Unforgettable Whale Watching Experience with Carlos! 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. read more

We hired Eco Explorer out of the Puerto Vallarta Marina. First off, I read hundreds of review about going 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 read more

Eco Explorer - That's the entrance you swim into - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

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We had a great time! They were all so nice and fun! Thank you for a great snorkeling/ hidden beach adventure! read more

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Five stars. Hell of an experience. We saw whales and dolphins. Take the motion sickness pill even if you don't think you'll need it. Such a good time! read more

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Carlos, our whale watching expedition leader, was wonderfully knowledgeable about the many different kinds of sea life, including whales and dolphins, and has been working on the ocean since he was 16. Emilio was captain of the boat, and very expert at angling us respectfully and quietly closer towards the many whales we saw. We were on a relatively small boat, with a total of 12 people (9 adults 3 kids) which was perfect - all in all I highly recommend this tour!! read more

My wife and I enjoyed our tour of the Marietas Islands to Snorkel & enjoy the famous Hidden Beach. The tour and staff were amazing. Thank you Nano, Alex, and Lois. Chris & Sandra read more

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This was such an adventurous, fun tour. Abraham, Bernice, and our captain Javi were all amazing and so fun. This tour was less people per group than the other ones I did in Puerto Vallarta which made it the best one. On the way back we saw whales and dolphins and turtles. An incredible experience! read more

We booked the Marietas island hidden beach and snorkeling tour. All together the trip was around 5 hours. Our tour guide (Lisandro) and boat captain (Alex) were fun and very personable. Our group had 10 people and Lisandro memorized our names quickly. Both were very knowledgeable on the wildlife we saw along the way. We saw several sea turtles, various species of birds and a school of dolphins jumping out of the water. It takes about an hour to get out to the islands and an hour back. To get to the hidden beach we had to swim through a tunnel. Really cool experience except the tunnel is full of jellyfish. Unfortunately, we were already in the tunnel when we realized it, so we just had to keep swimming. The real bummer was knowing we had to swim back through the jellyfish to get out too. Alex gave us vinegar to rub on the stings when we got back to the boat so it wasn't terrible for long. I'd recommend a swim shirt though. Snorkeling was fun because the water was clear and you could see several species of fish. Unfortunately, the jellyfish were there too! So we had to dodge as many as we could which was a bit distracting. On the way back they, gave us a sandwich and a bottle of water which tasted great after a morning of swimming. Highly recommend taking a tour with this company. Just be prepared for the jellyfish. read more

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Very knowledgeable company with customer first vibes. I booked the hidden beach tour through TripAdvisor but I messed up on the date of activity and Eco Explorer were very understanding and were able to get us on the next day. At the site they were knowledgeable and experienced, you need an expert to guide you in and out the tunnel, be prepared to swim in high tides in a rocky environment. read more

So, I have done two different jet ski tours out of the PV marina with two organizations. Both were 5 star experiences but this company was the better of the two. If you can't book with this one, you'll still have a great time with the other...but here are the reasons I liked this jet ski excursion better: -fewer guests per guide. I was lucky enough to go solo with the guide so the plan was a little looser. We didn't have to ride in formation the whole time in a straight line. We got to cut a bunch of turns, do donuts etc. and have fun as long as we stayed safe. -we also got to see more bays and inlets. I have been to PV many times and had previously known about a few hidden beaches, but got to discover more areas on this tour. Mismaloya has a whole back side cove with very clear water that I didn:t even know about. -you have the option to snorkel at Los Arcos. Do it if you haven't before, but I had snorkeled there 3x previously. So, we skipped the snorkel for more jet ski time. -the watercraft had throttles that were easier to keep down consistently. You use your hand instead of your thumb. Suggestion, if you do this tour, go in the morning vs. the afternoon time slot. In the morning, Banderas Bay is almost glass smooth. In the afternoon it gets choppier so it makes it more challenging to ride. Evar was a great guide. I'm sure the others are great too. read more

Overall great time, highly recommend jet skiing. It was a great time and our tour guide ever was very helpful and knew how to show us a great time! read more

Unfortunately, the water was FULL of jelly fish and we could not snorkel. We still visited the two islands including Hidden Beach at Marieta's Island. We got stung a few times on the short swim to the beach. Apparently, this was an unusually large amount of jelly fish for what's typical. The boat was nice, comfortable, and fast out and back. The staff was very friendly and spoke English very well. read more

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great jet ski trip. lots of wide open time.

