Karen Knowlton

Puerto Vallarta isn’t as well known as Cabo San Lucas for whale-watching, but it is great here too! I booked a 4-hour whale-watching excursion through Shoretrips.com, which was subcontracted to a local eco-tourism outfit called Open Air Expeditions. There were about 15 of us, including guide and 2 drivers, on a zodiac (inflatable boat). Our guide was excellent, with a good command of English and knowledge of whales and other wildlife in the area, including seabirds. We saw at least a dozen humpbacks, some mothers with calves, others males chasing the “girls,” and a few showed off for us by breaching or slapping the water with their flippers (this helps them get rid of irritating barnacles). We got close on a few occasions, but mostly were able to maintain a respectful distance to avoid disturbing them too much. Prepackaged snacks and cans of soft drinks were available to us as part of the price ($81 in February 2003), which also included a donation to whale research as part of the required government permit. (Any boat flying a small red flag at the stern has bought the permit. Everyone else is breaking the law, though enforcement is lax.) I also went whale-watching in Cabo on the same trip, and the experiences were both great, but very different – different whale species, types of boat, etc. I would highly recommend this for nature-lovers!

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