SNORKELING TOURS

PUERTO VALLARTA SNORKELING FAQ's

Q: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A "BAY CRUISE" AND A "SNORKELING TOUR"?
A: Our snorkeling tours are purely for snorkeling.  You'll snorkel at the best spots, with the most amount of time in the water.  They are on smaller boats with less people than the bay cruises, and are the best option if you really want to snorkel, and don't care so much about partying on the boat or being on the beach.  A Bay Cruise is primarily a cruise, that also takes you snorkeling, as well as to great beaches, and often include lunch, open bar and on-board entertainment, just not as much focus on snorkeling as these snorkeling tours.

Q: WHAT IS THE WATER TEMPERATURE IN PUERTO VALLARTA?
A: During the summer and autumn months, the water is bathtub warm, approaching 85F.  During the winter and spring months, it cools down significantly, to about 75F, and in colder years, you sometimes find temperatures dipping into the mid-to-high 60s.  The water temps at areas like the Marietas Islands is normally a few degrees cooler than areas further inland like Majahuitas.  See Puerto Vallarta Water Temperatures for more details.

Q: WHAT IS THE VISIBILITY LIKE?
A: The best visibility is found during the summer months, when visibility can reach 100-130 feet.  During the winter months, you'll find it to be about 15-60 feet.

Q: ARE THERE FISH?
A: Yes, there are a lot of brightly colored tropical fish to be seen, especially at Los Arcos and the Marietas Islands. 

Q: I'VE ONLY BEEN SNORKELING IN THE CARIBBEAN.  IS PUERTO VALLARTA SIMILAR?
A: Well, no.  The Caribbean is a very special place with living soft coral reefs and dazzlingly blue water with incredible visibility, made that much brighter by the white sand underneath reflecting the sunlight.  Puerto Vallarta has no coral reefs, and the water is greenish instead of blue.  The visibility is affected at certain times of the year by runoff and plankton blooms, and the sand is golden rather than white.  That said, there is a lot of marine life to see here, and it is different species than the Caribbean.  Along with lots of brightly colored tropical fish, you may see manta rays, eagle rays, moray eels, seahorses, puffer fish, starfish, and if you're really lucky maybe even dolphins, seabirds, sea turtles, or whales.

Q: WHICH TOUR OFFERS THE BEST SNORKELING?
A: The Marietas Islands and Los Arcos are probably a little better for fish life, while Colomitos and Majahuitas offer different species, eels, and spotted eagle rays.

Q: WILL I GET SEASICK?
A: The water on the bay is generally very smooth and wonderful. However, if it is windy (not likely, but...), then you never know.  If you're worried about this, we recommend taking a seasickness prevention such as Bonine or 24-hour Less-drowsy Dramamine one hour before you go.  That should do the trick.

Q: DO THESE TOURS STOP ON A BEACH?
A: The Colomitos and Yelapa trips do.  For more beach options, check out our Bay Cruises.

Q: ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW?
A: On rare occasions, it may be necessary for your tour operator to switch snorkeling locations at the last minute due to issues with visibility, jellyfish or water conditions.  All tour operators in Puerto Vallarta reserve this right.  It is in the interest of providing you with the best and safest snorkeling experience given the conditions of the day.