Private Whale Watching Tour at the Pearl Islands departing from Panama City
5
Private Whale Watching Tour at the Pearl Islands departing from Panama City
By Gem Charters - Day Tours
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-95
Duration: 8h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English, Spanish
More
- Beverages (bottled water, juices, Gatorade, beers)
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Use of snorkeling and professional fishing gear
- Certified and bilingual captain/guide and deckhand
- Restroom on board
- Passenger's insurance
What's not included- Hotel pickup and dropoff
- Lunch
- Start:
- Panama Sign, Isla Flamenco, WF6H+HMR, Panamá, PanamaFlamenco Marina, at the Panama sign
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 14252P8- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Dress code is smart casual
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- A minimum of 4 people per booking is required
- Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Most travellers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 14252P8
From
AU$1,055.19
per adult (price varies by group size)
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- Isla Flamenco, WF6H+HMR, Panamá, PanamaFlamenco Marina, at the Panama sign
- 1Our 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).
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- A7794EAallenc0 contributionsDon’t TrustOur trip started great. Some heckling by guide in context of my fishing experience (which he didn’t know) but I excuse that to just guy talk. We caught a few fish, which I’m grateful for. Beautiful views. Nice boat. We were prepared a bowl of mahi mahi for lunch. Cereal sized bowl with lime as condiment. Fresh fish was good but very small amount. Rest of my mahi mahi was put back in cooler. When we finished trip, we asked about fish and they said “oh we give to the dock guys”. Mind you, before trip I tipped 100 dollars, because I to am a guide on my families ranch for hunting. I know what being a guide takes and service that should be provided. I tipped additional $75 upon pulling up to dock before I asked about fish being cleaned and taken. Once they had that second tip I felt like they wanted us off that boat asap. So I guess I paid $700 for a bowl of mahi. I guess were just cheap half day clients….Written 3 October 2024
- mabelcE3309OQ0 contributionsBest fishing and whale watching tripBest trip in panama with the family We had an amazing day on the Water Very recommended for fishing and whale watching top topWritten 10 September 2024
- Casey K0 contributionsExperience of a LifetimeWhat an incredible experience! Moises and Alfredo did an amazing job of checking all of the items off our bucket list. They were engaged the entire time, offering to take pictures and hand us drinks. We got to swim off private islands, whale watch, and fish. They even grilled the mahi for us right on the boat-delicious! I would highly recommend this charter.Written 5 September 2024
- davemZ3136MJ0 contributionsAbsolutely awsome really cool I would advise everyone to goAbsolutely amazing really cool experience speciol shout out to Moises and the driver for never losing his balance even when taking a leakWritten 27 August 2024
- Elchay0 contributionsMust do in Panama.Excellent service and very polite guides. We had a great half day trip to Tobago island. With delicious bbq by the staff. I would highly recommend.Written 21 August 2024
- F7257MWnathanc0 contributionsBest fishing in PanamaThis trip Is amazing. We had an excelent time and spectacular fishing. Thanks to Oscar and Joel for the great Job. Best fishing in Panamá.Written 14 August 2024
- A8942AEmatthewf0 contributionsBest Day CharterCaptain Miguel and Oscar were amazing! We were 2 families traveling together with kids - a group of 11 - and we had the best time! They were friendly and attentive and easy going and so much fun! Highly recommend this EXPIRIENCE!!Written 14 August 2024
- F7257MWnathanc0 contributionsFishing and whalesWow i loved it!! Big day with the family! We went fishing and we even saw a whale! Unforgetable experience perfect for adventure families couples and friends!!Written 12 August 2024
- TrailBlazer7346960 contributionsFishing and whale watchingIncredible day with my family in Taboga island. We were a family of 7 with 2 babies of 3 and 6 months and felt safe the entire time. After only one hour fishing we catch an amazing 200lb sailfish and after a couple more hours a Spanish mackerel. We were also lucky enough to see whales and dolphins. An experience we will never forget!!Written 12 August 2024
- 290samyk0 contributionsFishing and whalesBest experience in years! And we fished a big one!! Great for families and adventure friend and couples! For sure we are coming backWritten 12 August 2024
