Wild dolphin tour from Nuevo Vallarta
- From Departs from Nuevo Vallarta
- 4 hours
- up to 50 guests
- April to November
Four hours on a yacht of your own from Marina Nuevo Vallarta, looking for the wild bottlenose dolphins of Banderas Bay, April to November. A sighting is never certain.
Highlights
- Wild bottlenose dolphins in the open water of Banderas Bay
- A short run from the marina to where the search starts
- The whole yacht and its crew for your group, at the dolphins' pace
- Watched from the boat, never chased or fed
About this trip
Bottlenose dolphins live in Banderas Bay all year. They are free animals in the open sea, not a show, and where a group turns up changes from one day to the next, so a dolphin trip is a search: the captain and crew watch the surface for fins and splashes and steer toward any group they find. A sighting is never certain, and some mornings pass without one.
Nuevo Vallarta's marina opens onto the north-east of the bay, the water off the shore toward La Cruz de Huanacaxtle where dolphin outings from Nuevo Vallarta go looking, so the search starts soon after the marina channel. Dolphins range over the whole bay, and the captain goes wherever they are showing that day.
Morning is the time to go. Dolphin outings from Nuevo Vallarta run from April through November, at 9 am. The price is for the whole yacht with its crew; what is on board differs from yacht to yacht.
Itinerary
After departure: 0:00
Board at Marina Nuevo Vallarta
Meet the crew at the dock, around 9 am, and head out through the marina channel into the bay.
After departure: 0:15
Looking for wild dolphins
About three hours in the north-east of the bay, off the shore toward La Cruz, watching for fins and moving to any group that shows. A sighting is never certain: the dolphins are wild and the day decides.
After departure: 3:30
Back to Nuevo Vallarta
The run back to the marina, about half an hour.
Yachts that run this trip
Questions
Will we see dolphins?
Probably, but nobody can promise it. Bottlenose dolphins live in Banderas Bay all year, but they are wild and free, and where a group turns up changes from day to day. Some mornings pass without a sighting.
When do dolphin trips run from Nuevo Vallarta?
Dolphin outings from Nuevo Vallarta run from April through November, starting at 9 am; the dolphins can tire later in the day, so mornings are best. The dolphins themselves are in the bay all year.
Can we swim with the dolphins?
This trip is for watching them from the boat. Near a group the captain slows right down and holds a steady line beside it, and never runs at the dolphins or offers them food. If they come in to ride the bow wave, that is their choice.
Which marina do we leave from?
Marina Nuevo Vallarta, and every yacht listed here boards there. Kaii is based at this marina. The others are based at Marina Vallarta, about 20 minutes away by road, or at Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, about 25 minutes away, and some charge a fee to come to Nuevo Vallarta. That fee is on top of this trip's price, and your quote shows it.
What should we bring?
A hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, drinking water if your yacht does not list it, and a camera with a fast shutter: fins break the surface for only a moment.
How do I book, and what if I have to cancel?
A 50% deposit confirms your date and the balance is due 7 days before the trip. If we cannot run the trip because of weather or a mechanical problem, you get a full refund or a new date; a trip without a sighting is not covered. Otherwise the deposit is not refundable, but it can be moved to another date within 6 months on the same yacht. Terms vary by yacht and we confirm them in writing before you pay.
Is the crew's tip included?
No. Tipping the crew is customary; we suggest 10% to 15% of the charter price, at your discretion. The quote we send lists what the price includes.
$1,200+ Tax
4 hours · 2 guests