Home
Best time

Updated November 2026 · Season checked in operator listings, November 2026

Best Time for Whale Watching Cabo San Lucas

The best time for whale watching in Cabo San Lucas is January to March. Tours run from about December 15 to April 15; from May to November there are none.

Check Jan–Mar dates Month by month ↓Time of day ↓When to book ↓

Quick answer

Go between January and March for the most whale activity; December and early April still have tours but sit at the edges of the season. Mornings and late afternoons both work — the choice is light and sea, not whales.

The season

Dec 15 – Apr 15

JFMAMJJASOND

PeakSeason edgeNo whale tours

Whale blowing at the surface right beside the boat, guest's hat in the foreground

Our pick for Jan–MarAll-women crew, biologist and free photos★ 4.90 (318) · 2 h · from $90 pp Check Jan–Mar dates

Key takeaways

Dec 15 – Apr 15Season, stated in six listings from three operators.
Jan – MarThe peak — the best time whale watching Cabo San Lucas offers.
May – NovNo whale tours from Cabo.
7 am – 5 pmDepartures; plus one sunrise tour at 6:15 am and one sunset cruise at 5 pm.

Whale watching Cabo San Lucas season

The whale-watching season in Cabo San Lucas runs from about December 15 to April 15. That window is written into six listings from three operators, including the private trimarans and the tequila-tasting tour, and several tours can be booked year-round but only sail inside it.

Humpbacks come to the warm water off Land’s End in their mating and calving season, which is why the tours cluster in winter. Outside the window the whales are at their summer feeding grounds, and the marina’s other trips — sunset sailing, snorkelling, the Arch — carry on without them.

Read the small print. If a listing lets you pick a date in June, check its “know before you go” lines: the operators state the season there.

6listings state the season

3operators behind them

28whale tours in season

States Dec 15 – Apr 15 Whale tail in the distance

Whales and the Arch on a glass-bottom boatNew · New · 2 hGlass-bottom$90 ppBook

When is whale watching season in Cabo San Lucas?

From mid-December to mid-April, with January, February and March as the core. If your trip falls in those three months, any day works; if it falls in early December or late April, check that tours are running on your dates in the booking widget. Tap a month to see what to expect.

Month-by-month chapters

May – NovNo whale tours. Humpbacks are at their summer feeding grounds.MayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovember

Peak

February: mid-peak

Mid-peak season. Departures run from about 7 am to 4 pm, depending on the tour.

Sunrise

6:52 am

Sunset

6:15 pm

Departures

7 am – 4 pm

Sunrise and sunset in Cabo San Lucas, mid-month (calculated, 22.9° N)Check Feb dates

Check dates for your month — our pick, all-women crew tour

Month by month

The months at the edges of the season are quieter; the middle three are the peak. December opens around the 15th and April closes around the 15th, so a trip in either month should be checked against live dates. January, February and March run every type of tour, from small boats and zodiacs to catamarans, private boats and the sunset cruise.

Humpback back surfacing, small boat behind, hazy light

December · Opens↑ 6:52 am↓ 5:37 pm

Whale watching Cabo San Lucas December

Tours start around December 15, so the first half of December has no whale trips from most operators. The second half is the opening of the season, with the same tours and prices as January. Sunset is around 5:40 pm, the earliest of the season, which puts the 5 pm sunset cruise on the water at golden hour.

A tour for DecemberSunset whale watching cruise★ 5.00 (2) · 2.5 h$109Book

Humpback breaching behind a small green-canopy panga full of guests

January · Peak↑ 7:02 am↓ 5:54 pm

Whale watching Cabo San Lucas January

January opens the peak. Guests on the most-reviewed tours describe mothers with calves and calves breaching beside small boats. Book popular morning departures a few days ahead. Every type of tour runs: small boats, zodiacs, catamarans, private boats and the sunset cruise.

“They found a mother with a calf and within a couple of minutes the calf started breaching, jumping clear into the air.”

