Whale Watching and Snorkeling in Marietas Islands National Park

Best whale watching ever

We LOVED our tour today. I cannot believe how many whales we saw and so so close! Our guide Palms and captain Edgar were so nice and fun and got us so close! I would go again in a heartbeat!

Whales, fish galore and great service!

Palma our guide made sure each adventure was exciting, safe and memorable. Well equipped boat, easy transport provided from Sayulita and professional all the way. Loved the stories, extra cave experience, hidden beach and the whales and fish did not disappoint

Good vibes, good dives

The dive was great! The guys were great. water was nice. the guys on the boat were super helpful. The guide took pictures for free. Highly recommended

Great!

Excellent trip with Edgar, Carlos and Hector! Beautiful snorkeling trip on the islands and we saw a baby Humpback whale with her mum and a third mature male on the way back, which the guide followed patiently for quite a while.

Amazing excursion for our family!

Hector, Carlos, and Edgar were amazing hosts and guides for our tour to Marietas National Park. We were a family group of 10 ranging in age from 1 to 68 and they patiently accommodated everyone. We saw lots of whales and even some dolphins. The snorkeling excursion was more fun than we expected and we got lots of wonderful photos of family time together. Both grandkids fell asleep on the boat ride back. They and their parents also stayed on the boat while we snorkeled. The dinner at the end was delicious! Much better than expected. The margaritas were great! Absolutely book this trip!

Amazing!

Went on a girls trip! Manuel and Edgar were in charge of our boat! They did an amazing job getting us to see the whales and amazing snorkeling views! We even saw a Pacific manta ray. Roberta was great too, organizing us! What a wonderful experience!

The Best Dive Group in Sayulitas

Sayulitas Entourage is a great outfit and well worth booking a trip. Manuel is a fantastic Dive Master and Edgar a great Captain. They found the whales and great dive spots. 8 people on the boat is a perfect number and we had a blast. We are from Florida and NJ and dive the Caribbean these guys are top notch !!

Snorkeling trip

5 of us took the afternoon snorkeling tour of the national park. The whales were everywhere on the way to and from. The snorkeling was incredible as was the hidden beach. We had the whole place to ourselves. Highly recommend the afternoon but bring your Dramamine if you get sea sick.

Fantastic experience!

Took my 11-year-old on this fantastic half-day excursion. From booking it to the restaurant service at the end, everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. We loved being able to experience everything in a small group. Palma and Edgar were super courteous, knowledgeable and funny. We had the best time watching some whales and colorful fish - we even saw a ray! Time flew by and the lunch afterwards was a nice touch, because we were starving after all the snorkeling. Fantastic experience, highly recommend and would do it again!

Great Tour!

Great tour with Palma as guide and Cesar driving the boat. Palma was a great source of whale, dolphin, bird information and just a super nice guy all around! The Sayulita Entourage office and staff was very friendly and professional. Highly recommend!

Great small group trip to stunning islands with knowledgeable guide

Wonderful experience with Palma and Edgar on the boat, and excellent professional office staff. Very responsive and helpful. There are lots of party boats to choose from but if you want a great small group experience, this is it! Palma showed us the best spots to snorkel and we were thrilled to see many whales, manta rays, and other sea life. Great trip, highly recommended!

We’ll worth it - Smaller groups and great guides

Great experience - we had a solid 3 hours on the water with small mixed group of divers and snorkelers- this time is not whale season in July so we were snorkeling the Marietas. It’s a beautiful national preserve where they’ve taken care to manage the numbers and way people can be in the area. It’s where the hidden beach is and on our trip we could see into the entrance as we did not get the extra ~$100 pass to go inside. Yes the cave/beach looks beautiful but that’s a lot for 30 mins inside especially when the coast of the island we snorkeled around was teaming with marine life and also very beautiful. So many brightly colored fish of all sizes, schools of tiny fish whose encircling near you is magical and we managed to see many octopus and a few Moray eels. Mexican guide had dry sense of humor and guided around the rocky coastal shelves on the edge of the island with good eye for what to see, and good knowledge of the nature. Birds interesting too, they all wore either green, red or yellow shoes, how do they get them on? We saw other much bigger boats come by and drop off much bigger parties which did not look as personal an experience as we got. Price included modest lunch back in Sayulita which was fine. Wear tons of sun lotion on your back!

