Mid-December to mid-April, trips of 2 to 2.5 hours cost $73 to $99 per adult. Humpbacks are the most common sighting, and gray whales with calves pass in the same months.
Dark months are the peak for that species, light months are the rest of its season. October is marked.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whale | January: in season | February: in season | March: in season | April: in season | May: not usually seen | June: not usually seen | July: not usually seen | August: not usually seen | September: not usually seen | October: not usually seen | November: not usually seen | December: in season |
| Gray whale | January: in season | February: in season | March: in season | April: in season | May: not usually seen | June: not usually seen | July: not usually seen | August: not usually seen | September: not usually seen | October: not usually seen | November: not usually seen | December: in season |
Peak In season
From visitloscabos.travel. Whales turn up outside these months too.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Boat | If no whales | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whale WatchingIncludes Snacks, Open bar: beer, spirits, mixers, sodas, juices and purified water |
$73 per adult |
About 2 hours plus transport; daily 9am and 12pm |
All ages (4 and under free) | Catamaran (vessel not named; fleet ranges from 18 to 150 passengers) | No guarantee; you still get the scenery and landmarks | Check dates | |||
Cabo Whale WatchingIncludes Hydrophone aboard, Commentary from marine mammal specialists, Pass by the Arch and Land's End |
$76 per person |
2 hours |
5+ | Custom rigid inflatable speedboat (Apex, 400 hp Yamaha engines); capacity not stated | None; operator says it cannot give an absolute guarantee | Check dates | |||
Luxury Whale Watching In CaboIncludes Appetizers, Open bar, Hydrophone when conditions allow, Pass by the Arch and Land's End |
$97 per person |
2.5 hours |
5+ | Leopard catamaran (French-made); size not stated | None; operator says it cannot give an absolute guarantee | Check dates | |||
Zodiac Whale Watching AdventureIncludes Certified guide, Bottled water |
$99 per adult |
2.5 hours |
Small groups (number not stated) |
5+; under 18 must be with an adult | Zodiac boats; capacity not stated | Not stated | Check dates | ||
Whale Watching Cabo San LucasIncludes Marine biologist guide |
Not listed |
2.5 hours |
Another trip free of charge if no whales are spotted | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
PezGato and Cabo Adventures both start at the Cabo San Lucas Marina. PezGato checks guests in at Plaza Gali, local 39, across from the Hotel Sandos Finisterra entrance. Guests arriving on their own should be there 20 minutes before the 9 am or noon departure. Cabo Adventures meets at its main office on Boulevard Paseo de la Marina and collects a $4 per person dock fee at check-in. Its hotel vans from Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo cost $15.
Cabo Trek's shop is at Hotel Tesoro, Local A-20, on Boulevard Marina, about five minutes on foot from the cruise ship tender dock. The company also runs 3-hour trips from San José del Cabo on Thursdays. Cabo Adventures' speedboat route passes the Arch, Land's End, Lover's Beach and a sea lion colony before working the Pacific side. Under SEMARNAT's 2025-2026 season notice, whale watching itself was barred in a 2 km area around the Arch, inside the port, and in a 1 km strip off Punta Ballenas.
The Los Cabos tourism board gives December through April for gray and humpback whales, often seen with their young. SEMARNAT, Mexico's environment ministry, set the official 2025-2026 season in the Cabo San Lucas protected area at December 15 to April 30. Operators run shorter windows: Cabo Adventures and Cabo Expeditions list December 15 to April 15, and PezGato runs whale trips only to March 31. Cabo Adventures says January and February bring especially good odds.
Humpbacks are the most common sighting, according to Cabo Adventures, which notes their breaching and tail slaps. Orcas and gray whales may appear in winter, and Bryde's and minke whales are rare. Cabo Trek and Cabo Expeditions add blue whales to the list, and Cabo Expeditions says 32 species of whales and dolphins have been counted in the area in winter. Whale sharks keep the same December to April calendar, the tourism board says.
Cabo Expeditions warns that its Zodiac ride can be bumpy, depending on wind and weather, and it turns away pregnant guests and anyone with heart, back or neck problems. Cabo Adventures' rigid inflatable has no facilities aboard and does not take pregnant guests; it sets a minimum age of 5 and a 265 lb (120 kg) weight limit. Both suggest a light jacket or sweater, and Cabo Adventures advises protecting cameras and phones from splashes.
Cabo Adventures asks guests to bring a hat and biodegradable sunscreen, and Cabo Expeditions recommends sun protection and a waterproof camera. On PezGato's catamaran, life jackets are provided on request for children 8 and older, and families with younger children are asked to bring their own.
PezGato lists the lowest price: $73 for adults 12 and up and $36.50 for children 5 to 11, for about two hours on a catamaran with snacks and an open bar. It makes no sighting promise, saying the scenery and Cabo landmarks remain if the whales do not show. Cabo Adventures lists its 2-hour RIB trip at $76 online, with hydrophones and marine mammal specialists. Its 2.5-hour trip on a Leopard catamaran, with appetizers and an open bar, is $97; both add the $4 dock fee and carry no guarantee.
Cabo Expeditions charges $99 for adults and $60 for children 7 to 12 on a 2.5-hour Zodiac trip in small groups, with a certified guide and bottled water. It says it is the only Los Cabos whale watch company trained and authorized to help whales in trouble. Cabo Trek's 2.5-hour trips are led by a marine biologist, the company runs a whale identification project, and it promises another trip free of charge if no whales are spotted.
Cabo Trek also sells sunrise and sunset whale cruises, a 3-tour pass, and a 2-day trip to Puerto López Mateos on Magdalena Bay to see gray whales. PezGato's whale trips leave daily at 9 am and noon, and transport from hotels costs extra and must be confirmed at least 24 hours ahead.
from $73 per adult
Whale Watching
Whale trips available December 15 to March 31
from $76 per person
Cabo Whale Watching and 1 more option
Season listed as December 15 to April 15
from $99 per adult
Zodiac Whale Watching Adventure
Season listed as December 15 to April 15
Price on request
Whale Watching Cabo San Lucas
Marine biologist-led tours
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.