Mexico · WHALE WATCHING

The 15 Best Whale Watching Trips in Mexico

33 tours  ·  from $45

Grey and humpback whales come down the Pacific between roughly December and March, and Baja and Banderas Bay are where you meet them. The 15 below compare boat size, how long you are out and what happens if nothing surfaces.

Luxury Catamaran Whale Watching Cabo San Lucas - From your hotel to the marina
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Luxury Catamaran Whale Watching Cabo San Lucas

1.Luxury Catamaran Whale Watching Cabo San Lucas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,107 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $129Our pick

Cruise from Los Cabos on a double-decker catamaran with guides such as Jacob, Marco, and Captain Reyes. See the Arch, listen to whale songs through a hydrophone, and watch humpbacks from the Sea of Cortez while enjoying drinks, snacks, and hotel pickup.

“We didn't get any reminders or messages about the pick up time. One was sent in January but I checked the app many times and never saw the one they sent with a pick up time. We have done other tours through Viator and had good experiences. We always get reminders. We didn't even get a phone call when they got to the hotel. We were downstairs at that time and could have come right out. I will NEVER use Viator again. I expect a refund!!”

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Whale Watching Cabo-Women crew-Sightings Guaranteed & Free Photos - The 20-minute stop at El Arco
Los Cabos Tours, Photography Sessions, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching, Whale Watching in Los Cabos

Whale Watching Cabo-Women crew-Sightings Guaranteed & Free Photos

2.Whale Watching Cabo-Women crew-Sightings Guaranteed & Free Photos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,743 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $100

Join Cabo Nature’s women-led crew for a two-hour whale watch from Cabo San Lucas. Marine biologists such as Aurora, María, Daniela, Belem, and Niki guide a small boat across the Sea of Cortez or Pacific, using a hydrophone to hear whale songs. Photos and a whale-sighting guarantee are included.

“smaller boat format allowed us to get closer. Crew was knowledgeable and fun! Definitely recommended.”

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Whale Watching, The Famous Arch and Fast Boat Tour in Los Cabos - What the zodiac boat feels like on the water
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Whale Watching, The Famous Arch and Fast Boat Tour in Los Cabos

3.Whale Watching, The Famous Arch and Fast Boat Tour in Los Cabos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 693 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $99

Ride a high-speed inflatable boat from Cabo San Lucas to search for humpback whales from December through April. Your guide explains whale behavior and uses onboard hydrophones so you can hear their calls. The return route passes the Arch, Lovers Beach, and a sea lion colony.

“We had a great time on this well-organized whale-watching excursion. Check-in was smooth, and the facility was clean, spacious, and easy to find. Our guide was knowledgeable and engaging, providing interesting insights into the marine life we encountered. We were fortunate to see several whales along with other large fish, making for an exciting experience. The reason I’m giving four stars instead of five is that the tour was significantly shorter than advertised, with no explanation. The website stated the trip would last 2 hours and 15 minutes, and at check-in, we were told 2 hours and 30 minutes. However, we returned to the dock in under 1 hour and…”

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Whale Watching Cruise In Puerto Vallarta & Nuevo Vallarta - What whale watching can look like here
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Whale Watching Cruise In Puerto Vallarta & Nuevo Vallarta

4.Whale Watching Cruise In Puerto Vallarta & Nuevo Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 398 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $99

Spend about four hours sailing Bay of Banderas on a spacious catamaran with live commentary, whale and dolphin sightings, breakfast, Mexican lunch, and an international open bar. Meet at Puerto Magico in Puerto Vallarta. The boat holds up to 120 people.

“Well organized. Great team. Good food. Fun time. Would use them again. Very comfortable cat with plenty of room to move around for pics”

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Los Cabos Whale Watching (Transportation and Pictures Included) - Two hours searching for humpbacks
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Los Cabos Whale Watching (Transportation and Pictures Included)

5.Los Cabos Whale Watching (Transportation and Pictures Included)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 290 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Join True Baja for a small-group whale watch from Cabo San Lucas. Guides such as Leonardo, Leo, Lorenzo, and Pablo explain local whales and marine life while the captain seeks humpbacks, dolphins, turtles, and mantas. Expect Land’s End views, sea lions, snacks, hotel pickup, and included photos.

“Professional, knowledgeable and friendly staff. Captain of boat and Lorenzo our guide made sure we had a great experience finding and seeing whales. Great excursion . They also were one of the few outfitters that would pick up at our hotel and we were happy we chose them.”

