What a biologist on board adds to a Puerto Vallarta whale tour
Ecotours Vallarta charges the most of the five trips on this site, and most of that money goes on a scientist rather than a meal. Below you can read the five things a biologist changes about a morning with humpbacks, and who will feel the difference.
1. A talk before you step aboard
The Ecotours Vallarta trip at ~$120 starts on land, with a talk on humpback biology, ecology and behavior at Proa 20 in Marina Vallarta. You leave the dock already knowing what a blow or a raised tail means.
That half hour changes the rest of the morning. Instead of waiting for a splash, you watch for the signs that come before one, and the questions you think of at sea have someone on board to answer them.
2. Someone who reads the behavior
A biologist guide comes on each trip. Where a crew on a party boat points and names the whale, a biologist can tell you whether you are watching a mother resting with her calf or a group of males competing.
That reading of the water also shapes how long the boat stays. Our page on your odds of seeing humpbacks covers the behaviors you might meet, from slow surface breathing to full breaches.
3. A hydrophone to hear them sing
The boat carries a hydrophone, an underwater microphone lowered over the side. In winter the male humpbacks in Banderas Bay sing, and with luck you hear the song through the speaker while the whale stays out of sight below.
Humpback song is long and patterned, and the biologist can explain what is known about it. For many people this is the moment they remember, more than any photo.
The trip built around the science
Ecotours Vallarta pairs a land talk with a biologist and a hydrophone at sea, and it holds 5.0 from 300+ reviews on Viator. Plan your own way to Marina Vallarta.
4. A small part in the research
The listing says you take part in a research project while you watch the whales' behavior. Projects like this commonly tell individual humpbacks apart by photographing the underside of the tail, whose pattern differs from whale to whale.
We do not know exactly which records this operator keeps, so ask on board. Either way, your morning adds to a body of observations rather than ending as photos on a phone.
If you shoot with a long lens, a clear picture of a tail can be useful to a project like this. Ask the biologist whether they would like a copy, and whether there is a way to hear later if that whale turns up again.
5. A donation inside the fare
A donation to the research project is included in the price. That accounts for part of the gap between ~$120 and the cheaper trips, and it means some of your fare stays in the bay's study of its humpback whales.
Some travelers like knowing where that part of the money goes, others would rather put it toward a meal. Both are fair choices. For a full breakdown of what each of the five fares buys, see our whale tour price comparison.
The listing does not give the size of the donation or split it out of the fare. If that matters to you, ask Ecotours Vallarta directly before you book.
What you give up for it
Comfort is the price you pay. Food is coffee or tea, water, sodas and granola bars, so eat before you go and plan lunch after. There is no hotel pickup, and the MX$80 boarding fee is paid in pesos on the day.
The boat is small and authorized, with a restroom on board according to Viator. Trips run 4 hours on Viator and 3.5 hours on GetYourGuide. Our guide to the boat types explains how a small boat rides compared with a catamaran.
The Ecotours Vallarta listing says the trip is not for children under 3 or for pregnant travelers. Our page on whale watching with children covers the age rules on all five trips.
Cheaper ways to get some of it
Live & Travel Tours at ~$62 also lists a marine biologist and a hydrophone, with food and an open bar on a 4.5-hour trip. You pay less, and the reviews dip with the price. Viator shows 4.2 across 200+ of them, the weakest score here.
Mike's catamaran at ~$99 has onboard commentary from the guide, according to Viator, not a biologist. You will hear about the whales, but the talk, the research and the hydrophone are not part of that trip.
Who it suits
Curious travelers and photographers get the most from it, since knowing what comes next helps you frame the shot. Families with school-age children often find that the song through the speaker holds attention better than a long wait at the rail.
If you mainly want a sunny morning with food and drinks, a catamaran or our sunset yacht fits better. Both still pass whales, though without anyone to explain them.
The research trip also makes sense as a first outing. Once you know how humpbacks behave, a later sunset cruise or catamaran morning becomes easier to enjoy, because you will spot the signs yourself.
Getting there is up to you. Our page on where the boats leave from explains how to reach Marina Vallarta from Nuevo Vallarta or the old town, and how much time to allow for traffic.