Puerto Vallarta Wildlife and it’s Geographical Setting
Puerto Vallarta boasts a diverse range of wildlife, including land and marine species. These include resident and migratory species that thrive in Banderas Bay due to its unique geographical location and hydrographic conditions.
Banderas Bay: A Natural Haven
Banderas Bay lies along the 20° latitude, positioned between the Tropics and Subtropics of the Mexican Pacific Coast. The interaction of the California and Costa Rica Currents shapes the hydrography of this region, creating ideal conditions for various wildlife.
The bay hosts a wide variety of species, including birds, mammals, fishes, amphibians, and reptiles. Its location and features make it one of the best places to whale watch in the world.
Geographical Features
Banderas Bay is North America’s second-largest and one of its deepest bays. It spans 42 km in width and covers a total area of 987 square kilometers.
Key geographical highlights include:
•The Continental Shelf: Widens in the north and narrows in the south.
•The Submarine Canyon: Extends westward, reaching depths of over 13,000 feet.
•River Systems: Rivers like the Ameca create transitional habitats with mangroves and coastal lagoons.
These features provide sheltered environments for Humpback Whales. They use the bay for resting, breeding, birthing, calving, and occasionally, opportunistic feeding. Approximately 4,000 Humpback Whales visit Banderas Bay between November and April each year.
For a responsible and educational whale-watching experience, join Ocean Friendly Tours, who since 1994 have become a highlight for nature lovers who visit Puerto Vallarta from many parts of the world.
Marine mammals
Humpback Whales are the main attraction during winter. However, the bay is also home to:
•Year-round residents: Bottlenose Dolphins, Pantropical Spotted Dolphins, and Rough-toothed Dolphins.
•Bryde’s Whales: Seen occasionally while feeding and calving.
•Killer Whales: Frequent visitors, preying on sea turtles, fish, and even Humpback Whales.
•False Killer Whales: Regularly spotted in pods of around 200 individuals during winter.
Blue Footed Bobby Bird (Sula nebouxii)
Diversity of Birds
Puerto Vallarta is a paradise for bird enthusiasts, hosting over 350 bird species. These range from colorful parrots and macaws to majestic raptors and pelagic birds.
Marietas Islands: A Birdwatcher’s Dream
The Marietas Islands National Park supports nearly 100 bird species, with 19 being permanent residents. The islands provide a habitat for both shore and offshore bird species.
Nearby, Los Arcos Islet serves as a nesting ground for several bird species, while further offshore, pelagic birds like Booby birds, Terns, and Red-billed Tropic birds can be spotted.
Nutrient Cycles and Ecosystem Impact
Bird guano on the Marietas Islands enriches the ocean during rainy seasons, stimulating algae blooms that fuel the marine food chain. This process supports coral reefs and larger fish populations, highlighting the ecological importance of these islands.
Bird Distribution
Marietas Islands hosts the higher abundance and variety of birds however some species take rest and nest on the Islet of Los Arcos, a smaller area close to the southeast coast inside the bay.
When you venture further offshore from Marietas Islands you’ll discover more pelagic birds and open water species. Ocean Friendly offers the Bird & Whale Watching tour to have the opportunity to see the Pelagic wildlife of Puerto Vallarta such as whales, oceanic dolphins, giant mantas, sea turtles and diversity of marine birds such as Booby birds, Terns, Frigate birds, Gulls, and even Red-billed Tropic birds.
Nutrient Cycles and Ecosystem Impact
Thanks to the presence of so many birds in Marietas Islands, during the dry season bird guano accumulates on land. During rainy conditions and hurricane season, nutrients from the guano enrich the ocean, stimulating micro algae blooms which in turn energize the food chain.
This process creates substantial feeding opportunities for coral reef community development. When coral reefs receive this natural fertilizer, they support larger reef fish populations. This demonstrates the crucial importance of Marietas Islands to Banderas Bay’s marine environment.
Land Bird Species
The Military Macaw (Ara militaris) stands out as the most attractive land species, showing its highest abundance between February and May each year, contrasting with lower activity during July and August.
Military Macaw (Ara militaris)
You might spot them flying high over Puerto Vallarta if you pay attention. They appear more commonly in the south area of Banderas Bay or near the mountains. During March 2013, researchers documented the highest concentration in the Yelapa region, where 215 macaws gathered in a colonial roost, forming the largest aggregation recorded in this area.
Birdwatching
One of the best ways to experience the birds of Puerto Vallarta is to take a guided birdwatching tour and look for every sighting you get on iNaturalist. Whether you are an experienced birdwatcher or an amateur, this website will help you identify any kind of wildlife you observe in the bay. Some of the most popular birdwatching and wildlife destinations in Puerto Vallarta include the El Salado Estuary, where you can spot more than 100 species like the Great Blue Heron and Roseate Spoonbill, and the Sierra Madre Mountains, where you can find the colorful Golden-cheeked Warbler and Tufted Flycatcher. Representative wildlife species in the area also include reptiles such as the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), the Green Iguana (Iguana iguana), and five species of marine turtles. The El Salado Estuary is an ideal location to observe crocodiles in their natural habitat.
