Unforgettable Whale Watching Experience with Carlos!…read more Carlos and his whale watching group were absolutely amazing! We saw a ton of whales, including incredible head pop-ups that took our breath away. Carlos and his team are extremely knowledgeable and shared so much insight about the whales and their behavior, which made the experience even more special. What really stood out was their deep respect for the environment and the animals. They clearly prioritize responsible, ethical whale watching, which is the most important thing. You can tell they truly care about protecting these magnificent creatures. If you're looking for an unforgettable, respectful, and educational whale watching experience, i highly recommend.

We hired Eco Explorer out of the Puerto Vallarta Marina. First off, I read hundreds of review about…read moregoing to Playa del Amor as I am a very weak swimmer. I booked mine through Viator and used Eco Explorer because they had so many positive rating from scared ppl like me. Take bonnie and/or Dramamine!!!!! I am extremely prone to seasickness and took it. We arrived at their office at the marina at 8:30 since we like to be early. We were fitted with fins. Charlie/Carlos was a great host. Talking to us about the area, where he was from, etc. Charlie is so knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife. Yellow footed boobies were diving for fish at our wake. It was so beautiful!! The day we went, the ocean was like glass. However, when we arrived at the island that has lovers' beach, the tide was too high. Charlie suggested we snorkel around. To tell you the truth, the boats made the waves a bit choppy, and I was scared. I told Charlie this and he legit towed me around, while pointing out magnificent sea life. We even saw an octopus. Then, because I started to feel sick in the water, I popped my head up, puked for a while and felt better. When I went back in, I was surrounded by fish!!!! Charlie towed me about again and I saw a second octopus... or maybe the same one. I saw so many beautiful fish. My husband is usually the one who tows me about, but I am glad I was with Charlie because he was so good at pointing out all the sea life. It is very clear that these guys love the ocean and know this bay very well. They really are experts. The other guide, Ricardo, was so great at watching out for the other members of our group. My husband is a very strong swimmer and certified master diver, so he got to enjoy the activity. We got back on the boat and saw blue footed boobies!!!! They are adorable! Mexico is such a wonderful place! When it was time to swim to Playa del Amor, Charlie towed me in again. This is the tricky part. Y'all have to listen to the guides. When they say float and relax, listen. When they say kick, you gotta do it. All will be well if you listen to your guide. Know that you are wearing a life vest and a helmet and nothing will happen to you. However, know that this cave entrance is a challenging swim. Even my husband said he doubted he could have towed me in. We had more than enough time to take photos, enjoy the view, and mess around. We did not feel rushed at all! On the way back, Charlie towed me again. Back on the boat, they gave us some basic, but yummy, sandwiches. On the way back, we saw dolphins!!! They were feeding and we would see them pop up. There were no babies jumping out of the water and playing, but a lot of adults popping up. Then, Capt. Erik pointed out whale that were slapping the water, blowing, and slapping their tails. We watched them from afar as it is not whale watching season and the guides wanted to stay away as not to disturb them. Everyone at the boat had more than enough time to watch the whales from a respectful distance. The way home was great and peaceful. If I had to change something, it would be that I would practice swimming more before this trip. We will bring our 18 year old back here and only hire Eco Explorer. Note: these guys ensure our safety and enjoyment! Please make sure you tip them!!!! -Brian and Sherry Read more about - Marietas Islands Snorkel Tour & Hidden Beach

Johnny, the tour guide, knows a lot about whales! He is outgoing and funny. We loved our whale…read morewatching cruise. Season just started so we were the only ones on the boat. We felt pretty special. We saw several whales and two gigantic manatees which was pretty exciting. The staff of 4 went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. Great crew - delicious lunch with the best guacamole ever (made fresh)! The girl who took pictures was a sweetheart. The captain was very persistent on his search for whales. Highly recommend this company - best employees!

Our concierge signed us up for whale watching with this company and we were pretty happy with our…read moreexperience. I don't think it was their fault but we were taken by surprise when we were required to pay a dock fee before boarding the boat. It isn't large, just a few dollars but the concierge didn't give us any heads up and had told us we only needed about 50 pesos for a tip. If we had only brought that we wouldn't have had enough to pay the dock fee, plus 50 pesos is way too small for a tip. I would suggest $20 per person. (plus some for the dock fee) They are fine with US dollars, by the way. Our crew worked very hard to make us happy, though not sure they have the best naturalist on board. We were there in February and saw lots of whales, even a mother with a one week old baby who was anxious to show off for us! There is a morning option and an afternoon option. Even though it is early for vacation do the morning option! The water is cooler and the whales are more active. We had two people on our boat that had gone earlier in the week on the afternoon excursion but hadn't seen anything. We were served a sandwich and drinks were all included - yes even the alcoholic ones. If you are a vegetarian you should let them know when you book so they have a sandwich option on board for you. I wish that they had some type of speaker system on board for educational purposes, we couldn't hear what the "guide" was saying about the whales once the boat was moving. Plus I'm not sure that he was actually an expert in whales or just kind of picked it up. The boat isn't that comfortable. There are beanbag cushions to sit on but they squish down and then you can't turn around to see the whales as they and the boat move or even just stand up easily. Finally, smaller boats seemed to be able to get up closer to the whales so even though this was a boat of only 25 passengers it might have been better to be on an even smaller boat.