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Dolphin & Whale Watching in Puerto Escondido - Starting at 7am near Puerto Angelito
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Dolphin & Whale Watching in Puerto Escondido

6.Dolphin & Whale Watching in Puerto Escondido

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 278 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $65

Set out from Puerto Escondido at 7am with Omar’s Sportfishing to search for wild dolphins, humpback whales, sea turtles, manta rays, and seabirds. Guides such as Alex, Johnny, and Fernando share practical marine-life insight. Swimming with dolphins may be possible, but jellyfish and sea conditions can make it unsafe.

“Omar was so great on our trip. We saw dolphins & whales and it was really amazing. Thank you!! Would recommend to anyone looking to see some wild sea life”

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Whale Watching Group Tour in San Jose del Cabo - Two hours on the Sea of Cortez
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Whale Watching Group Tour in San Jose del Cabo

7.Whale Watching Group Tour in San Jose del Cabo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 243 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $99

Spend about two hours on the Sea of Cortez with Salty Cabo Excursions, looking for humpback and gray whales. Guides such as Paola, Sofia, Luisa, and Kate explain whale behavior, use an underwater microphone, and share tour photos. The group is capped at 10 people, with several departure times.

“Great tour. Our guide knew so much information about the Whales and really made the tour wonderful. If you get a chance to use this Company you won’t be disappointed.”

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Cabo San Lucas Whale Watching Lunch Cruise - Boarding at Cabo Marina
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Cabo San Lucas Whale Watching Lunch Cruise

8.Cabo San Lucas Whale Watching Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 197 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $115

Board Sunrider Tours at Cabo Marina for a 2.5-hour whale watch led by the captain and crew. Cruise past El Arco, search for humpback and gray whales, then enjoy a fresh Mexican buffet, open-bar drinks, music, and dancing on the ride home. The boat has two decks and returns to the marina.

“Wonderful outing! We've done many boat trips in Cabo. The larger boat is smoother than small boats and put us higher so we could see farther. We saw many whales. Great crew, delicious lunch, better quality beverages than on other boats. There was plenty of seating both outside and in the shade, clean restrooms.”

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Whale Watching Experience - What the speedboat changes
Puerto Vallarta Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching, Whale Watching in Puerto Vallarta

Whale Watching Experience

9.Whale Watching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 186 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $89

Set out from Puerto Vallarta’s Maritime Terminal on a fast, open boat with a marine mammal expert such as Chai, Enrique, Lilou, or Andrea. You’ll search Banderas Bay for winter humpbacks, listen to whale calls through hydrophones, and may see dolphins, rays, turtles, and Marietas Islands views.

“Our Captain, Jesus and guide Daniel were 5 stars! Knowledgeable and very invested that we had a great experience. Respectful of preservation and mindful of not stressing them! The tour was actually longer ( in the best way) than we paid for and we were literally surrounded by humpback whales we also saw pods of bottle nose dolphins. A large pacific Ray, a sea turtle and a mom and 1 week old baby learning to breathe air.”

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Open Ocean Safari and Whale Watching - El Arco, Cabo’s signature opening
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Open Ocean Safari and Whale Watching

10.Open Ocean Safari and Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 178 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $215

Set out from Cabo San Lucas at 9 a.m. with Apex Ocean Divers for a four-hour search across the Pacific and Sea of Cortez. Expect a small group of up to 10, snorkeling with rays and reef fish, whale and dolphin sightings, a stop at El Arco, snacks, and photo and video coverage.

“I have to say, when I booked this experience I did zero research and chose it purely based on the pictures they posted. I really wasn’t sure if those photos were real or just clever advertising, but I took a leap of faith. Let me tell you — those pictures are 100% real and still don’t do justice to the moments we actually experienced. It was insane, to say the least. This was our first time doing a safari-style adventure on the water, but the fact that the rest of our small (!!!) group consisted of professional free divers and marine-life photographers with thousands of followers on social media speaks…”

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Whale Watching Adventure – Led by a Marine Biologist - Leaving Marina Vallarta on a small boat
Puerto Vallarta Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching, Whale Watching in Puerto Vallarta

Whale Watching Adventure – Led by a Marine Biologist

11.Whale Watching Adventure – Led by a Marine Biologist

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 176 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Start with a short whale-biology talk at Ecotours Vallarta, then set out from Marina Vallarta with a marine biologist and captain. You may see humpbacks, dolphins, sea turtles, and manta rays, while an onboard hydrophone lets you hear whale songs. Groups are capped at 14.

