As a AAA/CAA inspector, one of my duties is to evaluate attractions to potentially recommend to members. This year I was asked to check out a whale watching tour while working down in
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I must admit I have never been 100% comfortable on small boats in the huge ocean so as I enter the marina to leave on the trip I’m apprehensive.
Not a cloud in the sky, and hot. I’m thinking I’m going to cook on a boat out on the ocean in the blazing sun and all I can think of is the dozens of “booze cruise” boats I have seen where comfort isn’t the main concern of the operators.
We wait in a covered area on shore and Oscar Frey arrives. He introduces himself as an oceanologist who operates
Ocean Friendly Tours and right away I can tell that whales are his passion. He explains in detail about the area and its seasonal resident humpback whale population. Puerto Vallarta is located on Banderis Bay, a hospitable environment for a variety of whales and dolphins in the winter months (Tours are offered during the official whale watching season November-April).
His enthusiasm makes our group, 10 in total, eager to get on the boat. After a quick washroom break we board a well-equipped boat with a sun shade cover. What a relief. A staff of two others are already on board and we set off on the four-hour tour.
After only about twenty minutes Oscar spots the first pair of humpbacks, a mother and cow. His knowledge of their anticipated actions keeps us right beside the whales and I notice other boats coming up to see what Oscar has spotted (and then circle around without a clue of where the whales will appear next). I’m glad that I’m with someone who knows what the whales are all about. Oscar tells us about their habits, what actions we can expect to see next, how to identify them, etc, all with humor and an obvious excitement that is contagious.
Off in the distance, we spot a huge humpback jumping out of the water, and we go in for a closer look. Oscar is as pumped as the rest of us and he has been doing this for decades. His love for whales obviously is as strong now as his first sighting as a child. Not only do we get up-close views of whale activity, but Oscar has equipment that allows us to hear the 'songs' that the whales are 'singing.' We see turtles that Oscar spots and a great time is had by all listening to Oscar tell us of past adventures with jokes that crack the group up.
His passion makes the whole whale watching experience so exciting that I don’t want to go back to shore, but after a supplied lunch we head back. What a day! I obviously loved his passion for whales and caught a healthy dose myself. If you are looking for a great learning experience with a whole lot of fun added, this is the trip for you. This is not one of the “green masked” booze cruises that are prevalent in P.V. Oscar is the real deal. I can’t wait to do it again.