GetYourGuide traveller · All-women crew tour

A tour for JanuaryAll-women crew, biologist and free photos★ 4.90 (318) · 2 h$90Book

February · Peak↑ 6:52 am↓ 6:15 pm

Whale watching Cabo San Lucas February

February sits in the middle of the peak. Departures run from about 7 am to 4 pm on the small boats, and the catamarans sail morning and midday. With sunset around 6:15 pm, a 4 pm tour comes back in the last light. If you only have one week in Cabo during the season, February keeps you safely inside the peak.

A tour for FebruaryTransport and photographer★ 4.91 (196) · 3 h$96Book

Woman on a catamaran deck looking at the Arch

March · Peak↑ 6:29 am↓ 6:28 pm

March

March is the last peak month. The most-reviewed catamaran adds a 5 pm departure, and the luxury catamaran sails at 8, 11 and 3. Sunrise and sunset are both near 6:30, so the days are about 12 hours long.

A tour for MarchWhale watching catamaran experience★ 4.70 (132) · 2 h$99Book

April · Closes↑ 5:59 am↓ 6:39 pm

April

Tours run until about April 15. Book the first half of the month and treat it as the tail of the season.

Check April dates →

Best time of day

Whales do not keep office hours, so the time of day is about light, sea and your plans. Morning departures are the most common; afternoon tours return in warmer light; one sunrise tour and one sunset cruise are built around the light. Tap a time to see the tour that fits it.

6 am9 amnoon3 pm6 pm

7–11 amMost small boats, zodiacs and catamarans

Mornings have the most departures, so this is where the choice is widest.

All-women crew, biologist and free photos★ 4.90 (318) · 2 h$90Book

Sunrise and sunset whale tours

Two tours are timed to the light rather than the clock. The ANDA sunrise tour leaves at 6:15 am on a panga with a marine biologist and a photographer, sold for two or more from about $118 per person; sunrise falls between about 6 and 7 am in the season. The Cabo Trek cruise leaves at 5 pm with wine and a biologist, from $109, and is on the water through sunset in every month.

↑ Sunrise · 6:15 amSunrise whale watching with photographyNew · 3 h · min. 2

≈$118 pp Book

↓ Sunset · 5 pmSunset whale watching cruise★ 5.0 (2) · 2.5 h · wine, biologist

$109 pp Book

Whale watching Cabo San Lucas best time of year

The best time of year is the January–March peak, inside a season that runs from mid-December to mid-April. The rest of the year has no whale tours from Cabo: if your dates are fixed outside the season, the Cabo boats still run Arch, Lover’s Beach and snorkelling trips — but no whale watching.

GoJanuary – Marchevery tour type runs, the most whale activity

Whale sharks in La Paz?They are fish rather than whales and are not part of these tours.

When to book

For January to March, book a few days ahead for morning departures on the most-reviewed boats. Every tour we list has free cancellation up to 24 hours before and lets you pay later, so booking early carries little risk; if the Harbor Master closes the port, operators such as Rancho Tours offer a free reschedule or a full refund.

Free cancellationup to 24 h before, on every tour we list

Pay laterreserve now, pay later on GetYourGuide

Weatherport closed: free reschedule or full refund (Rancho Tours)

Best time for whale watching Cabo San Lucas: questions

Check dates for our pick

What is the best month for whale watching in Cabo San Lucas?

January, February or March — the peak of the season. December (from about the 15th) and the first half of April are at the edges of the season.

Can you see whales in Cabo in November?

Whale-watching tours from Cabo San Lucas start around December 15, so November has no scheduled whale trips.

Is there whale watching in Cabo in summer?

No. From May to November the humpbacks are at their feeding grounds and the whale tours do not run.

Is morning or afternoon better for whale watching?

Both find whales; mornings have the most departures, afternoons return in golden light, and there is one sunrise tour and one sunset cruise.

When should I book a whale watching tour in Cabo?

A few days ahead in January–March. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before means you can book as soon as your dates are set.

Is whale watching in Cabo better than in La Paz?

Cabo is for humpbacks, close to the marina. La Paz is known for whale sharks, which are fish, not whales.

Other ways to see the whales

At water levelSmall boats and zodiacsfrom $90 per person

High deckCatamaran whale watching toursfrom $99 per person

5 pmSunset whale watching cruisefrom $109 per person

Check dates in the season