Whale Encounter Puerto Vallarta
4.9
Whale Encounter Puerto Vallarta
By Eco Explorer Whale Watching
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 6-75, max of 10 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English, French, Spanish
More
- We have granola bars, some fruit, juice and drinking water on board.
- Use of hydrophone
- Life Vest
- Whales goverment permits
- Whales conservancy wrist bands donation.
What's not included- Breakfast
- According the whales legislation, we can not provide alcohol on the boat.
- Gratuities
- Marina Dock fee must be paid cash during your check in (u$6.00 or mx$100.00 each pax)
- Start:
- Tours Eco Explorer Vallarta, Proa 22, Marina Vallarta, 48335 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., MexicoWe are located at Marina Vallarta, at just 5 minutes from airport, 2 blocks away from the Whale statue.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 118966P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Please consider that all our guests must show an ID, f you do not present it at the time of check in you will not be allowed to board the boat.
- Toddlers ar not allowed on public tour, only private tours.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 118966P1
From
$99.00
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- Proa 22, Marina Vallarta, 48335 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., MexicoWe are located at Marina Vallarta, at just 5 minutes from airport, 2 blocks away from the Whale statue.
- Pass byBay of Banderas
Buy it with
Top rated
More to explore in Puerto Vallarta
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Ashley P0 contributionsFavorite part of our trip to Puerto Vallarta!Highlight of our trip! Carlos and Emilio were the perfect guide and driver! We saw more whales than we could count, sea turtles and dolphins! Carlos was very knowledgeable. We especially admired his respect for the animals and what was best for them. He was great with our kids and provided snacks and drinks as well!Written March 11, 2025
- F2690XFemilye0 contributionsAMAZING. Best one out thereCarlos was an amazing tour guide and Emilio was an incredible captain. This was a highlight of our trip. We saw turtles, dolphins and whales, and it was an amazing adventure. Not only did we get to see the amazing sea life, but Carlos was very helpful and educated us the entire time. He was also great with the kids and giving them an experience they will not forget 😁 I recommend this tour 15/10 and will continue to tell people about this.Written March 11, 2025
- 108theresan0 contributionsWhale watching extraordinaire !Carlos and Emilio were both wonderful. We came away from the experience sharing Carlos’s love of these magnificent animals. We felt safe with our captain, Emilio. Highly recommend this.Written February 28, 2025
- jessemR6831KR0 contributionsPerfect tourCarlos was the best tour guide I’ve ever had. Really wonderful experience. We went with the family and saw dolphins and whales.Written February 24, 2025
- kittyh8020 contributionsSo pleased, lots of whales and dolphins.We loved the whole tour! Carlos was so knowledgeable and Emilio was a great captain. I totally recommend this tour, but, so often, the tour guide makes all the difference and Carlos was terrific! We were able to see tons of whales including some babies and some males fighting over a female. We also saw a pod of dolphins. It was well worth the cost.Written February 19, 2025
- amce1230 contributionsAmazing experienceCarlos and Emilio were the best guides. We saw lots of whales and a pod of dolphins. Carlos taught us about their behavior and was very cognizant of the animals and was careful not to stress them. Would highly recommend!Written February 19, 2025
- Troy M0 contributionsWhale watching in Puerto VallartaWe had Carlos and Emilio. They were fabulous!! Saw far more whales than we did in Alaska. Well worth the trip! Would highly recommendWritten February 19, 2025
- 384brandih0 contributionsHighly RecommendCarlos and Emilio are the BEST tour guides for our whale watching excursion. Don’t miss the chance to spend half a day seeing the whales and learning so many interesting facts. You can feel the love Carlos has for these beautiful magic creatures!!Written February 18, 2025
- sarahcP8043HF0 contributionsWhale Whisperer Does it AgainCarlos “the whale whisperer” made the entire trip! Saw so many whales, breaching, flapping fins, tail slapping…amazing! Came to PV specific for whale watching and eco explorer didn’t disappoint! Would love to come back!Written February 17, 2025
- 13tobym0 contributionsExcellent!Luis was very knowledgable, and Erik was a great captain. We were lucky enough to see a whale breach before we were 10 minutes into the tour. Saw lots of mamas and babies (1 ton babies!), and even got to see a bonus sea turtle. Highly recommend.Written February 14, 2025
