If you are visiting during winter, whale watching in Puerto Vallarta is one of the most memorable ways to experience Banderas Bay.
Every year, humpback whales return to this part of the Mexican Pacific. The official whale-watching season runs from December 8 through March 23, when visitors have the opportunity to observe these incredible animals in their natural environment.
Why Do Humpback Whales Visit Banderas Bay?
The warm waters around Puerto Vallarta are part of an important winter habitat for humpback whales. During the season you may see adults traveling through the bay, mothers accompanied by calves, groups interacting at the surface and some of the spectacular behaviors humpbacks are famous for.
No two trips are exactly the same. These are wild animals, and that unpredictability is part of what makes whale watching in Banderas Bay so special.
More Than Just Seeing a Whale
A good whale-watching experience is also an opportunity to understand what you are seeing.
Ecotours Vallarta has offered whale-watching trips in Banderas Bay since 1994. Its current Humpback Whale Watching Tour is led by bilingual biologists, uses authorized boats and begins with an introduction to humpback whale biology and behavior. A hydrophone may also allow guests to listen to whale songs underwater.
The company also collaborates with humpback whale research in Banderas Bay by contributing photographs used for individual whale identification.
What Can You See?
Breaching whales tend to get all the attention, but there is much more to observe.
You may see a whale raise its tail before a dive, slap the surface with its fins, travel quietly across the bay or interact with other whales.
Those tail flukes are particularly interesting. Researchers photograph their unique markings much like fingerprints, allowing individual humpback whales to be identified and studied over time.
When Is the Best Time for Whale Watching in Puerto Vallarta?
Whale-watching trips operate during the official December 8–March 23 season. January and February are commonly considered particularly good months because they fall near the middle of the migration season.
Morning trips are a great option if you want to spend the rest of the day exploring Puerto Vallarta.
Make Whale Watching Part of Your Puerto Vallarta Trip
Puerto Vallarta is beautiful from shore, but Banderas Bay feels completely different once you are out on the water.
Seeing a humpback whale surface nearby can easily become one of those vacation moments you remember long after you return home.
For travelers looking for a responsible whale watching tour in Puerto Vallarta, Ecotours Vallarta offers small-group trips guided by biologists and naturalists, with a maximum of 14 guests on its regular whale-watching tour.
Explore: Humpback Whale Watching with Ecotours Vallarta.
