An Australian sailor says he “didn’t think I’d make it” after being adrift with his dog in the Pacific for nearly three months, surviving on a diet of raw tuna and rainwater.

Sydney man Timothy Shaddock, 54, and rescue dog Bella have stepped onto dry land for the first time after they were found by a Mexican tuna boat.

The castaways had set sail from Mexico in April and were headed to French Polynesia. But their boat was crippled by bad weather weeks into the journey.

A storm damaged Mr Shaddock’s vessel and wiped out its electronics.

He said the last time he saw land was in early May, as he sailed out of the Sea of Cortez and into the Pacific Ocean.

There was a full moon.

After a visit from a doctor on board the Maria Delia Tuna, Mr Shaddock and Bella disembarked back in Mexico from the fishing boat that rescued them on Wednesday (Australian time).

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Mr Shaddock told a pack of waiting reporters in the city of Manzanillo that he was “grateful” to be alive and was “feeling all right”.

“I’m feeling a lot better than I was, I tell ya,” he said.

“To the captain and fishing company that saved my life, I’m just so grateful. I’m alive and I didn’t really think I’d make it.

He added that he and his “amazing” dog – a stray he had rescued in Mexico – were both doing well, and that he still loved the ocean.

Before they left the vessel, the crew posed for photos on board while holding Bella.

Tim Shaddock with crew of the Mexican tuna boat that rescued him. Photo: AAP

Mr Shaddock told the Nine network from the fishing boat that he and Bella had survived on raw fish and rain water.

The tuna boat spotted Mr Shaddock’s boat about 1930 kilometres from land, fleet operator Grupomar said.

It did not specify when the rescue occurred but said Mr Shaddock and his dog were in a “precarious” state when found, lacking provisions and shelter. The tuna boat’s crew gave the pair medical attention, food and hydration.

Antonio Suárez Gutiérrez, Grupomar’s founder and president, said he was proud of his boat’s captain, Oscar Meza Oregón, and crew, praising them for their humanity in saving the life of someone in trouble.

Mr Shaddock said he would return to Australia soon and was looking forward to seeing his family.

The moment of Tim Shaddock’s miraculous rescue. Photo: 9News screenshot

Mr Shaddock also spoke glowingly about his dog, pointing out that she was a hit with the fishing boat’s crew.

“Bella sort of found me in the middle of Mexico. She’s Mexican,” he said.

“She’s the spirit of the middle of the country and she wouldn’t let me go.

“I tried to find a home for her three times and she just kept following me onto the water. She’s a lot braver than I am, that’s for sure.”