“This whale watching tour was absolutely fabulous! The highpoint of the tour was when our boat driver Raphael saw two whales blow out in the distance, and he drove the boat to that location. There were no other boats around and he and our guide Cristina looked for the location to stop the boat. He turned the engine off and we just waited. In a few minutes two huge whales started swimming around our boat. There were a total of 13 people on board, so was not a large boat. The boat did seem very stable and we all had a life vest on. The whales swam around the boat,…”

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Whale Watching Guaranteed Experience in Puerto Vallarta - Searching the bay, one sighting at a time
Puerto Vallarta Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching, Whale Watching in Puerto Vallarta

Whale Watching Guaranteed Experience in Puerto Vallarta

12.Whale Watching Guaranteed Experience in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 156 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $99

Spend about three hours on a high-speed boat searching Puerto Vallarta’s humpback whales. Guides such as Benji explain whale behavior, while captains Jose, Miguel, or Hido may steer you toward pods, mothers, calves, and dolphins. Lunch, snacks, and water are included, with cruise-terminal pickup available.

“Guide was very informative and made the trip fun. We saw several whales and got some great pictures and video”

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Small-Group Whale Watching Zodiac Boat Cruise in Cabo San Lucas - Leaving Cabo Marina and heading for open water
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Small-Group Whale Watching Zodiac Boat Cruise in Cabo San Lucas

13.Small-Group Whale Watching Zodiac Boat Cruise in Cabo San Lucas

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 143 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $85

Ride a fast Zodiac from Cabo San Lucas toward the Pacific or Sea of Cortez, pause at El Arco, and search for humpbacks, gray whales, dolphins, and more with a marine guide. Crews may include captains such as Jose, Baltazar, Oscar, or Rodrigo. The ride is exciting, wet, and sometimes rough.

“Overall it was an amazing tour, saw many whales and dolphins. It would have been better to have fewer people in the boat. Many times the view was blocked by other people standing and was difficult to take photos.”

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Whale Watching Tour with Arch and Beach in Cabo San Lucas - What the roughly two-hour outing includes
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Whale Watching Tour with Arch and Beach in Cabo San Lucas

14.Whale Watching Tour with Arch and Beach in Cabo San Lucas

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 142 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $51Best value

Cruise from Cabo San Lucas Marina past the famous Arch, search for whales and sea lions, then explore Cabo or a nearby beach stop. Guides such as Alan and Saul have earned praise for spotting whales, but beach access, boat style, language support, and tour length can vary.

“When we arrived 10 minutes before our booking time they made us wait forever and then tried to say we were late and didn’t have a booking, they also said many more lies and tried to make us pay more money.”

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Los Cabos: Whale Watching (Transport and Pictures Included) - Pickup from three parts of the Cabo area
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Los Cabos: Whale Watching (Transport and Pictures Included)

15.Whale Watching (Transport and Pictures Included)

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 138 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $94

Set out from Cabo San Lucas Marina with guides such as Pablo or Leonardo to spot humpback and gray whales, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, and more. Your shaded boat includes a marine toilet, water, snacks, roundtrip hotel transport, and guide-taken photos at no extra charge.

“We went with our family—our two kids, who are 10 and 9, and my parents—and it was truly the best experience. I would do it ten times over without hesitation. I’m not sure if we just got incredibly lucky with how many we saw or how close they were, but it was absolutely fantastic and something I’ll never forget.”

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New in Whale Watching

★ 5.0Whale Watching in Cabo San Lucas on board our Luxury Trimaran!From $11532 reviews
★ 5.0Whale Watching Experience in Cabo San Lucas41 reviews
★ 5.0Whale Watching & Snorkeling Combo in Los Cabos with Photos IncludedFrom $12541 reviews
★ 5.0Los Cabos Private Yacht Whale Watching & Drinks – Up to 18 Guests66 reviews
★ 4.0Whale Watching and Cabo San Lucas ArchFrom $4849 reviews
★ 5.0Educational Sunrise Whale Watching with Photos Included38 reviews
★ 4.5Whale Watching in Cabo: 2-Hour Small Group Tour to The ArchFrom $4562 reviews
★ 4.03-Hour Whale Watching and SnorkelingFrom $4562 reviews
★ 4.7Up-Close Whale Watching Small-Group TourFrom $11557 reviews
★ 4.92-Hour Whale Watching AdventureFrom $9939 reviews
★ 4.8Luxury Catamaran Whale Watching ExperienceFrom $12963 reviews
★ 4.92.5-Hour Whale Watching TourFrom $10935 reviews

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