When is whale season in Cabo San Lucas?
Humpback whales arrive off Cabo San Lucas in November and stay through April. SEMARNAT publishes the official season every year: for 2025 to 2026 it ran December 15 to April 30, and the notice for 2026 to 2027 is still pending. January and February are the busiest months, with mothers and calves resting in the warm water at the tip of the peninsula. By April the numbers thin out as the whales head north.
That is why this page says November to April and the planner marks January and February as best. If your trip falls in late November or early December you will probably see whales, just fewer of them. See the full whale season guide and what Cabo is like in January for the month by month detail.
Where you see the whales from a private yacht
The whales travel along the coast and cross the mouth of the bay, so the captain heads past the Arch and out to the Pacific side, toward Cabo Falso. That is the typical route on this page, 12 miles round trip. Most sightings happen in open water between Land's End and the lighthouse, where the swell is a little bigger than inside the bay.
For 2025 to 2026 the SEMARNAT notice set a restricted zone of 2 km around the Arch where whale watching is not allowed, because of heavy boat traffic there. In practice this changes nothing for you: the captain passes the Arch and the sea lion colony on the way out or back, and does the actual watching beyond that zone.
Example prices for whale watching in Cabo
These are the yachts most people pick for whales. All of them have a flybridge or an upper deck, which is the best place to spot blows.
| Yacht | 2 h | 3 h | 4 h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Ray 40 up to 12 guests | $879 $73 per person | $1,199 $100 per person | $1,499 $125 per person |
| Azimut 45 Flybridge up to 12 guests | $1,249 $104 per person | $1,649 $137 per person | $2,099 $175 per person |
| Sea Ray 55 up to 15 guests | min 3 h | $2,129 $142 per person | $2,709 $181 per person |
Prices per boat with 16% tax included; the 15% crew tip is not included. The per-person figure is the boat price divided by its full capacity, rounded.
The McKinna 70 is the all-inclusive choice, from USD 4,499 for three hours with a chef, a crew of five and complimentary drinks served by the crew. It and the Azimut 70, all-inclusive with complimentary drinks and a crew of three from USD 4,199, are the only yachts that serve alcohol; on the others you bring your own drinks and the crew keeps them on ice.
How to choose a yacht for whale watching
Height matters more than length. The Sea Ray 40 and the Azimut 45 have a flybridge that puts you well above the water, and twelve people fit on either one. The Sea Ray 55 carries fifteen and has an air-conditioned salon for anyone who wants a break from the wind. Winter mornings on the Pacific side are cool, so a warm inside space is worth more than it sounds.
If you are coming off a cruise ship, the Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, and must be back by 8 PM. For a group of two to six, the Bayliner 30 keeps the price down, but its deck sits low and you will spot fewer blows than from a flybridge.
What to expect on the water
The crew scans the horizon for blows, the puff of mist a whale leaves when it surfaces. Once a whale is found, the captain slows down, keeps the distance the rules require and lets the animal decide what happens next. Humpbacks breach, slap their tails and lift their fins, and a calf will often surface right next to its mother. Bring binoculars and a phone or camera with real zoom; the rules keep you far enough that a wide lens gives you a small gray shape.
The water runs about 72 to 74°F (22 to 23°C) in whale season, so a swim stop is for the brave. If anyone in your group gets seasick, read our notes on seasickness and the calmest times to go out and book a morning departure, when the Pacific side is usually at its flattest.
