Whale Watching Season in Cabo San Lucas: When and What You’ll See
Updated: 4 hours ago
Humpback whales spend the winter in Cabo San Lucas. They start arriving in December, they are everywhere from January to March, and by the end of April most of them have left for the north again.
If you are planning a trip and want to know which month to pick, what you are likely to see and how to do it without bothering the whales, this guide covers it. We wrote it from what we see on the water every winter on our whale watching tours in Cabo San Lucas.
When is Whale Watching Season in Cabo San Lucas?
Whale watching season in Cabo San Lucas runs from December to April. The official season, set by Mexico's environment ministry (SEMARNAT), goes from December 15 to April 15, and licensed boats can only run whale watching tours inside those dates.
The whales follow their own calendar, of course. A few humpbacks show up before the season opens and a few are still around in May, but that is not the season. We don't sell whale watching tours outside the official dates, because it is illegal.
From late spring to autumn the humpbacks are thousands of miles away, feeding in the North Pacific. That is why there is no whale watching in Cabo in summer.
Whale watching in Cabo month by month
December
The first humpbacks arrive and the season opens on December 15. There are fewer whales than later in the season, so you may spend more time searching, but you can already see breaches and tail slaps.
January to March
This is the peak of the season and the best time for whale watching in Cabo. There are more whales and they are more active at the surface: breaching, slapping their tails and fins, and groups of males chasing a female. It is also when the males sing the most. If your dates are flexible, pick these months.
Late March and April
Many of the adults start heading north, and the whales you see most are mothers with their calves, which stay a little longer while the calves grow strong enough for the trip. It is a calmer kind of whale watching, and a good one if you want to see a calf. Sightings thin out in April, and the season closes on April 15.
What is the best time of day for whale watching in Cabo?
Whales are active all day, so there is no wrong choice. What changes is the sea.
Morning tours usually have calmer water and softer light. It can feel cool on the boat, so bring a jacket. Afternoon tours are warmer and the light is great for photos, but the wind often picks up later in the day. If you get seasick easily, go in the morning.
Which whales can you see in Cabo San Lucas?
Humpback whales are the whales you will see on almost every trip. Adults are 40 to 52 ft long (12 to 16 m), and they are the most acrobatic of the big whales, which is why Cabo is such a good place to watch them.
You may come across other animals too, but think of them as a bonus, not a plan. Dolphins are the most likely. Sperm whales and orcas are rare, but not impossible: we go out looking for humpbacks, and the ocean decides the rest.
Two animals that people often expect to find in Cabo are actually somewhere else:
Gray whales do not gather in Cabo. They spend the winter in the lagoons of Magdalena Bay, on the Pacific side of the peninsula. If you want to see them up close, we run a day trip from Cabo to the gray whales in Puerto Chale.
Whale sharks are fish, not whales, and they are in La Paz, not Cabo. You can swim with them on our whale shark day trip to La Paz, starting in November.
Why do humpback whales come to Cabo?
They come to mate and to give birth. Humpbacks spend the summer feeding in the cold waters of the North Pacific, from California up to Alaska. In autumn they swim south, as far as 3,000 miles (5,000 km), to the warm, sheltered waters around Baja California Sur.
They barely eat while they are here. For months they live off the fat they built up in summer, while the males compete for females and the mothers nurse their calves. A newborn humpback is about 13 to 15 ft long (4 to 4.5 m) and needs those warm weeks to put on weight before the long swim north.
That is also why we keep our distance and never chase them: every bit of energy a whale spends avoiding boats is energy it needs for something else.
What you might see: humpback whale behaviors
No two trips are the same, but these are the behaviors you are most likely to see, and what they are called:
Blow. The first thing you spot: a puff of mist up to 10 ft high (3 m) when the whale breathes out.
Breach. The whale throws most of its body out of the water and falls back with a huge splash. Nobody knows for sure why they do it. Communication, play and shaking off parasites are the usual explanations.
Tail slap and pectoral slap. The whale hits the surface with its tail or with one of its long side fins, again and again. You can hear it from far away.
Spy hop. The whale lifts its head straight out of the water, as if to look around.
Fluke-up dive. The tail rises out of the water before a deep dive. The pattern on the underside of each tail is unique, like a fingerprint, and researchers use photos of it to tell individual whales apart.
Competitive group. Several males chase one female, fast and at the surface, pushing each other out of the way. It is the most intense thing you can see in peak season.
And one thing you hear instead of see: the song. Only the males sing. A song can last up to 20 minutes and they repeat it for hours. We carry a hydrophone, which is an underwater microphone, so when they are singing nearby you can listen live from the boat.
It works best on calm days with no other boats around. On one of those trips, an older lady who had never seen whales before got emotional just listening to them sing, with the whales still far off in the distance.
Can you see whales from the shore in Cabo?
Yes. In season you can see them in the distance from almost anywhere along the Cabo coast, even from the beach itself. Divorce Beach, on the Pacific side, and Corridor beaches like Las Viudas are good places to look. Bring binoculars and look for the puff of the blow first.
From land the whales are far away, though. To watch what they are doing, hear them and understand what is going on, you need to be on the water with someone who knows them.
Whale watching rules in Cabo, and how to choose a responsible tour
Whale watching in Mexico is regulated by an official standard, NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010. In short:
Small boats must stay at least 200 ft (60 m) from the whales, and larger boats 260 ft (80 m).
No more than four boats can be with the same whale or group at one time.
Boats have to move slowly near whales, and may not chase them, cut across their path or come between a mother and her calf.
Swimming, snorkeling or diving with whales is not allowed.
Not every boat in Cabo follows these rules, so it is worth choosing carefully. Look for a licensed operator, a small group and a crew that lets the whales decide how close they come. On a small boat everyone has a clear view, and a quiet approach is less stressful for the whales.
That is how we run our small-group whale watching tours: 2.5 hours on the water, a hydrophone on board and no chasing.
We don't go to a fixed spot. Depending on the wind, the swell and where the whales are that day, we head for the Pacific side or for the Sea of Cortez, whichever is calmer, and it can take anything from five minutes to an hour to find them. Wherever we go, we try to be where the other boats are not.
Cabo whale watching season: quick answers
What months can you see whales in Cabo?
From December to April. The best months are January, February and March, and tours run from December 15 to April 15.
Can you see whales in Cabo in November or May?
You might see a few, because some humpbacks arrive early or leave late. But the official season in Cabo San Lucas runs from December 15 to April 15, and whale watching tours outside those dates are illegal, so do not plan a trip around it.
Is December too early, or April too late?
No. Both are good months, with fewer whales than in peak season. In the second half of December you see the first arrivals. In early April you see mostly mothers with calves.
Are whale sightings guaranteed?
No one can guarantee wild animals. In season, though, whales are seen on most trips, and your chances are highest from January to March.
Can you swim with whales in Cabo?
No. Swimming with whales is prohibited in Mexico, and a tour that offers it is breaking the law. You watch them from the boat.
Plan your whale watching trip
If you can choose your dates, come between January and March. If you can't, December and April are still worth it. Either way, go with a small group and a crew that respects the whales.
Ready to see them? Have a look at our whale watching tours in Cabo San Lucas, running from December 15 to April 15.
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