorals as it followed the dolphin with mom close behind. Our guide also dropped a hydrophone in the water, and we listened to the whales singing along with the clicks from the dolphins' sonar. The catamaran comes equipped with separate heads (washrooms) for men and women, located portside and starboard. Do not flush any toilet paper. The bilge is not equipped for 60 or 70 people to choke the bogs with it. There is a bar that offers alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, plus a sandwich buffet lunch. The crew were very helpful in making sure that food and drink reached the guests without loss or spillage. The sandwich makings were fresh and tasty. It was a lot better than bashing your kidneys bloody in a RIB with no amenities. Out on Banderas Bay it will be windy and a lot cooler than it was on land. Take a light sweater or blanket just in case. You should also wear a hat for sun protection and make sure that it's anchored against the wind of your passage. You are also going to receive a lot of reflected sunlight off the water, so either cover up or use a good sunscreen. Pro tip. Keep your eyes on the horizon or shoreline as much as possible to avoid motion sickness. While the seabirds appreciate a warm breakfast, you will not enjoy the experience. Nor will your fellow guests. I really can't point out any specific crew member for exemplary service because everyone worked as a team to make it a great experience. From the captain, who was finding the whales, to our guide and the rest of the crew, everyone worked their butts off, plus they were courteous, humourous, and professional. Staff who interact directly with guests depend on your gratuities to supplement their income. They work really hard as a result. Standard tip is 15% of the price. Do them an extra favour and tip in pesos. Otherwise they have to exchange it at the bank for a fee. We totally enjoyed the adventure and would highly recommend it any time you visit Puerto Vallarta when the whales are in town. Banderas Bay is full of dolphins, too, so you are not likely to spot any sharks. They will be either dispatched by the dolphins or driven off. Thanks again, Vallarta Adventures, for a great experience.

Everything went smoothly, from purchasing of the ticket to the trip itself. It was so much fun and a unique experience. The only negative, was that our guide “Enrique”, was not very nice to people including members of my family and other people. He answered questions very sarcastically, when a lady asked about a fish he said “I do not know I do not have x ray vision and can’t possibly know all animals in the water. and then asked my older uncle quite rudely if he had already eaten a cookie, because it’s only one per person… In conclusion, the trip was great, Felix the driver was a really cool guy who answered some questions very kindly and Enrique is quite the rude person.

I was super excited about this trip! I love dolphins & whales, and we saw both! The tour guide and boat captain were in constant communication with other boats so we could go to the locations where whales were being spotted right at that moment. Because it was breeding season, we were lucky enough to see quite a bit of action - 12 adults and 3 babies! I was hoping to see more breaches but I was happy to see what we saw. The third picture I shared is a baby learning to breach with its momma! :) I just left my phone on video recording the whole time and then edited the videos and captured photos afterwards - I didn't want to miss anything! It happens so fast!

Great tour with lots of whales. Nice staff. When you reserve make sure you know what boat you are getting. We went on the small boat which holds about 21 people. You basically sit on two person padded benches. Advantage is fewer people make it easier to photograph whales and boat is fast so when you spot the whales you can get to them before most other boats. The disadvantage is there is no toilet, no protection from sun and the seats get a little uncomfortable towards the end. Do not take this boat if you have back problems. Minor inconvenience was having to go get passengers at the Puerto Vallarta dock and then dropping them back off at the end. They also offer large catamaran boats if you are looking for more amenities and a smooth ride. Highly recommend this trip if you are there during whale season.