Humpbacks in Banderas Bay, December to March · 4–6 hours · Departing from Marina Vallarta or Nuevo Vallarta
Every winter humpback whales migrate from Alaska and the Bering Sea to Banderas Bay to mate and calve. The bay is deep, warm and sheltered. The local whale-watching season runs from roughly December to March, with peak sightings in January and February.
On a private charter you are not on a schedule with fifty strangers. The captain works the northern half of the bay toward Punta de Mita and the Marietas, or south toward Los Arcos, following behaviour rather than a fixed route: a mother with a calf resting on the surface, competitive pods of males chasing a female, breaches and pectoral slaps. Bottlenose dolphins, mobula rays and giant manta rays are frequent bonus sightings.
The captain keeps a respectful distance, approaches in parallel and limits time with a single group. Undisturbed whales often remain visible at the surface for longer.
Board early — mornings usually have the flattest water and the most surface activity. Briefing on what to look for: blows, flukes and breaches.
Cruise the northern bay toward Punta de Mita and the Marietas, or south past Los Arcos, tracking blows. The captain keeps a respectful distance and lets the whales set the pace.
Once the whale time is done, anchor at a calm cove for a swim and snorkel — Los Arcos or Majahuitas, depending on where the day took you.
Cruise back with lunch on deck and a last scan of the horizon on the way in.
Strictly December through March — humpbacks are only in Banderas Bay in that window, with January and February the peak. Outside those months we will steer you toward a sunset, snorkeling or island-hopping charter instead of selling you a whale trip that cannot deliver.