Private Whale Watching Tour at the Pearl Islands departing from Panama City
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Between the months of June to November, the Pacific Coast of Panama is the scenario of one of the great wonders of nature: the migration of humpback whales in their path of more than 5,000 miles (8,000 km approx.) from both the Arctic and Antarctica, looking for warm waters to mate, calve and raise their young.
In this private boat tour, you'll depart from Panama City to the Pearl Islands archipelago (1 hour and a half travel distance). You will have the opportunity to not only watch the whales but to practice some fishing, snorkeling or simply hit several beaches and do island hopping in this spectacular paradise that is the archipelago. You'll be onboard our Proline 27', a powerboat that has a private enclosed bathroom, shade, a nice sofa with cushions in the bow with a secondary convertible shade, freshwater tank to rinse, professional marine stereo within other extras. Because of its size and maneuverability, it offers better chances to get close enough of the whales.
8 to 10 hrs
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Beverages (bottled water, juices, Gatorade, beers)
Certified and bilingual captain/guide and deckhand
Passenger's insurance
Restroom on board
Hotel pickup and dropoff
Lunch
- INFANT: : 0 - 3
- CHILD: : 4 - 11
- YOUTH: : 12 - 17
- ADULT: : 18 - 70
- SENIOR: : 71 - 95
- A minimum of 4 people per booking is required
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Dress code is smart casual
- Gear/equipment sanitised between use
- Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Temperature checks for travellers upon arrival
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
- A minimum of 4 people per booking is required
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Dress code is smart casual
- Gear/equipment sanitised between use
- Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Temperature checks for travellers upon arrival
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
What To Expect
While cruising towards the archipelago, you'll pass the Panama Canal's entrance, going under the magnificent bridge of the America's and passing next to the ship carriers while they are at the Panama Canal's anchorage waiting to pass from the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Pearl Islands
Our whale watching tour takes us to the Pearl Islands archipelago, the main nesting area for the humpback whales that visit the Panamanian Pacific. We will respectfully follow the whales we encounter, having care of not disturbing them. As the vessel is quite maneuverable, we can approach them a lot while still maintaining the correct distance. As this is a private charter, your group gets to decide how long would you like to see the wales. There's also the possibility of doing snorkeling, fishing (all equipment onboard) and of course some island hopping (the archipelago offers beautiful white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters).
8 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Ulasan
Do not think twice - just book and go! The best day of our whole trip!
Jodi D, 27-10-2022
This was an experience like no other we have ever had! Gem Charters was easy to deal with and had our best wishes in mind every step of the way.
We had originally booked a date early in our holiday. That particular date ended up being very very windy. We were picked up at our hotel and taken to the marina to chat with Eddie and Miguel were supposed to be our guide and captain that day. They explained that due to a storm that had come through the previous day, that the ocean was very rough, and even though it was still within safety limits, they recommended for our experience to reschedule. We took their advice and rescheduled for later in the week. We were shuttled back to our hotel.
On the day of our rescheduled tour, Eddie was not able to join us and Miguel. A lovely young man named Jose did instead. We were once again picked up and taken to the marina. We had arranged for a light breakfast to be served as part of our charter. We were able to make use of the stereo and enjoy the ride over to the Pearl Islands. Miguel shared some information about the ocean, the canal and his experiences along the way. He stopped at a drift line and dropped a couple of lines in the water while we made our way to the Pearl Islands. We didn't catch anything at the first stop, but at our second fishing stop, we most certainly did! We caught a 50lb Crevally Jack. Jose and Miguel both stated that it was very rare to see one that big and were also posing for pictures with the fish. Jose filleted it for us and we had some fresh sashimi as part of our bbq lunch. It was delicious!
We stopped at several sandbars/islands that were only visible at that time of day due to the tide being out. We were able to snorkel and walk on the sand bars. While snorkeling, we saw blue starfish, octupus, a sting ray, and tons of reef fish. The water was so warm and clear.
We stopped at another island where we were able to explore while Miguel and Jose bbq'd lunch for us. While we were having lunch, we were commenting that we hadn't yet seen a whale. We knew it was late in the migration, so it was a possibility that we wouldn't see one. At the same time we were commenting about the whales, Jose called out 'WHALE!!!' just in time for us all to see a juvenile humpback breach not far from where we were anchored. We watched the whale move off through the channel. The food served was fantastic and plentiful. The sashimi was spectacular! The remaining of the fish was taken home by our captain and mate making sure that the whole fish was going to be enjoyed. (50lbs is a lot of fish to eat!!)
