In this post, we’ll share everything you need to know about humpback whale watching in Cabo, Mexico. Including information about the whales, season dates and the best ethical tours to see these spectacular and acrobatic creatures up close.
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Seeing humpback whales in Cabo
Sitting at the convergence of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, Cabo in Mexico is one of the best places in the world for humpback whale watching.
Each year between December – April, thousands of humpback whales migrate to the warm waters around Cabo to mate and give birth.
If you head to any beach around Cabo during this time, youโre almost guaranteed to spot a whale splashing offshore!
These energetic and acrobatic creatures put on a spectacular show, and are one of my favourite whales to encounter.
They are often seen leaping out of the water, smacking their fins and tails on the surface and splashing around, sometimes with newborn calves.
Although it is very easy to spot whales from land, nothing beats getting up close and personal with these incredible cetaceans on a Cabo whale watching tour.
In this post, I’m going to share everything you need to know about whale watching in Cabo (ethically), so you can add this memorable experience to your itinerary.
Cabo whale watching season 2025
๐ The 2025 whale watching season has begun in Cabo!
From 15 December 2024 – 15 April 2025, you can take a whale watching tour to spot humpback whales up close. Hundreds of whales have already begun arriving in the waters around Cabo, book your ethical Cabo whale watching tour today!
Quick facts
- ๐ Where: most tours depart from the Cabo San Lucas Marina. There are limited tours from the Marina Puerto Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo.
- ๐๏ธ When: the official whale watching season is 15 December – 15 April. The peak time to see the most whale activity is January – March.
- ๐ฅ๏ธ How: a 2 – 3 hour whale watching tour on a boat with a licensed tour operator.
- ๐ Tour recommendation: Whale Watch Cabo or Cabo Trek for ethical whale watching in Cabo San Lucas.
What types of whales are in Cabo?
The humpback whale is the most common type of whale to see around Cabo, and what most whale watching tours focus on.
These playful baleen whales migrate from their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic to their mating and breeding grounds in Cabo in the winter. They arrive by the thousands, and you can often see newborn calves later in the season.
Although most Cabo whale watching tours are primarily focused on seeing humpback whales, there’s a good chance to spot other species too.
Grey whales are also known to migrate to Cabo in the winter period, although Cabo isn’t the best place to see them. They are more commonly found in lagoons north of Cabo on the Pacific Coast, where they come to give birth and mate. The grey whales that do come to Cabo are generally adult males, not mothers and babies.
To have the best grey whale experience (which can involve touching and kissing them!) we highly recommend adding on a visit to Magdalena Bay.
Other whale species that you may be very lucky to see include orcas, who come to Cabo in search of food when baby humpbacks are born (sad, but the circle of life), as well as blue whales, fin whales and sperm whales, which are rare but possible to spot. Blue whales are best seen in the northern part of the state in Loreto.
For the purpose of this post, I’m going to focus mainly on the experience of humpback whale watching. They are the most common whale to see around Cabo, and Cabo is the best place to see them in Baja.
When to go whale watching in Cabo
The Cabo whale watching season officially runs from 15 December – 15 April.
This is a period set by SEMARNAT (Mexico’s environmental agency) and dictates when whale watching tours can be run.
Of course, the whales are wild animals, and they don’t have calendars! Whales generally start arriving in Cabo as early as mid-November, and individual whales can often stick around into late April.
Most tour operators will offer a whale spotting guarantee between 15 December – 15 April. If you don’t see a whale, they will offer you another tour for free or a refund.
Basically, they are very confident that there are humpback whales around within this period. The chances of seeing a whale during this time can exceed 95%.
The peak period is from January – March. This is when you can see the highest number of whales around Cabo, and you will start seeing the newborn babies become more active.
Where to go whale watching in Cabo
‘Cabo’ can refer to the town of Cabo San Lucas, or more broadly to the area of Los Cabos, which includes the entire southern part of Baja California Sur.
Cabo whale watching tours most commonly depart from the marina in Cabo San Lucas. This is the southernmost tip of the peninsula and is a high-traffic area for whales coming south down the Pacific Ocean from Canada and Alaska into the calmer and sheltered Sea of Cortez.
However, it is also possible to take whale watching tours from San Jose del Cabo too. This neighbouring town is around 40 minutes northeast of Cabo San Lucas, on the Sea of Cortez.
I’ll talk more specifically about whale watching in San Jose del Cabo below, but know it is possible to take whale watching tours departing from both Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, but Cabo San Lucas is more common.