Amazing Wildlife and Guides!

We had an amazing time on this tour! We saw whales, a manta ray, blue footed boobies, and all kinds of sea life. The Marietas Islands are beautiful and Manuel and Edgar were amazing hosts who clearly love what they do and are very knowledgeable! I’d highly recommend going on this tour! One word of caution: My partner got *very* sick the evening after this tour and the ONLY thing that we ate differently on this day and the days leading up to it were the veggies on the tacos at lunch - he ate them and I didn’t. It’s absolutely possible that it was something else that made him sick but I do think it is worth mentioning. As with anywhere in Mexico, be mindful of what you eat! Having said that, I still wholeheartedly recommend this tour if you want to see the Marietas Islands and all the cool wildlife that live there!

Worth the trip!

Wonderful experience from check in to the crew on the boat. We were lucky & saw some whales plus dolphins. Got to tour around the Marietas Islands. Small group (8 total) on the boat. Highly recommend. Lunch was also very good.

Amazing!

Great tour! Very informative guides who were personable, knowledgeable and funny. Highlight of the tour were the Humpback whales (Mothers and Babies) - saw SO many of them. They all put on a show for us. Water was murky when we snorkelled, so not as much to see as I had hoped. Overall, amazing day!

A great trip

Very worthwhile and value trip: both our guide, Reggie and skipper, Jose were excellent. We saw multiple whales and had good snorkelling

Whale watching around Marietas

Water was choppy so the group decided to skip snorkeling and do more whale watching. Saw lots of breaching whales in Bahia Banderos. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining.

Outstanding Experience

We appreciated the crew's advocacy around safety, adventure, and enjoying the Marietas Islands. This was worth the visit, we saw many whales, octopuses, over 20 species of fish while snorkeling. It was well worth it!

Great experience!

Edgar and Manuel were very friendly and explained with much detail about the whales, the birds and fishes of the islands. We were lucky to observed the whales jumping and hiting the tails on the water. It was spectacular.

An Amazing and Unforgettable Experience!

We had an amazing time on this trip! Communication was prompt, and meeting up was very smooth. Manuel and Edgar were the best tour guides! They were very attentive and helpful in making sure we all felt safe and had the best time. They were also very knowledgeable of the area, and we learned so much about the islands and the bay. Not to mention, we saw so many whales, dolphins, birds, and even a sea lion! I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the Banderas Bay area. Thank you so much for the truly unforgettable experience!

Can't wait to come back!

Stephane and Roberta are genuinely down to earth and excellent people, and it shows in their business! Everything about the tour was great. Very well organized, simple and easy! They gave me lots of local knowledge for the rest of my trip. Thank you so much guys! - Robbie

Highlight of our trip!

Trip of a lifetime. Loved the small group atmosphere. As a single mom traveling with two kids (8/10years old)... they had an excellent experience and Manuel helped a bit when we were out snorkeling. Totally worth the $$$. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Great tour and lucky to see some whales as well!

Our tour guide was knowledgeable and made the excursion a lot of fun, the beach time was fun and the snorkeling was enjoyable. We saw a pod of humpback whales a cow and her calf, what an amazing experience.

An experience of a lifetime

Manuel and Edgar were wonderful hosts. Even though it is late in the season they found several pods of whales. The snorkeling was scary for some in our group but Manuel took care of us, towing one of our group and making sure we all were safe and happy. At all times we felt safe and happy. Well worth the money!

Amazing Staff!!!!

I would like to highly recommend these guys! Your safety matters first and foremost to them!! At all times they made sure you were safe getting in and out of the boat, while in the water, and on land. It was their main priority other than making sure you had a fantastic time. Very professional, courteous, and caring!! Infinity stars! Five is just not enough...

Great day on the water.

Saw lots of whales and enjoyed the tour of the islands. The snorkeling was ok, visibility was not good.

