9 Whale and Dolphin Watching Tours in Mexico That Fill Up First

1.Whale and Dolphin Watching with a Biologist in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 666 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $105Our pick

Spend about four hours on a covered boat with a cetacean biologist such as Jemma or Camilla, looking for humpback whales, dolphins, turtles, and giant mantas. You will learn to read whale behavior, hear underwater songs with a hydrophone, and contribute to local research.

“The weather was perfect and the whales were out for a day of frolicking! We saw several full breaches that were truly amazing to witness! A very memorable day!”

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2.Dolphin & Whale Watching in Puerto Escondido

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 278 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $65

Set out from Puerto Escondido at 7am with guides such as Alex, Johnny, or Omar to search for wild dolphins, humpback whales, turtles, rays, and seabirds. The boat holds up to 10 people, and swimming or snorkeling may be possible when sea conditions and jellyfish levels allow.

“The tour was great! Alex was very knowledgeable and friendly! We saw a bunch of whales and dolphins! It was amazing! Moreover, we saw turtles!”

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3.Whale & Dolphin Watching Cruise in Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 212 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $78

Set out from Puerto Vallarta for about four and a half hours of humpback whale and dolphin watching. A bilingual crew, marine biologist, hydrophone, breakfast, croissant lunch, and national open bar are included. Plan for a MX$32 dock tax, possible rough water, and a boat that may be larger than expected.

“See lots of whales. Staff is super nice and whale expert is excellent. The mango tequila drinks are great!”

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4.Ocean Safari: Sea Lions, Mobula Rays, Dolphins, Orcas & Whales

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 85 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $179

Set out from La Ventana at 8:00 a.m. for about five hours aboard a panga with no more than six people. Guides such as Juan, Alejandro, and Andrea are praised for spotting wildlife and keeping a respectful distance. Swim only if you are a confident ocean swimmer.

“The captain and tour guide very helpful and good at finding animals in the ocean!we can see humpback whales, sperm whale, dolphins, mobula rays…So much fun!”

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5.Dolphin & Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $89

Set out from Puerto Beach at 7 am on a shaded 27-foot panga with Roberto’s Ecotours. Look for whales, dolphins, and sea turtles, and bring water since none is provided. Hotel pickup within Puerto Escondido City, snorkeling gear, and English service are included.

“Amazing experience we saw two whales fully breach! Also got to see dolphins and sea turtles! definitely recommend!”

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6.Dolphin & Whale Watching with Marine Biologists

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $59

Join Oceanico at 8:00 am for a 2.5-hour wildlife trip from Chahué Marina. Marine biologists such as Scarlett and Tony explain whale, dolphin, and turtle behavior while the crew searches Huatulco National Park waters. Use the onboard hydrophone to hear whale songs and dolphin calls.

“Seeing possibly 300 dolphins in one pod is something we will never forget, spotting a whale would have been like the icing on top of a cake. Maybe next time.”

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7.Dolphins and whales watching in Puerto Escondido.

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 13 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $75

Start early with a small-group boat trip from Puerto Escondido, searching for dolphins, whales, and sea turtles along Oaxaca’s coast. English and Spanish support, hotel pickup, a life jacket, and a 2-hour outing are included, but recent service problems make pickup confirmation essential.

“schreckliche Erfahrung. Ich bin extra um 6 Uhr morgens aufgestanden um wie vereinbart um 7 Uhr die Tour zu beginnen. Dann habe ich 5 Minuten vor Abholung die information bekommen, dass die Fahrt nun doch 3 Stunden nach hinten gelegt wird. Keiner sprach englisch obwohl ich die englische tour gebucht habe. Rücktransport wurde gestrichen, obwohl es vereinbart war.”

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8.Dolphin and Whale Watching Boat Trip in Puerto Escondido

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $56Best value

Set out at 7:00 am from Puerto Escondido with a captain such as Omar or Salvador to look for dolphins, turtles, seasonal manta rays, and humpback whales. The small group is limited to 12, with snorkeling gear, hotel pickup, and swimming when conditions are safe.

“It was a really great experience. It’s not certain that you can see the dolfins, but we saw many of them. And different species. Our guide did a marvellous thing finding them. He also spotted every turtle. We had a great time!”

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9.Whale & Dolphin Watching

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $101

Spend about three hours at sea from Puerto Angelito beach, looking for dolphins, turtles, whales, and other marine life. Your captain explains what you see, snorkeling gear is included, and hotel pickup may be available. The boat carries no more than 15 people, and the tour is offered in English.

“I was on a boat with mixed passengers. I saw the locals paid about half price of mine for the tour. So you don’t need to book in advance to ensure the trip quality because you will get the SAME thing with DOUBLE PRICES.”

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