About humpback whales
Humpback whales are a species of baleen whale. This means they have a baleen plate to filter their food, instead of teeth.
They are one of the most common species of whale, found in every ocean around the world.
The humpback whales that migrate to Cabo each year are part of the North Pacific population.
They travel south from the Arctic waters around Alaska and Canada to the warmer waters off the coast of Mexico. They most commonly congregate around Baja California Sur, but also along the Pacific Coast on the mainland, between Jalisco and Oaxaca. Puerto Vallarta is another great place to see humpbacks in Mexico.
They spend their summers feeding in the north, before travelling to Mexico to mate and give birth to their babies in the winter.
It is estimated that almost 10% of all humpback whales are born in Mexico, so Cabo really is one of the best places in the world for humpback whale watching!
Humpback whales get their name from the shape of the hump on their dorsal fin, and the appearance of their back, as it arches out of the water when they dive under.
They are a medium-sized whale, growing to between 14 – 18 metres (45 – 60 feet) in length, and weighing up to 40 tons.
They are primarily black, with white bellies, and white on the underside of their fins and flukes (tail). They can actually be identified by the unique patterns on the underside of their tails, each whale has an individual pattern.
Humpback whales have characteristic ‘pleats’ on their throats, like vertical grooves, and knobs on their heads, known as tubercles. They have two blowholes on top of their head.
They are best known as the active whale. These energetic, acrobatic creatures put on wild displays of jumping, splashing and playing, and a tour watching humpbacks can be quite the show!
Another special thing about humpback whales is their songs. They communicate with potential mates and their children via complex sounds that can travel for miles underwater.
Something to consider when joining a Cabo whale watching tour is if the operator has a hydrophone that allows you to hear the whale song underwater.
Humpback whale behaviours
If you’re going on a humpback whale watching tour in Cabo, you need to know what to look out for!
Of course, the whales are wild and there is no guarantee you’ll see any or all of these behaviours. But humpbacks are quite the acrobats and you’ve got a good chance of seeing them perform some of these unique actions.
- ๐ Blow: also known as spouting, this is usually the first sign that a whale is around. Humpbacks blow a plume of mist and water from their two blowholes, up to 3 metres (10 feet) high.ย
- ๐ Spy hopping: this is when a whale slowly raises its head vertically out of the water to get a good look at what’s going on above the surface.
- ๐ Breaching: the holy grail of whale behaviours, humpbacks launch their entire bodies out of the water, before crashing back down with a huge splash. Absolutely spectacular to see!
- ๐ Pec slap: a pectoral slap, also known as a fin slap, is when a humpback slaps its fin horizontally on the surface of the water. This is a common and friendly behaviour.
- ๐ Tail slap: when a whale vertically raises its tail out of the water and slaps it repeatedly on the surface.
- ๐ Peduncle throw: this funny behaviour involves a whale throwing the lower half of its body and tail out of the water, and slapping it sideways.
- ๐ Fluking: when a whale is ready to dive down deep, they lift their fluke (tail) out of the water in a practice known as fluking. This makes for a great photo of their uniquely patterned flukes.
Is whale watching in Cabo regulated?
Whale watching is highly regulated all over Mexico by SEMARNAT (the Secretariat for Natural Resources, Mexico’s environmental agency).
They have a broad range of regulations about where whale watching activities can occur, training and licensing for operators, permit systems for tour companies and strict rules on how whales can be approached.
Licensed operators who have undergone training and met SEMARNAT criteria are issued with a whale watching flag each season, that must be flown on their vessel during any whale watching activities.
So how does all this work in Cabo?
Technically whale watching in Cabo should be the same as anywhere else in Mexico, and the regulations should apply. However, being such a popular holiday destination with millions of tourists, the rules are often not followed or enforced.
The waters around Cabo are full of all kinds of boats. Private yachts, booze cruises, snorkelling tours, sunset sails, water taxis to The Arch, jet skis etc.
If any of these vessels spots a whale, they are of course going to try and give their passengers the chance to see it, whether they are licensed and trained or not.
This can result in boats chasing whales, crowding whales, exceeding the time limits allowed to watch one whale and generally harassing the whales and putting them, and the passengers, in danger.
So what can you do to ensure you don’t participate in unethical whale watching?
Go with a licensed operator.
Every man and his dog has a boat in Cabo. You can walk down to Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas and have 10+ people offer you a trip in their boat out to The Arch, to go snorkelling or to look for whales. But just because people have a boat, doesn’t mean they should offer whale watching tours!