It was fabulous and great tour guide (Eva). We had 8 people with us. Make sure and check your jetski before leaving marina. Note any damage so you won't be liable. read more

Wow, just wow. Amazing experience thanks to our tour guide Carlos ! It was just incredible to be up close and personal (as can be ) . We were able to enjoy momma, baby and male whales as baby was learning new ways of life. Beyond what I expected and more! Highly recommend! Till next season! read more

Had a great experience on the jet ski/ snorkeling tour at Las Animas with our tour guide Alex, who I highly recommend. He gave very clear instructions on how to safely operate the jet ski and properly use the snorkeling equipment. We were provided a locker for our belongings and plenty of water bottles at the location. Tour lasted a couple hours, consisting of a 2 person jet ski to and from Las Animas and about 20-25 minutes of snorkeling, reasonably priced (150$ US). read more

Eco Explorer - Tour guide alex - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

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Excellent whale watching experience -- can't recommend Eco Explorer highly enough. Our boat was comfortable and had only about 10 people total. Emilio (boat captain) and Carlos (aquatic mammal biologist) were amazing. They got us to several different groups of humpbacks and we were even lucky enough to see a mother and calf breaching together. Carlos is extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. And even better, it's clear that he cares deeply about the whales and their well-being. Unlike some of the other tour boats we saw, he was careful to watch the whales' behavior and back off when appropriate. He also made sure not to move the boat unless the whales had just surfaced and he knew where they were, to avoid harmful collisions. (Another sketchy tour boat nearly ran its motor into a humpback calf because they weren't paying attention to where the whales were -- Carlos shouted to get the other driver's attention and avoid a bad situation.) Great experience and an ethical company. Book now, you won't regret it. read more

A lot of fun with our tour guide Diego. Great tour and awesome experience; Very lenient in accommodating to our wants. I'm sure he'll remember me if he sees this Yelp review because I'm the "Angel." Lo siento pero no tengo un Facebook (: read more

Eco Explorer - Jet skiing in the ocean - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

We did the snorkel adventure a few days after hurricane Lorena passed by. The crew was fantastic. I happened to get motion sickness from the choppy water once we got in (I anticipated this, but did not take nearly enough Dramamine). Our guide, Carlos, was wonderful. Not once making me feel uncomfortable. He pointed out multiple things to look at and was very kind. Would highly recommend this company for their knowledge and professionalism, as well as their kindness. :) read more

Carlos with Eco Explorer was the best guide ever. Our original tour was cancelled due to the hurricane but was rescheduled a couple days later. He was super engaging during the boat ride and was easy to follow in the water. My friend wasn't feeling well in the water so he stuck right with her making sure she was taken care of. I'll definitely use this company again! read more

We saw calf humpback whales literally jumping out of the water, dolphins playing and even a sea turtle! Cristina, our tour guide, found wonderful spots for observing the sea life in its natural habitat and did an excellent job educating us on the ways of the bay. Our party was only 4 tourists which made for a nice, personal experience. I'd love to try out some of their other experiences like snorkeling or visiting the Islas Marietas! read more

Nice people, great boat and amenities but not all information is available until you are at sea. The hidden beach is only available if tides and sea conditions are right, then you have to be a strong swimmer! You are only allowed 15 minutes to be there. Many other visitors have to get access, only 10 at a time. Food, entertainment and drinks were above average. I saw 5 humpback whales, dolphins and lots of birds. read more

Amazing experience! Highly recommend the Marieta island tour! The crew was beyond amazing!

We went on the Jet Skiing Safari with Armando and had a wonderful time. At first we travelled a more coastal route, with Armando stopping to share some of the history of PV. Just south of Los Arcos, we snorkeled for a while. On the return trip, we cut across Banderas Bay at full throttle. So much fun! We highly recommend the trip! read more

Worst company you could possibly deal with! I highly recommend going with another company. We waited over two hours for our time slot and still no sign of of our tour starting. And we may or may not have our $435 refunded for the trip. Save your time and book with someone else. read more