On our traverse back, Miguel had to navigate between 2 different storm systems and choppy waters to make it back safely. I was super impressed with his skills and confidence. He communicated with us and warned us about our ride back being a little 'bouncy'. He was so good at knowing the waters and the skies that we managed to make our way through some scary looking skies without getting wet from the rain, and the ride was a lot of fun. We did choose to skip snorkel number 2 in order to get back before getting caught in the storms. I always felt safe and never doubted Miguel at all.
This was the highlight of our trip for sure! The scenery, the fun, the relaxation, the fishing and the tour was perfect! There were 3 of us on this charter... and worth every single penny!!
We had originally booked a date early in our holiday. That particular date ended up being very very windy. We were picked up at our hotel and taken to the marina to chat with Eddie and Miguel were supposed to be our guide and captain that day. They explained that due to a storm that had come through the previous day, that the ocean was very rough, and even though it was still within safety limits, they recommended for our experience to reschedule. We took their advice and rescheduled for later in the week. We were shuttled back to our hotel.
On the day of our rescheduled tour, Eddie was not able to join us and Miguel. A lovely young man named Jose did instead. We were once again picked up and taken to the marina. We had arranged for a light breakfast to be served as part of our charter. We were able to make use of the stereo and enjoy the ride over to the Pearl Islands. Miguel shared some information about the ocean, the canal and his experiences along the way. He stopped at a drift line and dropped a couple of lines in the water while we made our way to the Pearl Islands. We didn't catch anything at the first stop, but at our second fishing stop, we most certainly did! We caught a 50lb Crevally Jack. Jose and Miguel both stated that it was very rare to see one that big and were also posing for pictures with the fish. Jose filleted it for us and we had some fresh sashimi as part of our bbq lunch. It was delicious!
We stopped at several sandbars/islands that were only visible at that time of day due to the tide being out. We were able to snorkel and walk on the sand bars. While snorkeling, we saw blue starfish, octupus, a sting ray, and tons of reef fish. The water was so warm and clear.
We stopped at another island where we were able to explore while Miguel and Jose bbq'd lunch for us. While we were having lunch, we were commenting that we hadn't yet seen a whale. We knew it was late in the migration, so it was a possibility that we wouldn't see one. At the same time we were commenting about the whales, Jose called out 'WHALE!!!' just in time for us all to see a juvenile humpback breach not far from where we were anchored. We watched the whale move off through the channel. The food served was fantastic and plentiful. The sashimi was spectacular! The remaining of the fish was taken home by our captain and mate making sure that the whole fish was going to be enjoyed. (50lbs is a lot of fish to eat!!)
On our traverse back, Miguel had to navigate between 2 different storm systems and choppy waters to make it back safely. I was super impressed with his skills and confidence. He communicated with us and warned us about our ride back being a little 'bouncy'. He was so good at knowing the waters and the skies that we managed to make our way through some scary looking skies without getting wet from the rain, and the ride was a lot of fun. We did choose to skip snorkel number 2 in order to get back before getting caught in the storms. I always felt safe and never doubted Miguel at all.
This was the highlight of our trip for sure! The scenery, the fun, the relaxation, the fishing and the tour was perfect! There were 3 of us on this charter... and worth every single penny!!
Super! Fun! Trip!
robertaT207FM, 22-08-2022
What a great day! We saw whales and more whales, beautiful islands and had an amazing time.
Captain Miguel was knowledgeable and easy going.
Don’t forget to wear sunscreen. I did. It hurts.
Captain Miguel was knowledgeable and easy going.
Don’t forget to wear sunscreen. I did. It hurts.
Worth every penny
noelkT, 17-08-2022
It was beyond anything we ever expected from this tour. The islands, the whales , the food was an amazing experience- we would never forget.
Outstanding Experience
GrandTour04965309323, 09-08-2022
Miguel and Oscar were outstanding. They were great with the kids. Extremely knowledgeable and conversations were interesting and educational. Experienced hours of humpback whale watching & caught a tuna on the return. Would recommend this charter to anyone!
The Tour of a Lifetime
Voyage19915095563, 05-07-2022
This was the tour of a lifetime. Captain Miguel got us within a stone's throw of humpback whales and we spent nearly two hours watching them surface, play, even breach! Miguel was terrific and we opted for the cooked-on-board lunch. My son and I enjoyed every morsel. It was one of the most fun days of my life.