- cassiettam0 contributionsBest yacht rental!!It was a birthday surprise for my husband. Two families had a fantastic day on board the Viking due to the professional efforts of Jennifer at Gem charters. From my first inquiry to the day of our trip Jennifer was so helpful. Miguel and Pedro the captains were the best and made sure our families were comfortable informed and had a fun filled trip. We had a blast!!! Without any hesitation I highly recommend GEM chartersWritten 12 August 2024
- a_traveler10050 contributionsGreat family boat day in PanamaWe had such a great boat day with GEM Charters out to Taboga Island in April. We were a large group and the captain and crew were super easy to work with and the water sports were the icing on the cake. Would definitely use GEM charters again on our next trip to PanamaWritten 31 July 2024
- R7337TCninaf0 contributionsBest ride in Panama!The captain and his assistant were so courteous and helpful. We really enjoyed the views and the boat ride- it was so relaxing! The boat was super clean and looked even better in person! We hooked up our music to their bluetooth and we had a great time! we highly recommend Gem charters!Written 20 July 2024
- T B0 contributionsFind another charter company!Find another charter company. 1/2 day tour/fishing to Taboga Island. You don’t go anywhere near the island. Asked tour rep if we could walk around the island and she said “of course you can”. Not true. Terrible time.Written 19 July 2024
- wendyrQ7086PU0 contributionsA great, memorable experience!This tour was amazing! Miguel was fantastic! So energetic and knowledgeable! We saw so many beautiful sea life and animals! Beautiful, crystal clear water to swim in! Highly recommend!!!!Written 18 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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5.0
24 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Fred
1 contribution
Sept 2021
It was an amazing experience, from the front office to the photos sent after the trip, I can not say enough. Miquel and Pedro are consummate professionals that looked after my family as if it was their own and worked to exceed our expectations at every turn. My only problem now is when to book again.
Written 10 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Terry
Bloomington-Normal, IL2 contributions
June 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.
Written 5 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chris
Topeka, KS4 contributions
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!
Written 9 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
reyesdaza
Lima, Peru15 contributions
Oct 2019 • Friends
The tour was excellent, we wanted to see whales and do an island hoping plus fishing but we never expected to have everything in one day. It was amazing . Also we had a lot of dolphins around our boat, we had a wonderful day!!
Miguel our captain is an excellent driver and person, he and his helper have a very nice actitud and they make the more delicious bbq for us just in q couple of minutes.
Everything perfect!! đź‘Źđź‘Źđź‘Ź
Miguel our captain is an excellent driver and person, he and his helper have a very nice actitud and they make the more delicious bbq for us just in q couple of minutes.
Everything perfect!! đź‘Źđź‘Źđź‘Ź
Written 14 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bethanie
Panama City, Panama1 contribution
Sept 2023 • Family
This is our second time using Gem Charters and we could not be happier. They are very organized and communicative. The captain and first made were professional, friendly, and genuinely wanted us to have a great time. We will definitely use them again.
Written 11 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Its always a pleasure to have you on board.
Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to give us a review. It helps to spread the word about our services.
Hope to have you on board again!
Written 14 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jodi D
Winnipeg, Canada6 contributions
Oct 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!!
Written 27 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert A
Passaic, NJ2 contributions
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.
Written 22 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noel K
1 contribution
Aug 2022 • Family
It was beyond anything we ever expected from this tour. The islands, the whales , the food was an amazing experience- we would never forget.
Written 17 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FabrĂcio F
Campinas4 contributions
Jan 2022 • Friends
Amazing tour and very professional captain. The Pearl Islands is a place that you must visit. I really recommend it.
Written 25 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Moncho H
2 contributions
This is amazing! Thanks to the GEM team for making this day special! Beautiful day and outstanding crew. Congratulations and keep up the good work.
Written 17 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, I am considering booking a private whale watching tour for my family (parents and kids 4, 7 and 10). Can you tell me about your boat? Is PC to on your boat (not ferry, right?)?
Written 18 June 2019
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