WHALE WATCHING CABO BEST TIME

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Most important to begin with is to know that the Humpback and Gray Whales that visit Los Cabos are migratory species. They spend their summers up north (Alaska, British Columbia, Washington State) and their winters down south, which includes Cabo San Lucas. Our season runs from December until April each year, and from December 15th until April 15th we offer our Whale Guarantee.

 

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO WHALE WATCHING IN CABO SAN LUCAS?

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The answer depends on what you hope to see! To decide when is the best time for you to join us on a whale watching adventure, keep reading. Our guidelines for whale watching tours in Los Cabos have been taken from years of observations and thousands of tours led by our team of Marine Biologists.

Here is the short answer:

• During early morning tours the seas are typically the calmest of the day with the lowest wind and waves. This makes it easier to find the whales and the most comfortable boat ride. This is the best time for guests that suffer from motion sickness and for families with smaller children.
• Mid day tours there may be an increase in wind, waves and there are more boats on the seas. By this time we usually have a very good idea of where to find whales. So we often see the greatest number of Whales on the mid day tours.
• Afternoon tours can be the most dramatic of the day. There is a correlation between high tide, greater wind, waves and heightened levels of Whale activity. The boat ride itself can be more of an adventure if the wind and waves have picked up – usually most in March/April. This is the best time for Whale watching aficionados as the pay off can be the greatest whale activity level of the day.
• Over the past 8 years we have not seen any specific time during that day where whales are more active than other times. They can be active during the morning, midday or afternoon, be active all day long or have a quieter day. Our guides and captains always try to find the most active and receptive whales in the area with the least number of boats around to provide you with the best encounters. To give yourself the best chance of seeing more active whales we recommend scheduling multiple tours several days apart and bring some great energy!

Want more info on choosing the best time to go whale watching in Cabo San Lucas? Time of the season also makes a difference in what we see on our tours.

The migration brings Humpback Whales back into the Cabo San Lucas area beginning in the middle of November. Typically we see adult Humpback Whales transiting through Cabo San Lucas from mid November until early December. By mid December the population of Humpback Whales in Cabo is nearing its peak and the activity level overall is high. This continues until late January with adult Humpback Whales dominating the tours. In late December and into January we start to see new born baby Humpback Whales. By early February the baby Humpback Whales start to become more active and their energy and activity level dominates our tours until the end of the season in April. We do also see groups of adult Humpback Whales migrating north in March and April.

The other species that migrates into Cabo San Lucas is the Gray Whale. Typically arriving in early January the adult Gray Whales we see are often in small groups and seen in Cabo until late March. Unlike the Humpback Whales, the majority of Gray Whale mating, birthing and nursing activity occurs further north in areas like Magdalena Bay. Here in Cabo San Lucas we usually observe Gray Whales fairly close to shore. Gray Whales are not as common as Humpback Whales in Cabo San Lucas.

The other trend we have seen affect the best time to go Whale watching in Cabo San Lucas is the Marine Mammal Dynamic. This is the balance of individual Whales in the area at any given time. Male Humpbacks often travel between mating and calving areas looking for females to mate with. When new males arrive in an area, they like to announce their presence, and then the Marine Mammal Dynamic changes – usually with exciting results!

What we have also found is that heightened levels of whale activity tends to grow and wane every 2 – 3 days. In other words, we have noticed there will be 2 or 3 days of intense whale activity followed by a couple of days of relaxed whales.

We know how many of our guests travel great distances to see the Whales of Cabo. So for the best plan to go Whale Watching in Cabo San Lucas Book we recommend booking at least 3 tours – and we offer you up to a 25% discount when you do book 3 or more tours!

We know many of our guests are coming to Cabo San Lucas and the top of their bucket list is to see the whales, but not only see the whales, but hopefully witness some amazing behaviors! So what we suggest is, that if you hope to see a wondrous level of whale activity, make at least 3 whale watching tours, several days apart, perhaps at different times. Several reservations a couple of days apart, ensure you of the best opportunity to see whales leaping from the ocean, frolicking baby whales or witness the intensity of whale mating groups.

We have several whale encounter ‘Hot Spots’ but cannot visit all of them on each tour. For guests making multiple outings with us we endeavor to show our guests something new on each tour.

We hope that by using our experience to make your Cabo San Lucas whale watching plans you may ensure the best chances of having some wonderful Whale watching adventures with us. These recommendations are to give you a better understanding of what to expect when joining Whale Watch Cabo’s guides for some whale watching tours. No matter when you decide to join us, we are sure that the passion our staff of marine biologists has for the whales of Los Cabos you will find infectious. We absolutely love encountering whales and always aim to show our guests the best time whale watching in Los Cabos.