Catamaran with Dolphins and Snorkelling from Puerto Rico: What You Get for €38
Updated October 1, 2026 · 8 min read
The short answer: the Catamaran Dolphin Watch Cruise with Snorkeling from Puerto Rico costs €38 per person, lasts three and a half hours and has 4.4 stars from 5,820 reviews — more than any other offer on the island. For one euro more than the plain watching trip, you get an extra hour on the water, a swim stop of 30 to 45 minutes and a snorkel mask. What you don’t get is a free repeat trip if no animal turns up — the neighbours offer that. Anyone who needs a German-speaking crew should take the 2.5-hour trip at €37; anyone who wants a quiet, small group should take the eco boat at €85.
See availability and prices for the catamaran trip
Of the 247 experiences compared here, none has as many reviews as this catamaran trip: 5,820, averaging 4.4 stars. It costs €38 per person, lasts three and a half hours and departs from Puerto Rico. Who’s actually behind it, the title doesn’t say. The booking page names Líneas Blue Bird as the operator — the same shipping line that also runs the glass-bottom scheduled boats between Arguineguín, Anfi del Mar, Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán.
That says something about the scale. According to its own fleet list, Blue Bird has three catamarans with 247, 250 and 350 seats. Which of these sails on the dolphin trip is stated nowhere, but a small boat it is not, in any case. Anyone looking for a quiet trip in a small group will find one further down among the neighbours.
The five trips compared
| Offer | Duration | From | Rating | best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catamaran Dolphin Watch Cruise with Snorkeling | 3h 30m | €38 | 4.4 (5,820) | anyone who wants a search cruise and a swim stop in one |
| Dolphin and Whale Watching Cruise | 2h 30m | €37 | 4.2 (3,079) | German-speaking crew, voucher if nothing is sighted |
| Dolphin Watching Cruise from Puerto Rico | 2h 30m | €40 | 4.3 (2,690) | large glass bottom, toilets, free repeat trip if nothing is sighted |
| Two-Hour Dolphin Catamaran Excursion | 2 hours | €30 | 4.0 (256) | the cheapest trip, with pickup in the south |
| Dolphin Watching Eco Boat Tour in Small Groups | 3 hours | €85 | 4.7 (37) | small group, marine biologist on board |
What happens in the three and a half hours
The meeting point is the harbour Puerto Base in Puerto Rico. The booking page only says to look out there for the “local partner” — so follow the details in your booking confirmation. Anyone who adds the bus is picked up in the south; for the return, the booking page lists 38 stops from Bahía Feliz to Taurito. The itinerary allows one hour for the journey to the harbour, and after the tour the bus waits at the harbour again. The version without the bus is cheaper, according to the operator; which price applies to which version only shows up in the availability check.
On the water, the time breaks down like this, according to the itinerary: around two hours of searching, then the swim stop, and finally a half-hour return journey. During the search you can stay on deck or look into the water below deck through large glass panels. As the location for the stop, the itinerary names Taurito, between Puerto Rico and Puerto de Mogán. According to the description, you’re in the water for 30 to 45 minutes. You can swim, snorkel, or go into the sea down the boat’s slide.
One sentence in the description is easy to overlook: because whale watching is the actual purpose, the swim stop can end up shorter if the search takes longer. Anyone who mainly wants to snorkel is better served by one of the snorkelling trips.
Included are the use of a snorkel mask as well as soft drinks and water, and that’s during the swim stop according to the list of inclusions, not for the whole trip. Fins aren’t mentioned. Food and alcoholic drinks aren’t included; bring your own towel and sun protection.
Which animals live off this coast
Off the south and south-west coast lies the Franja marina de Mogán marine protected area, just under 30,000 hectares and part of the European Natura 2000 protected-area network since September 2011. Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition describes it as an important feeding and seasonal resting ground for several whale species, citing as examples the common bottlenose dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, common dolphin, Risso’s dolphin and fin whale, along with the loggerhead turtle and green turtle. Of the common bottlenose dolphin it notes that it lives year-round in small groups in Canary waters.
According to the booking page, Blue Bird looks out for dolphins, pilot whales, minke whales and other species. In the most recent reviews, alongside dolphins, flying fish keep coming up, and occasionally turtles. There’s no guarantee: sightings, it says under the notices, cannot be guaranteed. Unlike several neighbours, Blue Bird’s booking page doesn’t offer a free repeat trip if nothing turns up. That’s the most important difference, and it’s in no title.
Why the boat doesn’t come closer
Anyone expecting dolphins right at the hull should know the Canary rule. The Decreto 178/2000 of the Canary Islands Government treats it as disturbing the animals to approach a whale or dolphin closer than 60 metres, to swim or dive within 500 metres, or to stay closer than 100 metres to a group for longer than 30 minutes. If dolphins accompany the boat at less than 60 metres, it may neither change course nor accelerate. Getting into the water with the animals is therefore ruled out. Swimming happens at the swim stop.
Under the same decree, licensed whale-watching boats must visibly fly a flag: canary yellow, 80 by 50 centimetres, marked “Barco Azul/Blue Boat” and the period of the permit. That applies to this tour just as it does to all other dolphin and whale trips on the island.