Choose a licensed tour company that is certified by SEMARNAT to offer whale watching tours. This means their captains have been trained on how to safely approach whales, there are experienced guides or marine biologists on board to make the experience educational, and they have years of knowledge and experience with the whales.
Weโve done the research for youโฆ
Ethical Cabo whale watching tours
There are hundreds of tour operators around Cabo that offer whale watching tours.
Not all are created equally.
There are two companies in particular that we highly recommend, and trust that they provide an ethical and educational experience that is better for you and the whales.
Whale Watch Cabo
Whale Watch Caboย is one of the best companies in the area for ethical whale watching.
With a strong focus on conservation and involvement in research projects, they always adhere to strict standards when it comes to safely approaching and watching the whales.
Whale Watch Cabo has a unique point of difference, offering a tour on a Zodiac boat. These rigid inflatable boats are smaller and faster than the standard whale watching boats, and because of their reduced size, they are permitted to approach whales closer than larger vessels.
They can be a little bumpier, and offer a more thrilling ride, but you feel closer to the whales.
They offer three tours per day from the marina in Cabo San Lucas:
- Morning (8:00 am)
- Midday (11:00 am)
- Afternoon (2:30 pm)
Tours run for 2.5 hours, with small groups of a maximum of 10 passengers.
Their tours have marine biologists on board, and they have a hydrophone equipped, so if the whales are singing underwater you can listen! They also share professional photos after the tour for free.
Whale Watch Cabo offers a whale sighting guarantee. If you don’t see any whales on your tour, you can join another tour for free (not likely given their 99% success rate!).
Cabo Trek
Cabo Trekย is another fantastic option for ethical whale watching.
They are one of the only tour companies certified as a ‘Responsible Whale Watching Operator’ by the World Cetacean Alliance and operate under strict guidelines to ensure the safety and comfort of the whales.
Cabo Trek offers three tours per day from the marina in Cabo San Lucas:
- Morning (8:00 am)
- Midday (11:00 am)
- Afternoon (2:30 pm)
Tours run for 2.5 hours, with small groups of a maximum of 12 passengers. Their boats are small, panga-style boats with a shade cover.
Each tour has a marine biologist or naturalist guide on board, and their boats are equipped with a hydrophone and underwater camera so you can hear the whale song and see them swimming under the surface!
They also offer a whale sighting guarantee. If you don’t see any whales on your tour, you can join another tour for free.
๐ย Book with Cabo Trek
What time of the day is best for whale watching in Cabo?
You might have noticed there are multiple tour times available each day.
Most tour companies offer at least two, if not three, tours daily – morning, midday and afternoon.
There is no evidence that whales have a higher chance of being spotted at any particular time of the day. They are always out there, and often it is down to luck as to how many whales you encounter, and the behaviours you see.
It is hypothesised that humpback whales are more active in rough and choppy waters. This doesn’t mean you won’t see any activity in calmer seas, and you will certainly spot whales in calm waters (they are easier to see when the water is flat), but it’s something to take into account.
However, there are some other considerations when deciding which time is best for you:
- ๐ Sea conditions: the water is generally calmer and less choppy in the morning. If you get seasick or you’ve got young kids, go for a morning tour. The midday option is when the waters start to get a little rougher and the winds are blowing in, and the afternoons are the roughest and windiest. This can bring some great whale activity, but don’t sacrifice your own comfort and enjoyment.
- โต๏ธ Boat traffic: the waters around Cabo can be busy in peak tourist season, which happens to also be the Cabo whale watching season. The earlier you’re out on the water, the quieter it will be. Once midday rolls around, party boats, snorkel tours and water taxis are zooming around the bay, and can often crowd whales.
As I said, it’s really down to luck. If you’re really committed to seeing a wide range of humpback whale behaviours and having some close encounters, book a couple of different tours.
No day whale watching in Cabo will ever be the same, and you could book an early morning tour one day, and an afternoon one the next.
San Jose del Cabo whale watching
I briefly touched on the fact that it is possible to go whale watching in San Jose del Cabo. Let me explain this further.
Cabo San Lucas sits at the tip of the peninsula, right where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. This is a prime location on the whale highway, so most whale watching tours take place around this area.
However, the whales cruise all the way along the southern coast of Baja California Sur. They’re frequently seen around Cabo Pulmo, which is even further east than San Jose del Cabo.
So there is a small number of whale watching tours around San Jose del Cabo. There are a handful of operators that offer tours from the marina in San Jose, Marina Puerto Los Cabos.
