Whale watching

Season first, then the boat

The first rule of whale watching in Cabo San Lucas is that it’s seasonal. From roughly December to mid-April, humpbacks and grey whales migrate down the Pacific and round the tip of Baja into the warmer Sea of Cortez, breaching and tail-slapping close enough to shore that you’ll sometimes spot them from the beach. February is the peak — the best odds of a good show. Outside that window there are essentially no migrating whales, so a summer trip will be a boat ride with no whales; check the calendar before you book anything.

Within the season, the choice is the boat. Trips leave from the Cabo San Lucas marina, and they range from cheap open pangas to small marine-biologist-led naturalist boats. Prices run from about £40 to £95 per person (roughly US$50–120), the pangas at the lower end. My honest steer: pay the bit extra for a licensed naturalist trip. The pangas do find the whales, but a trained guide explains the behaviour you’re watching, the groups are smaller, and the boat is set up for viewing rather than just getting you out there.

What the day is like, and the caveats

A typical trip runs 2.5 to 3.5 hours including the run out past the famous El Arco rock and back, usually morning or early afternoon. Bring sun protection, a layer for the wind on the water, and motion-sickness tablets if you’re prone — the swell off the point can be lively.

Is it worth it? In season, genuinely yes: seeing a humpback breach a few hundred metres from the boat is the kind of thing you remember, and February rarely disappoints. The caveats are real, though — wildlife is never guaranteed, rough days can be cancelled, and the cheapest pangas can feel cramped and uninformative. Book a reputable, licensed operator, go for a morning slot when the sea is calmest, and treat February as the month to aim for.