Most Mazatlán Bay tours do the same thing: a quick partial tour of the coast, and then some time for fun on Deer Island. This one is different and highly recommended if you love bird watching, photography, geology, or just enjoy seeing how Mazatlán is growing—as viewed from the water.
We started in the marina on this really fun, colorful and very fast inflatable/panga hybrid. Went on the outside of all the islands all the way to Stone Island—so a complete bay tour. Stopped there for some snacks and soft drinks on board. Then came back close in along the coast, to head back out to pass the inside of the three main islands that we'd already seen from the west side. This resulted in a thorough 360 degree view of all the islands in our bay—more than ten.
It was a very wonderful morning. The guides are bilingual and friendly. The views are outstanding—rock formations, waves crashing, sea caves, wildlife galore, city views. We saw every kind of water bird included blue-footed boobies. Not the season for sea lions or whales when we went, but we had a pod of dolphins follow us around for 15-20 minutes, as well as some mantas.
Highly recommend. Note that if you're looking for water sports book a different tour; this is a boat tour only. Neither you nor your camera will get wet, but it can be a bumpy ride. Be careful if you have back issues.