There are a couple of key differences between whale watching in San Jose del Cabo vs. whale watching in Cabo San Lucas:
- ๐ Location: the tours take place in the Sea of Cortez around San Jose. In Cabo San Lucas, tours have the option of heading west into the Pacific Ocean or east into the Sea of Cortez, depending on where whales have recently been sighted.
- โต๏ธ Boat traffic: the main benefit of whale watching in San Jose del Cabo is that there are far fewer boats around compared to Cabo San Lucas. You might be the only boat out on the water, or you’ll see only a handful of dive or fishing boats. There aren’t the noisy party cruises, huge yachts and water taxi traffic there is Cabo San Lucas, so you get a quieter, more intimate experience.
- ๐ Whale interactions: the tour operators offering tours from San Jose believe there are fewer whales in this area, BUT the whales that you do see are more relaxed. Away from the boat traffic, noise and crowds you have a better chance of having a closer, more extended experience with one whale.
Whale watching tours in San Jose del Cabo
Cabo Trek
In addition to their main tours in Cabo San Lucas, Cabo Trek also offers tours out of San Jose del Cabo.
They only offer tours on Thursdays but can run more on request. They offer two times:
- Morning (9:00 am)
- Afternoon (2:00 pm)
The tours run for 3 hours, with small groups of a maximum of 8 passengers. Their boats are small, panga-style boats with a shade cover.
The tour has a marine biologist or naturalist guide on board, and their boat is equipped with a hydrophone. Depending on the activity of the whales, there can be a better chance to hear their song in San Jose del Cabo because there is less boat noise.
Cabo Trek also offers a whale sighting guarantee for their San Jose del Cabo whale watching tours. If you don’t see any whales on your tour, you can join another tour in Cabo San Lucas for free.
Salty Cabo Excursions
Another operator that offers whale watching tours from the marina in San Jose del Cabo is Salty Cabo Excursions.
They don’t have any specific ethical information or additional whale certifications, but they have fantastic reviews and run low-impact, small-group tours away from the crowds.
They run tours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with two time slots:
- Morning (9:00 am)
- Afternoon (12:00 pm)
The tours run for 2.5 hours, on their modern, 26-foot ‘Stoner Boatworks’ boat. It is shaded with plenty of comfortable seating and room to move around.
They have qualified marine biologists or naturalist guides on board, a hydrophone to listen to the whale songs and professional photos are included in the tour cost.
Salty Cabo also offers a very unique San Jose del Cabo whale watching experience – a sunrise tour!
Departing at 6:00 am on Fridays, you can be out on the water as the sun rises, looking for whales before anyone else is even awake. This is guaranteed to be one of the most intimate whale watching experiences in Cabo, without the crowds.
Other whale watching experiences in Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur is one of the best places in the world for whale watching, and it’s not just humpbacks! Humpback whale watching in Cabo is just the beginning of all the whale adventures you can have in Baja.
We’ve got a dedicated guide to whale watching in Baja California Sur, covering all the amazing whale experiences you can have around the state.
During the winter months, it’s possible to encounter multiple species of whales in the space of a few days:
- ๐ Swimming with whale sharks in La Paz (technically sharks, not whales, but amazing nevertheless)
- ๐ Touching and kissing grey whales in Magdalena Bay
- ๐ Seeing the blue whale in Loreto, the largest animal on the planet
Final thoughts on Cabo whale watching
Seeing an animal as large as a humpback whale launch its entire body out of the water, create huge splashes smacking its fins or swimming alongside a newborn calf is a really special experience.
Whale watching is something you can’t miss in Cabo if you’re visiting during the season.
Even if you’ve seen them from the beach (keep your eyes peeled!), it’s so worthwhile to get out on the water with an ethical operator, who will educate you more about the whales and give you a safe and intimate experience with these amazing creatures.
OUR LOS CABOS TRAVEL GUIDES
- โ๏ธ Choosing Between Cabo San Lucas vs San Jose del Cabo
- ๐ฅพ 12 Amazing Cabo Day Trips
- ๐จ 16 Unique and Boutique Hotels in Los Cabos
- ๐ Humpback Whale Watching in Cabo
- ๐๏ธ 21 Non Touristy Unique Things to Do in Cabo San Lucas
- ๐ฏ 14 Best Local Restaurants in Cabo San Lucas
- ๐ถ Mt Solmar โ Hike a Mountain with Dogs in Cabo San Lucas
- ๐ด 17 Best Things to Do in San Jose del Cabo Travel Guide
- ๐ฎ Where to Find the Best Tacos in San Jose del Cabo