- Dreamer588322768090 contributionsAmazing whale watching tourAmazing is all that is all I can say! We saw lot of whales. Carlos told us lot about whale behaviour and you could really tell he is doing this with his wholeheart. Thank you Carlos and Enrico!Written February 14, 2025
- i_love_tree_frogs0 contributionsAmazing Whale-watching ExperienceWe had the best time with Carlos and Emilio, Carlos was really knowledgeable and explained everything at a level our 6 and 9 year-old grandsons could understand. He was especially helpful to our older grandson, who had to write a report about whales for school. We especially loved watching a group of dolphins play with a few whales, and learning about a mother and baby having a male escort for protection. We got great videos of whales surfacing and of babies breeching, as well as a great listen to the whales "talking" under water using the hydrophone. We highly recommend Eco Explorers!Written February 11, 2025
- 665jamesonm0 contributionsFun and relaxing.Very very fun. Our guides were excellent. Erik and Luis made for a very enjoyable experience. We had a very successful trip and saw many whales and we learned a lot about them.Written February 9, 2025
- I4652HTmelissak0 contributionsFantastic time and lots of whales!What an amazing experience. Captain Hector and Rodrigo were fantastic. Very informative and fun and saw lots of whales! Would highly recommend!Written February 9, 2025
- C9953RUmikem0 contributionsWhale watching dreamWhat a great trip. Everything we wanted and more. I can’t wait to go back. Captain and deck were wonderful. Beautiful day lots of whalesWritten February 9, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.9
229 reviews
Excellent
223
Very good
4
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Lisa J.
Tempe, AZ1 contribution
Feb 2025 • Family
Carlos and Emilio were awesome! Carlos made sure we could all see the whales and even let me come up to front of boat so I could have a better view of the whales . I had an amazing time and would definitely recommend these guys if you have never been on a whale sighting trip. I’m still overwhelmed on the beautiful creatures we got to see! Thank you both so very much for making this trip one of those most unforgettable times in my life.
Written February 18, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shelleysc0rner
Houston, TX227 contributions
What a perfect way to start the day! Eric, our guide, and Hector, our captain, are the perfect pair! They know exactly where to find a variety of whales, bottlenose dolphins, amorous sea turtles and boobies (as in birds). Our tour group of nine was treated to mother whales training their calves, a singing male whale chorus and a show of breaching whales strutting their stuff. Needless to say, our time and money were well spent.
Written February 3, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary S
2 contributions
BOOK IT! This tour with Captain Emilio and our tour guide Carlos was exceptional. Carlos begins with making sure everyone knows how to safely watch, and shares his knowledge on various whales (he’s definitely the Whale Whisperer, with 14 years of experience with Eco Tours alone). He and Emilio navigated to an area where we were able to see a mother humpback teaching her baby to breach. Soon they were joined by a male humpback who hung out with them for quite a long time—maybe an hour—before a bunch of other boats barged in on our discovery. The smaller size of this vessel allowed us to really get close to all the action for an unforgettable experience. Snacks, fruit and juice were offered. You should plan on getting wet and salty but it was part of the experience. Our group of 5 all agreed it was the highlight of our vacation. Don’t forget to tip for their fabulous service!
Written February 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John P
1 contribution
We had a wonderful experience with Carlos, as guide, and Arnoldo, as driver. We encountered three whale families of Humpback whales, each with a cow, a calf and senior male escort. With the second family we saw, the calf was practicing breaches over 15 times either the huge cow performing three huge full body breaches creating a tremendous splash. All in all a great experience.
Written February 27, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mr. Picky
San Diego, CA41 contributions
After an hour, we saw a male/female/baby triple that played and dove out of the water (all in a row). After that, we saw even more whales doing the same. At one point, we were almost surrounded by whale groups.
Tour guide and boat driver were excellent: conscientious anf educational about the whales, informative about the area, and great at positioning the boat.
Seas weren't rough till the very end (from all the boat wakes near the marina).
Not sure how it gets better than that (except no whale songs from the hydrophone).
Highly recommend this tour group (and Oscar and Carlos duo).
Tour guide and boat driver were excellent: conscientious anf educational about the whales, informative about the area, and great at positioning the boat.
