Every winter, humpbacks arrive from the North Pacific to mate and calve off the tip of Baja, close enough to see from the marina.
From about mid-December to mid-April, humpback whales gather in the warm waters off Los Cabos, with the best sightings from January to March.
Males sing and compete, mothers rest with their calves, and breaches, tail slaps and fin waves are common. Some years they're visible from the marina and the hotel terraces of the Corridor.
Boats leave both Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo every morning in season. Pangas, small open boats, get you closest and bounce the most; catamarans are slower but gentler and have shade and toilets.
Grey whales pass the Pacific side too, though the famous grey whale lagoons are much further north.
What a typical boat trip looks like.
Meet at the dock for a briefing and life jackets.
Most boats head out past the arch to open water.
The crew scans for spouts and splashes.
Boats keep their distance and let the whales come to them.
Back by late morning, before the wind picks up.
.jpg?width=960)
_(9660851285).jpg?width=1280)
Book a day or two ahead in season; mornings are calmest.
Pangas for closeness, catamarans for comfort and for children.
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Pexels under their licences.
.jpg){kind=link}
_(9660851285).jpg){kind=link}