Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Sept. 11, 2026 — Mexican Navy personnel met with local maritime and tourism operators Thursday to review distress communications, person-overboard recovery and dockside rescue procedures.
The Navy said the session was designed to protect people involved in Puerto Vallarta’s tourism, commercial and logistics activity.
The meeting included the 12th Naval Zone, Regional Port Captaincy, Naval Port Protection Unit and ENSAR Vallarta. Maritime and port operators also attended.
Emergency steps reviewed
Personnel from the Naval Search, Rescue and Maritime Surveillance Station, known as ENSAR, presented an emergency-response guide for local operators.
The maritime safety session covered preparations before departure, distress channels and the crew’s first actions during an emergency.
Instructors addressed how crews should deploy flotation devices and recover someone from the water. Response times were also part of the presentation.
Docking emergencies and rescues from a pier were included, according to the Navy statement distributed to local media.
We reviewed three local accounts of the session. Each confirmed the agencies involved and the subjects covered.
One account described practical demonstrations by Navy instructors. The Navy’s statement says ENSAR presented a guide but does not say whether participating operators performed the maneuvers.
The announcement described a coordination and training session. It did not identify the program as a certification course.
The Navy also did not provide an attendance count or identify the participating tourism companies.
Existing rules still govern tour boats
The announcement did not introduce a new passenger-safety rule or inspection program. The session focused on coordinating crew actions with the federal agencies that respond to emergencies.
Our review of Mexico’s navigation and maritime commerce regulations found that personnel operating smaller nautical-tourism and passenger vessels must carry a Class C maritime credential, known as a Libreta de Mar.
For small recreational vessels used commercially, the regulations give safety certificates a one-year validity period. Operators must also hold permits for passenger transportation or nautical-tourism services.
A separate federal equipment standard applies to specified Mexican vessels measuring up to 15 meters. It covers passenger and recreational boats using outboard motors or oars.
For covered vessels, the standard establishes minimum safety, communication and navigation equipment. Its requirements include life jackets for the authorized passenger count and a life ring with a 15-meter line.
The standard took effect 180 days after its April 19, 2024, publication. The Navy, port captains, and authorized maritime officers are responsible for verifying compliance.
The Regional Port Captaincy initiated Thursday’s meeting. A federal directory places its Puerto Vallarta office at the Maritime Terminal on Boulevard Francisco Medina Ascencio, kilometer 4.6.
Recent Vallarta incidents involved boats and docks
The training followed several maritime emergencies involving Puerto Vallarta passengers and boat crews, although the Navy did not connect Thursday’s session to a specific incident.
PVDN reported in July that a 60-year-old Guadalajara woman died after a small tourist boat overturned near Los Tules and Playa Holi.
The vessel was putting passengers ashore in Puerto Vallarta’s Hotel Zone when a wave struck it, according to municipal emergency reports.
On Aug. 18, ENSAR and Naval Hospital personnel conducted a separate search-and-rescue exercise off Olas Altas. The drill tested the transfer of a person recovered at sea to medical personnel waiting on shore.
ENSAR Vallarta also responds to vessels disabled farther from shore. In one case previously covered by PVDN, naval personnel returned nine people from a yacht stranded about eight nautical miles off Puerto Vallarta.