Seas weren't rough till the very end (from all the boat wakes near the marina).
Not sure how it gets better than that (except no whale songs from the hydrophone).
Highly recommend this tour group (and Oscar and Carlos duo).
Written December 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janne L
1 contribution
Feb 2025 • Couples
Most amazing tour i have been.
This was super infomative and not just cruising around the bay.
Carlos is really doing this job from he's heart, so many stories about whales he have encountered around the world.
Enrico was our skipper and he handled the boat so smoothly.
Hands down, do this this tour and experience something amazing, they know how whales behave and where to find them.
This was super infomative and not just cruising around the bay.
Carlos is really doing this job from he's heart, so many stories about whales he have encountered around the world.
Enrico was our skipper and he handled the boat so smoothly.
Hands down, do this this tour and experience something amazing, they know how whales behave and where to find them.
Written February 14, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Danielle G
Omaha, NE5 contributions
Amazing experience with Rodrigo and Emilio! So many whale sightings we lost count - at least 30! Rodrigo is so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the whales’ behaviors and environment - we learned about their social habits and listened to them singing under water! We also saw and learned about seabirds, sea snakes, dolphins, and iguanas sitting in trees by the water! Emilio skillfully steered the boat to maximize our whale sightings and avoid the disruption from other boats. The boat size was great for slipping in and out of areas and we loved being close to water level. Super happy we chose this outfit and cannot recommend them highly enough!
Danielle and Vince
Danielle and Vince
Written December 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy L
36 contributions
Carlos was the guide and Armando the captain. They were great!! We have been on several while watching excursions in PV and other locations. Carlos was very informative and fun to be with. My husband and I were on the excursion with a young woman traveling alone and another woman who went without her husband. We were looking for a small group tour and this had a max of 10, they turned out to be 4. It was fantastic. We saw a lot of whales and Carlos did a great job educating us about them. And hearing the whales underwater song was beautiful. I definitely recommend this tour and company and would never do a large tour with 100+ people. Highly recommend!
Written February 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lori T
Largo, FL1 contribution
Jan 2025 • Couples
Fantastic experience today whale watching today! We spent hours online searching for a small boat & personalized experience & that’s exactly what we had with Eco Explorer. We saw so many humpbacks & learned incredible interesting facts from Carlos, who has decades of experience with dolphins & whales…you will be blown away with his knowledge & enthusiasm for these amazing creatures. Very comfortable boat with only six passengers on our trip, and juice & snacks provided. Thank you to both Carlos & Emilio for an amazing experience!
Written January 15, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spa diva
Estes Park, CO29 contributions
Dec 2024 • Couples
Easy 5 stars to this awesome crew
CARLOS and EMELIO were incredible! Carlos is a Vet and knew everything about whales and sea life
Was able to let us know how soon they would come up for air and where to look for them - followed a pod of 6 for a good 90 min and were lucky enough to see one huge male completely breach up and splash down -3 hours is just right we had shade the entire time and felt completely safe- book this tour - they are conscientious about conservation and keep their distance
CARLOS and EMELIO were incredible! Carlos is a Vet and knew everything about whales and sea life
Was able to let us know how soon they would come up for air and where to look for them - followed a pod of 6 for a good 90 min and were lucky enough to see one huge male completely breach up and splash down -3 hours is just right we had shade the entire time and felt completely safe- book this tour - they are conscientious about conservation and keep their distance
Written December 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
will there be whale watching tours in Mid April? are there Whales in Puerto Vallarta in Mid April?
Written December 3, 2022
Hi there, I'd be greatful if you could advise the probability of seeing any whales in mid May around the 18th May 2022? Many thanks, Omar
Written April 28, 2022
Hello Omar! By May most of the whales are already on their way up north to the feeding hubs. I would say it would be rather rare to spot any in May..
Written May 10, 2022
Que tipo de ropa y calzado hay que llevar?
Written February 3, 2022
Are the whales gone by late March? If we’re coming down in late March, will there be any dolphins or whales to see?
Written January 1, 2021
Looks like there is still activity in March as the calves are getting more active and they prepare to head North. The most busy season appears to be start of November to Mid-March and then dolphins pick up.
Written January 28, 2021
Showing results 1-7 of 7
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.