Another popular hotspot is the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens, located 45 minutes away on a car ride from downtown heading South. Home to 20 acres of lush tropical gardens and 3,000 different plant species which are representative of the Puerto Vallarta Wildlife. This Botanical Garden stands as a testament to Mexico’s natural breathtaking beauty. This tropical oasis offers not only a break from the city but also a unique opportunity to familiarize with a wide variety of native plants, exotic flowers and birds, such as the San Blas Jays, Yellow-winged caciques, Woodpeckers, Military macaws, various species of Hummingbirds, and many other species of tropical birds.
Puerto Vallarta Wildlife Conservation Efforts
Conservation Organizations and Initiatives
Deep Blue Conservancy leads conservation efforts as a non-profit organization dedicated to marine life and ecosystem preservation. The organization focuses on using education and technology to protect our oceanic heritage for future generations.
They conduct responsible whale watching through educational, visual & acoustical approaches, providing respectful nature interactions while raising awareness among travelers. The organization collects fluke identification data and records whale vocalizations and songs for analysis. These activities occur in collaboration with Ocean Friendly Tours as a self-sustainable program to raise funds and gather data for conservation strategies. Their latest collaboration resulted in a bioacoustics project analyzing informational exchange among humpback whale populations throughout the North Pacific, published in Scientific Reports Journal in 2019.
Underwater Soundscapes & Songs of Humpback Whales recorded between 2008 and 2011
In addition to this study, Oscar Frey from Deep Blue Conservancy made a compilation of the best recordings and most representative Whale Songs from his archives with the purpose to share it with the general public and raise awareness of whale conservation. Download the Whale Songs Compilation under the title of ECHOENIA and Dive into the world of the humpback whales.
Other Conservation Efforts
Local Environmental Initiatives
The Salado Estuary dedicates its efforts to protecting wildlife and regenerating mangrove habitat near Puerto Vallarta’s harbor and marina. The restoration work has significantly benefited local wildlife.
GRIMMA, another non-profit organization, brings together professionals interested in marine mammal study and conservation. Most members come from the Institute of Technology and the University of Guadalajara.
Banderas Bay’s coastal waters serve as a crucial habitat for endangered oceanic manta rays. The Proyecto Manta Pacific Mexico team collaborates with local fishers to study the manta population and develop protection strategies. They emphasize sustainable tourism and protection of the Manta ray (Mobula birostris) through research, capacity building, citizen science and community engagement.
In Banderas Bay, manta rays face vulnerability to human impacts, including boat collisions and entanglement in fishing gear. The organization maintains close relationships with southern bay communities, involving fishermen and high school students in research fieldwork. They also support marine science and conservation events locally. This project aims to increase marine conservation knowledge, promote community-supported manta ray protection guidelines, and establish sustainable tourism activities through education and training.
Marine Life Protection Networks
RABEN specializes in freeing whales from fishing net entanglements in the Mexican Pacific. While entanglement in fishing nets threatens whales and other marine mammals worldwide, this organization participates in a network providing assistance to affected whales.
Supporting Conservation Through Tourism
When you support environmentally oriented tourism in Puerto Vallarta, you experience nature’s beauty while contributing to its preservation. This approach creates a win-win situation that allows you to connect with the environment while helping protect it for future generations.
FAQs About Puerto Vallarta Wildlife:
Are there jellyfish in Puerto Vallarta?
Yes, jellyfish visit the Mexican Pacific coast seasonally. While some jellyfish remain harmless, Banderas Bay houses two species that can harm humans, including the Portuguese Man o’ War (Physalia physalis).
If you spot a gelatinous blue bubble on the ocean surface or a blue blob on the beach, avoid it and stay alert for others. Their sting can cause severe pain, even when they appear dead on the beach.
Portuguese Man o´ War (Physalia physalis)
What predators are in Puerto Vallarta?
No predators in Puerto Vallarta hunt humans. However, you can observe wildlife predators like crocodiles in their natural habitat by taking a tour to The Salado Estuary and exploring Puerto Vallarta’s mangroves.
What are the best places for whale watching in the world?
The best places for whale watching in the world are listed and described in another of our articles within the blog at: best places for whale watching in the world.
Where to see wildlife in Puerto Vallarta?
Puerto Vallarta offers numerous wildlife viewing locations:
- The Cuale River downtown
- Mountain trails to the south
- Coastal lagoons in the north
- Marietas Islands offshore
You’ll find detailed information about these locations and observation methods in the Wildlife Conservation section abov
What animal is Puerto Vallarta known for?
The Sea Horse and Bottlenose Dolphin represent Puerto Vallarta’s iconic wildlife. These animals inspired the memorable bronze sculptures in the Malecon (downtown Puerto Vallarta oceanfront boardwalk). City officials relocated these sculptures 22 years ago after hurricane Kenna’s impact. Now they stand in the main heart of the Malecon in downtown Puerto Vallarta.
