Puerto Vallarta · PUERTO VALLARTA DOLPHIN & SEA TURTLE ENCOUNTERS
12 tours
Good puerto vallarta dolphin & sea turtle encounters fill up fast around Puerto Vallarta, especially between December and April. These 12 are the ones to lock in early, with current prices and what makes each one different.
Half-day Puerto Vallarta dolphin tour with a biologist guide, hydrophone searching, and wild dolphin swims when conditions allow.
“This was hands down the coolest excursion I’ve ever been on. Getting to see the dolphins so close was magical. I would highly recommend.”
Biologist-led whale and dolphin watching in Puerto Vallarta, with humpbacks, dolphin species, hydrophone whale songs, and citizen science.
“It was a fantastic excursion. Gemma was a great guide. Very informed friendly and committed to us having a great experience. We had an incredible afternoon”
Puerto Vallarta whale and dolphin cruise with open bar, breakfast, lunch, hydrophone, and a marine biologist. Around 4.5 hours.
“Initially it was good. Followed a mother and baby whale. Saw a couple of whales jump out of water. Went further north into the ocean just to turn around and come back. Few of us saw a whale, but tour bout didn’t slow down. Seat where not secured or safe. When hitting higher waves, people fell out of the charges and almost face planted on deck.”
Small-group dolphin spotting cruise plus snorkeling at Los Arcos de Mismaloya, guided by biologists with lunch and snorkeling gear included.
“Cynthia and Martin were very helpful and good with every one on the boat. We saw many Dolphins and whales. Both were very safety conscious. We had a young boy terrified of getting in the water. They were so good with him. Truly a good team.”
Join a Puerto Vallarta sea turtle release with an environmental talk, a short beach walk, and a guided hatchling launch at Camp Tortuguero.
“It was an amazing experience to release the baby turtles and watch them walk into the ocean! Eduardo was very informative and fun! Please include this excursion during your time in Puerto Vallarta! Price is great also”
Help release one-day-old sea turtles at sunset in Puerto Vallarta, learn from biologists, walk the beach and mangroves, then head back.
“We had an amazing experience with Michael. He was so knowledgable and his love for his work really came across during the tour. We got more than we bargained for as we saw a female sea turtle coming up to the beach during our walk to release the sea turtles, to give birth. This usually happens in the dark so we understand how lucky we are to have seen this as Michael said he has only seen this happen a handful of times in the last 10 years. The sea turtle refuge was amazing and the work all the volunteers do is so admirable. The baby sea turtles are so…”
Puerto Vallarta turtle release at a conservation camp: learn olive ridley nesting and egg care, then release hatchlings at sunset.
“This experience was amazing! It was very educational and the guides really had a passion for what they do. It shows. The turtles were so cute too.”
A small-group dolphin encounter in Puerto Vallarta with a marine biologist, hydrophone listening, snorkeling, and lunch included.
“This tour was terrible......we may be able to swim with them and maybe not. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY”
Swim with dolphins at Aquaventuras Park in Puerto Vallarta, plus water slides, zip line, climbing wall, and a meal and soda.
“The dolphin encounter was a bucket list worthy activity with amazing trainers. However, a stark contrast with the rest of the experience at Aquaventuras Park. The check in process is clunky and the staff is rude. The photo sales is a complete scam, charging by the number of people in the photo. So if you have a large family prepare to pay 3500 pesos for your dolphin encounter photos.”
Join a small group Sea Turtle Camp in Puerto Vallarta for a marine talk, nursery visit, and sunset hatchling release that supports conservation.
“We had two great guides, they were really knowledgeable. The walk from the carpark to the release site is not far at all. The sunset was beautiful and the little turtles moving to the water was so special to see. This is a great tour, I recommend doing it. Half the ticket price goes back into the conservation program to help bring the population numbers back up.”
Private wild bottlenose dolphin encounter in Puerto Vallarta, led by marine biologist Thalia, with lunch, snorkeling gear, and bay cruising.
“This excursion was the highlight of our trip. The guide and captain were wonderful and very knowledgeable. Ypu can tell that they love what they do. There were so many dolphins. They would swim under and around us. This is the second tour we have done with Vallarta Natours and we will definitely be back for another in the future. Highly recommend!!”
Paddle boards and snorkeling for wild dolphin pods in Puerto Vallarta, plus possible whale sightings on a 4-hour private outing.
“Maybe we caught them on an off day, I’m not sure. There was not much here worth writing about for our family of 6. We chose an 8am tour, and their own description says the earlier the better for seeing dolphins. When we were contacted the day before the tour, they told us to meet at 8:30 instead of 8. So that’s fine. So we meet at 8:30 at the pier, but they say they need to get the boat ready and for us to wait. So we sit on a bench for 30 minutes waiting for them, and finally depart shortly after 9am. There is a guide who was…”