Whale watching

Family of three enjoyed a good day on the water which included spotting whales, bird watching, and snorkeling. Captain and first mate/guide were both very professional and made the trip fun. Just as we were getting ready to return to marina we had a close view of a large whale coming completely out of the water. Special memory.

Bucket List activity crossed off!!!!!

Jamie, Egdar and........erm, oh damn what was his name, regardless of all that, I cannot rate this team highly enough - the experience and knowledge for what they offer you is immense. Well worth the money and the experience. We were part of a large group, so split up into smaller groups, our boat was of just 5 of us, and with 3 crew. Well, needless to say, we did things our way and not the structured tour, so had plenty of fun and adventure. Plenty of Whale Watching, together with the Dolphins and Manta Rays, this was the ultimate experience - not to be missed!!!!

Fabulous trip!

Our guide Manuel and our driver Edgar made our whale watching and snorkeling trip a huge success and a memory I’ll treasure forever! It was well organized, easy to navigate, so much fun, and we learned so much!

Wow! Fun, educational...great value!

My mother & I did this tour today & we had a blast! Our group was small & intimate (just four of us total). Our meeting point was in Sayulita, and we were driven by taxi to Punta de Mita, a high-end community about 20 minutes away. There, we were greeted by a guide who was soo passionate about the Marietas Islands, sustainability & showing us a good time. We saw TONS of whales & snorkeled in a spot ("that was the best," as our guide put it) around the Marietas islands because it was "less murky" & away from the other tours. It was fabulous! Lots of rules/regulations in place (for good reasons) to protect the region's ecosystems (ie: a limited amount of tours can go there per day & there's time limits when visiting beaches). We didn't do the famous Hidden Beach (too pricey & they don't allow people age 60+), but there's other beaches on the islands (ie: Cactus Beach) that have caves & make for equally fantastic Instagram photos (this tour goes there!). After an awesome afternoon, our boat returned to the dock where our taxi back to Sayulita was waiting for us. When we returned to town, we were dropped off at a charming restaurant where we treated to fish tacos & Pacifico beer (all included in the tour!) Professional, experienced, fun, & GREAT value! Would do it all over again tomorrow.

Awesome whale watching, snorkeling & birding excursion

We had a great half day on the water, and out of the three ocean excursions we did during our stay in the area, this was by far the best. We got to see humpback whales up close doing mating rituals including jumping & flipping in the air and splashing their tails on the water. The snorkeling was beautiful; we saw so many different fish that you would ordinarily only see in an aquarium. And seeing rare blue-footed boobies was neat too. Our group of six were the only ones on the boat, so they let us decide how much time we wanted to spend doing each activity, which was great.

Anticlimactic

The tour operators were nice, but the tour itself wasn't much different than the half dozen other operators doing the same thing. Seemed over priced for the experience and the lunch was cheap. Felt like a tourist trap. If you have no problem shelling out the money, go for it.

So good.

This tour was exactly as advertised and so much fun. The people who run/guide the tour LOVE what they're doing and it really shows. Jamie is such a lovely warm host with a lot of knowledge and the crew especially (do not remember our snorkelling guide's name, so sorry my bad) who led us for snorkeling was super friendly. We saw a sea turtle and so many beautiful tropical fish while snorkeling. Afterwards a stop on the most beautiful beach and then whale watching where we saw a few of them UP CLOSE and it was bananas!! I may go again before my time here is up! Thx everyone.

Mrs

Loved the trip. We were able to see many whales. Definitely the highlight of our trip. Roberta and Estefan were very good helping us coordinate our trip. Alexis was an excellent tour guide, very knowledgeable and conscientious. Picudo, the driver was also very good. I would definitely hire their services again.

Fantastic Day

Full of surprises and fun. Really my kids and I enjoy exciting day. The crew so kind and experienced. Thank you so much & congratulations for amazing job.

A great way to explore Mexico!

