Jump on board a luxury sailboat to watch the whales play and care for their young. Departures are from the Marina Vallarta at 9:30 a.m. from December 8 until March 23. Sailing tours also depart from the Vallarta Adventure Center in Nuevo Vallarta at 9 a.m. The full-day, 7-hour tour includes lunch, snacks, beverages and snorkeling equipment for $85 per person. Minimum age is 10 years old. A half-day (4-hour) tour is also available at $55 per person departing Marina Vallarta at 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Contact Vallarta Adventures for advance reservations to see this spectacular event.
Enjoy the whale viewing from the comfort of a 27-foot vessel with Discover Pacific Tours. The crew and the vessel are fully licensed for whale-watching activities with a maximum capacity of eight passengers per trip. For $85 per person, the half-day tour includes a bilingual guide, cereal bar and fruit for breakfast, soft drinks and water, life vests and a hydrophone to hear the whales sing. The crew will also provide information about cetacean evolution, characteristics and behavior.
Book a tour with Ocean Friendly Tours and let a professional oceanographer guide you with his knowledge of humpback whales. This operation has two fast vessels that provide plenty of space for you to move around the deck and get great views as well as photographs. The regular tour departs at 9 a.m. from the Marina, lasts 4 to 5 hours and returns to Puerto Vallarta around 1:30 p.m. The tour includes lunch of homemade submarine sandwiches, condiments, fruit, granola bars, bottled purified water and soft drinks. The cost is $95 per adult and $75 per child under 8 years of age. Included in the cost are a bilingual oceanologist, hydrophone and speakers, life vests, safety equipment, dry bags for camera equipment and restroom facility on the 30-foot boat.
Contact Open Air Expeditions, a fully licensed company owned and operated by marine biologists and oceanographers, if you prefer a zippy Zodiac boat. Enthusiastic, multilingual guides conduct their trips in the fast, Zodiac vessel (Prince of Whales), which is closer to the water than most other vessels and provides great views of the whales. Excursions are limited to 12 people per trip, and snacks and drinks are provided on board. A hydrophone and CD stereo are on board as well as fruit, snacks, sodas and bottled water. The cost is $85 per adult and $50 per child (5 to 10 years old, with discounts given for online advance bookings). Open Air departs the Marina terminal at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., returning at 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
