Whale Watching in Vallarta

One of the most incredible things I saw while traveling in Punta Mita and Vallarta!

If you are planning a beach getaway to Punta Mita, Nuevo Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, or Sayulita, you have to make sure you go see the whales. Humpback whales come to the bay in Vallarta from mid-December until mid-March to give birth and to breed in the warmer waters. During these months, you’ll see thousands of whales all over the place. You can often see water spray up and their tails splash from shore, but if you really want to see them in action, book a whale watching tour. It’s not cheap (around $100 USD), but it is definitely worth it to see these amazing creatures up close.

The tour will take you out for a few hours, searching for whales, and especially looking for ones who are breaching. This is where they jump out of the water, and it is incredible to see. If you get lucky, they will come up close to your boat so you can really see just how massive they are. My tour saw mother and baby whales as well as a pod of about 7 adults mating, and this is where we saw the whales breaching. It’s so interesting and exciting to learn about their behaviors and see them in nature. As a bonus, we also saw some dolphins, sting rays, and sea turtles. A more rare thing to see is orcas - my tour didn’t see any, but you might!

I used the company Vallarta Adventures to book my tour when I came to Punta Mita and Nuevo Vallarta during the first week of March, and we were lucky enough to see plenty of whales breaching. This tour company was very professional, so I recommend using them. *Tips: Bring a sweater - it gets pretty cold out on the water early in the morning. Wear a hat and sunscreen - the sun reflects off the water and your face will get burnt if you aren’t protecting it. They provide a very light snack, so have something to eat before and plan on having a big lunch after.

Have fun, and enjoy nature’s show!