This was probably the highlight of our trip. We were on the 1:30pm tour and we finished around 6:30pm. There were eight of us on the boat (not including the guide and the captain) so it felt much more intimate, which was a preference of mine. Our guide out on the ocean was Manuel - he was hilarious, knowledgeable and entertaining! They organized transportation to and from the docks as well as lunch, all we had to do was show up to Sayulita Entourage! Spent the first hour watching whales, learning about the islands and the surrounding nature. We then spent a good amount of time exploring the oceans and snorkeling. Thankfully it was a hot day so we weren't too cold. Afterwards we were given the option to go on an island Beach or continue whale watching. Amazing tour with an amazing group. Would highly recommend!

Excellent Experience

We had a fantastic time on this trip. The group we were with was great and both guides were knowledgeable and fun. The islands were beautiful and we enjoyed the snorkeling as well as some whale-watching on the way there. This is not a big boat, so it made the experience feel a lot more personal. Would definitely recommend!

Super day!

Terrific experience...Booking, transportation, and guides! Saw lots of whales and the description of the island was very interesting - good snorkeling too.

Absolutely Awesome Boat Trip

From the booking experience to the end of the trip everything was excellent. The communications with Sayulita Entourage prior to the trip was filled with details and helpful hints. When we arrived at their office we had a few hours before we left for the boat trip and were able to leave our bags in the office so we could walk through the beautiful town of Sayulita. We transported to the boat where we met our charming captain and his mate. We saw many whales and were totally blown away by the natural beauty of the Marietas Islands and the blue footed Boobies. Our captain was filled with information - kept his eye open for whales and detoured constantly so we could get close to these magnificent creatures. It was very obvious that this young captain loved his job and was in awe with the natural wonder of the Islands.

Amazing.!!

FUN FUN FUN.!!! Great Guides, saw many whales as they jumped & waved to us.. The ride back to shore was awesome.!! They played fun music that got everyone up & dancing & singing.! Made new friends on this wonderful tour..

Fantastic day with whales, dolphins and snorkelling with amazing fish

I have been whale watching with Stephan a few times over the years, and he always delivers a fantastic and professional service - the boat only holds up to 8 people so we all get a good clear view of whales, and the 3 man team taking care of us gives a very personal service (made up of the boat pilot, the snorkelling guide and Stephan (who speaks spanish, french and english fluently) to tell us about the area and wildlife). They are all extremely knowledgable and respectful of the wildlife. Roberta who organises the trips in the office is really friendly, speaks fluent english, spanish and italian and got back to my message requesting a trip almost immediately giving me various dates, and availability. We saw whales, dolphins and the snorkelling was amazing. I definitely recommend this outfit, I have always had a great time with them.

Boat capsized-had too many people in it!!

The whole trip was pretty good except when our dingy boat capsized because there were too many people in it, rough waters, waves!! We did see whales and dolphins on our trip back though, which was amazing!

Whales and Fish and Birds

Booking was friendly and painless. Roberta and Stephane were great hosts as well as our Capitan Eduardo and swim guide Luis. Couldn’t have asked for more whales, blue footed boobies or fish. It was all there. Easy transportation from Sayulita and back and then lunch with our new friends. I would book with them again.

Excelente

Gente súper agradable en el viaje, excelente servicio por parte de todos y todo muy bien , muy puntuales con los tiempos.

Buena

Un poco rápido , comentario que habría algun snack y bebidas y no ofrecieron algo así. Y pues lo de avistamiento de ballenas depende más del guía y la disposición para ir hacia dónde están.

Imperdível!!

Fizemos o passeio de avistamento de baleias na Bahia de Banderas, e snorkel nas Islas Marietas. O guia Miguel e o marinheiro nos levaram em uma experiência única, maravilhosa... Pudemos ver muitas baleias jubarte saltando com seus filhotes, e golfinhos nadando juntos! Demos uma volta às ilhas, observando algumas das aves migratórias e as grutas e formações do lugar. Depois descemos para o snorkelling guiado, pudemos ver sargentinhos, cirurgiões, peixes anjo, cação viola, moreia... e na volta, mais baleias! O dia foi perfeito. O barco é novo e confortável, e a navegação foi tranquila.