The 15 Best Whale Watching Tours in Puerto Vallarta

1.Whale and Dolphin Watching with a Biologist in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 666 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $105Our pick

Cruise Puerto Vallarta’s bay with a marine biologist such as Jemma, Gemma, or Camilla, learning to read whale behavior and hearing songs through a hydrophone. This four-hour small-boat trip may include humpbacks, dolphins, turtles, mantas, and research work, with a covered boat and a maximum of 20 people.

“Jemma did a great job talking about what type of whales we were going to see before we started our journey. The crew helped us safely get on board easily clipping on our life jackets and we were on our way! Gemma and the crew were very professional and friendly throughout the trip. She really knows where to go to find whales. We sped out to where about six active adult whales were and got great photos and video of the flapping their fins and breaching the water. We spent at least an hour in this area having a nice sandwich and soft drink. Then we made our way to…”

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2.Sunsets and Whales Mega Yachts ALL INCLUSIVE: Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 509 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $80

Cruise Bay of Banderas aboard a comfortable yacht with guides such as Luis and Isaiah, watching for humpback whales and dolphins while the crew serves drinks, guacamole, chips, and sometimes ceviche. The evening ends with sunset views and Puerto Vallarta’s lights.

“Amazing time!!! Highly recommended. Love our tour guide, very knowledgeable and fun. Service at the boat was fantastic.”

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3.Whale Encounter Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 469 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $99

Join Eco Explorer Vallarta for a three-hour whale search from Marina Vallarta. Guides such as Carlos, Rodrigo, and Eric explain whale behavior, use a hydrophone so you can hear the songs, and may involve you in photo identification and conservation work. The small boat carries up to 10 people.

“This was very organized once we arrived. I would suggest a little more, expressly and more specifically & precisely when (but also where) to meet in the morning in prep for the tour. Not at all a big issue, but we were not exactly sure and once arrived, walked the area briefly, asking around. But in all a FANTASTIC TRIP. Carlos, our Marine Biologist guide, made for a great birthday for me and was both informative and funny. Made for an enjoyable trip. From the moment of our first stop until the very very end, we saw plenty of whales UP CLOSE and, as well, some acrobatic dolphins. This tour…”

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4.Whale Watching Cruise In Puerto Vallarta & Nuevo Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 398 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $99

Sail Bay of Banderas on a spacious catamaran with live commentary, breakfast, Mexican lunch, and an international open bar. The crew looks for humpback whales, dolphins, sea turtles, mothers, calves, breaches, and tail flukes. The tour lasts about four hours and returns to Puerto Magico.

“Great experience, the staff was awesome and the boat was nice. We saw lots of whales and dolphins! The food and drinks were wonderful as well.”

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5.Small-Group Half-Day Whale-Watching Tour in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 334 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $110

Cruise Banderas Bay from Marina Vallarta with a small group of up to 12 people. A marine biologist such as Thalia or Pilar explains whale behavior, while the captain searches for humpbacks, dolphins, turtles, and other wildlife. Lunch, soft drinks, and a return to the marina are included.

“Comfortable boat & they don’t over pack it with people. Saw a whale breech and dolphins! Cool experience overall. Staff was nice. I would recommend!”

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6.Whale & Dolphin Watching Cruise in Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 212 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $78

Cruise Puerto Vallarta’s bay in search of humpback whales and dolphins with bilingual guides, a marine biologist, hydrophone, breakfast, croissant lunch, and an open bar. The boat returns to the naval marina, but allow extra time for check-in and expect possible differences in boat size and tour length.

“Overall, I enjoyed the trip. The crew was very attentive the whole trip. I loved that the tour was in Spanish and English. I appreciated the open bar and lunch! We didn’t see very many whales but the crew was very persistent in trying to find them for us. We also saw dolphins along the way. Make sure you plan enough time to get there and get checked in.”

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7.Whale Watching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 186 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $89

Ride a small speedboat into Banderas Bay during humpback season. Guides such as Chai, Enrique, Lilu, and Alvin explain whale behavior while hydrophones let you hear their calls. Expect about three hours on open water, no toilet or shade, plus a light snack and purified water.

“We were lucky enough to see lots of males fighting over a female. It was a fantastic experience although it does say ‘three hours’ but was only 2.5 hours.”