Swell and seasickness
Blue Bird itself lists people who get seasick easily as “not suitable”, alongside pregnant women and wheelchair users. The rocking isn’t only while under way. The neighbouring operator Spirit of the Sea states explicitly that its boat can also move while stopped for whale watching. Blue Bird makes the point that catamarans sit more stable than single-hulled boats, but even a catamaran doesn’t sit entirely still in the open Atlantic.
What helps without medication, from a seat amidships to keeping your eyes on the horizon, is covered in Boat Trip with Kids: What’s the Minimum Age?. Whether and which remedy is right for you is something to clarify at the pharmacy or with a doctor, ideally before the holiday. If the availability check shows several departure times, the same article’s advice applies: choose the earlier one.
What to check before booking
Whether there’s a toilet on board and enough shade for everyone isn’t stated on the booking page. Over three and a half hours, neither is a minor point, so ask. According to the booking page, the crew on board speaks English and Spanish; German isn’t mentioned. For wheelchair users, the tour isn’t suitable according to the operator, with non-folding and electric wheelchairs explicitly excluded. Anyone travelling with reduced mobility should get the conditions confirmed beforehand.
The description doesn’t state a minimum age. Operators set different limits — it’s stated on the respective booking page, and where it isn’t, ask before booking. What generally works well with children on the island is covered in Gran Canaria with Kids. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours in advance.
The neighbours, and what they do differently
Most dolphin boats in this comparison depart from Puerto Rico. What sets them apart rarely appears in the title:
- Dolphin and Whale Watching Cruise, €37, 2.5 hours (4.2 stars, operator Líneas Salmón): an hour shorter, the description doesn’t mention a swim stop, and drinks are only available for payment at the on-board bar. In return, the booking page lists German as the crew’s language and a voucher for a new trip if no animals are seen.
- Dolphin Watching Cruise from Puerto Rico, €40, 2.5 hours (4.3 stars, Spirit of the Sea): a boat with a large glass bottom for 97 guests, soft drinks throughout the whole trip, and according to the operator with toilets and accessible for people with reduced mobility. Without a sighting there’s a free repeat trip, valid for one year. The description doesn’t mention a swim stop.
- Two-Hour Dolphin Catamaran Excursion, €30 (4.0 stars): the cheapest dolphin trip in this comparison, with pickup in the south and one soft drink. Here too there’s a new ticket if neither dolphins nor whales turn up.
- Dolphin Safari and a Swim, €40, 3 hours (4.3 stars, only 120 reviews so far): comes closest to this tour, with a search, a bay and a free repeat trip without a sighting. It doesn’t run on Sundays, and according to the description you can bring your own mask.
- Catamarans with food, €77 and €84, 4.5 hours each (4.6 and 4.8 stars): swim days on the water, and the descriptions don’t mention dolphins. Afrikat pours unlimited beer, sangria and soft drinks. The morning luxury catamaran takes at most 20 guests, anchors in the bays of El Perchel and Tasarte, and carries SUP boards and kayaks on board. More under Catamaran Trips.
- Dolphin Watching Eco Boat Tour in Small Groups, €85, 3 hours (4.7 stars): doesn’t depart from Puerto Rico but from Pasito Blanco, between Arguineguín and Meloneras. The hybrid boat runs on two electric motors, a marine biologist is on board, and according to the description there are at most eight guests.
The maths on this tour are simple, then. For one euro more than the plain watching trip, you get an extra hour on the water, the swim stop and a mask thrown in. In exchange, you give up the free repeat trip without a sighting and a German-speaking crew.
See availability and prices for the 2.5-hour trip with a German-speaking crew
Who it’s not for
Anyone who gets seasick quickly, is pregnant or uses a wheelchair is advised against it by the operator itself. Anyone who’s set on seeing dolphins and needs a second chance for that should take one of the trips with a free repeat. And anyone who’d rather stay dry while looking beneath the surface should take the submarine in Puerto de Mogán: also €38, but back after 40 minutes. Which spot in the south has the shortest route to the harbour is covered in What to See in South Gran Canaria.
Our recommendation
For most people: the Catamaran Dolphin Watch Cruise with Snorkeling at €38. Three and a half hours, a swim stop of 30 to 45 minutes, mask included, 4.4 stars from 5,820 reviews — no other offer on the island has been reviewed as often. The price for that number is a big boat: Blue Bird’s catamarans have 247, 250 and 350 seats.
If the dolphins are the reason: take a trip with a free repeat or a voucher if nothing is sighted, because this one has none. The trip at €37 is the closest match and also lists German as the crew’s language — in exchange, 2.5 hours instead of 3.5 and no swim stop.
For a small budget: the two-hour dolphin catamaran at €30, with pickup in the south and one soft drink. 4.0 stars from 256 reviews are the weakest figure in this selection.
For anyone who wants calm and a small group: the eco boat at €85 from Pasito Blanco — at most eight guests according to the description, two electric motors, a marine biologist on board, 4.7 stars. That’s more than double the price and, with 37 reviews, a thinner basis.
For anyone none of these suit: anyone who gets seasick easily, is pregnant, or uses a non-folding or electric wheelchair isn’t right for this tour, according to the operator. And anyone who mainly wants to snorkel should book a real snorkelling trip — here, the swim stop can end up shorter if the search for the animals takes longer.
