Wild dolphin tour from Puerto Vallarta
- From Departs from Puerto Vallarta
- 4 hours
- up to 50 guests
- All year
Photos: The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Andrew Milligan sumo, CC BY 2.0 · DarkNight0917, CC BY-SA 4.0
Four hours on a yacht of your own from Marina Vallarta: look for the wild bottlenose dolphins of Banderas Bay, then snorkel at Los Arcos. Year round; a sighting is never certain.
What you do
- Snorkeling
Highlights
- Wild bottlenose dolphins in the open water of Banderas Bay
- Snorkel around the rock islets of Los Arcos, a protected marine area
- The whole yacht and its crew for your group, at the dolphins' pace
- Runs all year
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.
From Marina Vallarta the yacht heads out into the bay for the search, then runs south to Los Arcos de Mismaloya, the rock islets off the south shore set aside as a protected marine area, to snorkel before the run home. How long the search takes depends on the dolphins, so the time at each stop may change on the day.
The price is for the whole yacht with its crew; what is on board (snorkel gear, drinks, food) differs from yacht to yacht.
Itinerary
After departure: 0:00
Board at Marina Vallarta
Meet your crew at the dock, around 9 am, and head out of the marina into the bay.
After departure: 0:10
Looking for wild dolphins
About an hour and a half searching the bay, 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: 1:40
Snorkel at Los Arcos de Mismaloya
South along the shore to the rock islets for about an hour and a half: snorkel along the rock, float, or stay on deck in the shade.
After departure: 3:15
Return to Marina Vallarta
About 8 nautical miles back up the shore to the marina.
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 Puerto Vallarta?
All year: the dolphins live in the bay in every season. Trips start in the morning, around 9 am.
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.
Is snorkel gear included?
On most of these yachts, but not every one. Each yacht's page lists what it carries.
Which marina do we leave from?
Marina Vallarta, and every yacht listed here boards there. Five of them are based at this marina; the others are based at Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and come round to board you, and some charge a fee for that. 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