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8.Whale Watching Adventure – Led by a Marine Biologist

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 176 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Meet at Ecotours Vallarta in Marina Vallarta at 8:30 a.m. for a short humpback-whale lesson, then head onto Banderas Bay with a marine biologist and captain. Small groups, a hydrophone, snacks, and English guidance make this a focused three-and-a-half-hour outing.

“Maggy was the perfect guide, knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. They went to a lot of effort to make sure we saw as many whales as possible. I'd highly recommend this company.”

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9.Whale Watching Guaranteed Experience in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 156 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $99

Join Los Veranos Canopy Tour for a 3-hour Puerto Vallarta whale watch in a fast boat capped at 38 passengers. Guides such as Benji and Captain Jose explain humpback behavior while you look for mothers, calves, dolphins, and breaching whales. Lunch, snacks, and water are included.

“Wow, the guide was so knowledgeable about whales and their habitat. So glad I included this at the last minute.”

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10.Private Whale Watching Tour in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 109 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Meet at Marina Vallarta for a private 3.5-hour whale watch with a captain and marine guide. Look for humpbacks, dolphins, turtles, and other sea life, listen for whale calls, and enjoy lunch aboard a boat with a bathroom. December through March.

“We had a party of 7 who participated in the whale watching tour on 1/24 in the afternoon. We had Carlos and a captain. We had a fabulous experience and would highly recommend this tour!”

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11.Mega Yacht Whale Watching Sunset Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 94 reviews · 3 hours · from $87

Spend three hours aboard Chica Locca’s roomy mega yacht in Puerto Vallarta’s Bay of Banderas. Guides such as Isai and Isaiah explain the whales, while Captain Nick helps find them. Expect premium drinks, guacamole, snacks, music, sunset views, and a city-light return cruise.

“Perfect combination of a sunset cruise and viewing whales! We saw several, learned a lot from the crew and there were cocktails and guacamole too-really fun! The boat is large and nice bathrooms, I would highly recommend this tour!”

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12.3-Hour Whale Watching and Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 62 reviews · 3 hours · from $45Best value

Set out from Puerto Vallarta’s marina with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide to look for humpback whales and dolphins. The $45 tour includes a three-hour boat trip, life jacket, and guide. Some departures also stop at a beach or snorkeling site, but swimming and snorkeling are not always provided.

“La actividad dejó mucho que desear. Sí logramos ver ballenas, pero fue exactamente igual que con todos los demás barcos; no hicieron ningún esfuerzo extra ni ofrecieron algo especial para mejorar la experiencia. En cuanto al snorkel, fue muy decepcionante: aunque pagamos por la actividad, no nos permitieron bajar al agua. Solo nos dejaron observar desde la lancha cómo otros grupos de otros barcos sí snorkelaban, lo cual resulta muy frustrante. Además, nos llevaron a una playa poco atractiva y la lancha iba demasiado llena de personas, lo que hizo el paseo incómodo. En general, no siento que la experiencia haya valido lo que se pagó ni que cumplieran con…”

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13.Private Whale watching Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

You’ll spend about three hours crossing Banderas Bay with Eco Explorer Vallarta, searching for whales, dolphins, turtles, and manta rays. Carlos, Emilio, and Hector may guide your outing, with a hydrophone, snacks, water, life jackets, and a private boat for up to six people.

“Carlos was so great at explaining the whales and finding them for us, and hector was a perfect captain! For being the end of whale season, we had plenty of wildlife to see (we are guessing about 20 whales and tons of dolphins). This tour definitely did not disappoint and I would recommend it for anyone wanting to see these magnificent animals!”

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14.Whale Watching in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 57 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $99

Join Vallarta Adventures at 8:00 am for a three-hour catamaran trip across Banderas Bay. A Marine Mammal Expert helps you watch for humpback whales, while the crew serves sandwiches, fruit, snacks, and drinks. You may also spot dolphins. Guide Noah has earned praise for reading whale behavior.

“We had a great time on this trip! Noah was extremely knowledgeable and he even able to tell us when we would be able to expect a whale to breach! Saw many whales but saw quite a few breaching towards the second part of the trip. All the crew and captain were extremely hospitable and friendly.”

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15.Whale Watching and Los Arcos 5 Islands Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $79

Join Mismaloya Xtreme for a 4 to 5 hour boat trip from Puerto Vallarta into Banderas Bay. Look for humpback whales and dolphins, then snorkel at Los Arcos with equipment, drinks, beer, snacks, and a maximum of 15 people.

“We saw whales and dolphins. The dolphins were jumping out of the water and a whale breached right in front of us.”

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