Whale Watching in Puerto Vallarta | Vallarta Adventures (2024)

FAQs

What is the best month for whale watching in Puerto Vallarta? ›

Whale watching season in Puerto Vallarta begins in December and runs through to March. You can even sometimes spot whales as early as November or as late as May. However, the best time to see humpback whales in Puerto Vallarta is during the months of January and February.

Ticket prices start at $104 for adults and $83 for children. Tour times and prices vary by company. During the offseason, you may be able to book dolphin encounters with these companies.

While you can often spot them from the shore, whale watching tours take you out to see them up close, and the onboard marine biologist will teach you more about what kind of whales are in Puerto Vallarta and their unique behaviors.

Q: Do you guarantee whale sightings? While we do not guarantee whale sightings on our tours, 20 years of sightings data shows that we do have a 90% chance of seeing whales during the peak months of June – September.

High Season / Dry Season

Puerto Vallarta's peak season extends from December through April. The high season kicks off at the very end of November, after American Thanksgiving, and continues until after Semana Santa (Easter), a major holiday in Mexico.

Diving in Puerto Vallarta is known for close encounters with giant mantas, dolphins and schools of jacks. Lucky scuba divers can swim with whale sharks, eagle rays, hammerhead sharks and sailfish in the open ocean. Schools of grunts, puffer fish, damsel fish, eels and nurse sharks may accompany your dives.

We recommend a waterproof rain jacket and pants in addition to layers to wear underneath them, if necessary. Many people think that because they are traveling to Mexico it will be warm and sunny, but this is not typically the case on this adventure.

Usually a whale watching tour takes anywhere between 2.5 to 3 hours in order to navigate the ocean in search of different whale species. Depending on the type of whale, it may be necessary to navigate further out from shore to get the best opportunity to spot them based on their migration and feeding habits.

Expert biologists agree that the presence of orca whales in the Bay of Banderas is very common, particularly in the fall and winter months when they hunt for turtles, dolphins, manta rays and even humpback whale calves.

Whales are generally most active in the morning and late afternoon, making these the best times to spot them. During the morning, whales tend to be more active as they start their day and may feed. As the day progresses and the sun sets, whales become more active as they prepare to rest for the night.

How close to shore do whales come? ›

“Females will do that with their young calves to insure their safety. They can do a little foraging, too. It's very normal gray whale behavior. They sometimes come within 50 feet of the shore.

At times, the whales come even closer to shore while feeding on anchovies and can also be found 8-20 miles from shore where concentrations of krill occur in relation to thermal fronts.

The next essential item to have in your bag on your whale watching trip is a nice pair of binoculars or “binos”. With a high-powered magnifying lens, experienced whale watchers can see much farther away and potentially have the opportunity to log more sightings of multiple species on one trip.

We do not support, condone, approve, or authorize activities that involve closely approaching, interacting, or attempting to interact with whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, and sea turtles in the wild. This includes attempting to swim with, pet, touch, or elicit a reaction from the animals.

The first thing to look for in a whale watching tour company is their reputation and experience. A reputable company will have a track record of providing high-quality tours and excellent customer service.

For example, gray whales migrate along the California coast from December to May, with peak sightings occurring in January and February. Humpback whales are more commonly seen during the summer months, from June to September, while blue whales can be spotted from May to November.

It's a lovely spot to see blue whale calves, often within a fin's reach of their 60-foot-long mothers. Once you've (hopefully) spent the morning with the majestic creatures, there's plenty to do back on land in Puerto Vallarta without having to travel too far.

There are whale sharks almost year round, but the highest concentration of individuals is between November and April.

Whale shark season in Cancun typically spans from early June to mid-September. The peak of the whale shark season occurs between July and August. Therefore, if you're looking for the optimal chance to see a whale shark in Cancun, targeting the period from July through August is your best bet.