By Rowan Ellis · Updated · Affiliate links, explained in my disclosure
CABO NATURE
Cabo: Whale-Whatching Boat Trip w/ All-Women Crew and Photos
4.9 (318) · from $91
Whale watching in Cabo San Lucas is a winter trip: three boat tours on GetYourGuide sell it, from $91, each between 2 and 3 hours, and all rated 4.7 or higher. The boats pass the Arch first, then head out to open water to look for whales. For the rest of the boat trips I compared, see my guide to boat tours in Cabo San Lucas. Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.
My pick for whale watching is the Cabo Nature small-boat trip at $91: 2 hours, 4.9 from 318 reviews, a maximum of 14 guests and a marine biologist on board. If you want a longer trip with hotel pickup, I’d take the True Baja tour at $97.
The Cabo San Lucas whale watching season is the winter. Wikipedia says pods of whales can be seen around the town in winter, and the NOAA humpback whale page explains that humpbacks feed in colder waters in the warm months, then travel to warmer waters in winter, where they breed. The only date range in my data comes from a private sailing listing, which says whale watching is part of every cruise from December through March.
None of the three whale tours gives a first or last sailing date that I can see. That is why I’d check the operator’s calendar before booking and avoid the shoulder months. If you are in Cabo outside winter, the snorkeling trips on my snorkeling page are the safer choice.
Whale season in Cabo San Lucas brings the other end of the story: how the tours are built. All three begin with the Arch. The Arch is about 1.3 miles from the marina in a straight line, so the first leg takes only minutes, and the rest of the trip is spent looking for whales. True Baja lists 15 minutes at the Arch and about two hours for the Gulf of California. The Pez Gato catamaran lists a 20-minute Arch photo stop, one hour for the whales and 20 minutes for a meal on board.
Because the timings differ, the number of minutes with whales is not the same on the 2-hour and the 3-hour tour. Cabo Nature does not give a minute count, and its listing says the sightings depend on the weather: the boat searches in the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Cortez.
Cabo San Lucas whale season is also the time to look at guarantees. Cabo Nature includes a “guaranteed sighting” in the form of a second tour free if you find no whales on the first. True Baja lists a sighting guarantee with another trip for free if you don’t see any. Neither is a promise of a whale; both are a promise of a second try. The Pez Gato catamaran lists neither.
Reviews are the check on those promises. True Baja has a reviewer who saw three humpbacks and says the pictures arrived by email in a couple of days. A Pez Gato reviewer wrote that they did not see many whales but still had a great time. I’d rather you know that before you book.
The best whale watching tours in Cabo San Lucas share a few features: a small number of guests, a guide who knows the animals, and a guarantee. Cabo Nature has the smallest boat, 8 meters with at most 14 guests, a marine biologist and a hydrophone for hearing the whales sing if time allows. Photos are included and food, hotel pickup and gratuities are not. It also says that part of the money goes to beach cleanups and whale rescue work.
True Baja is the bigger trip. It lists a shaded boat with a marine toilet, a bilingual guide, pictures of the whole experience, bottled water and granola bars, a life jacket, the dock fee and the protected area access fee, and a restroom at the meeting point. Hotel pickup is included, the trip starts from Chileno Bay Public Beach with a 30-minute van ride, and gratuities are extra.
CABO NATURE
My pick: My pick: $91, small boat for up to 14, marine biologist, photos and a free second trip if you see no whales; 4.9 from 318 reviews.
True Baja
My pick: The longer trip: $97 for three hours with hotel pickup, shaded boat and pictures; 4.9 from 196 reviews.
For a whale watching tour in Cabo San Lucas that also feeds you, the Pez Gato catamaran is the one. It costs $97 for 2 hours, is rated 4.7 from 131 reviews and includes hotel pickup (arranged at least 48 hours ahead), a light breakfast or lunch, an open bar with domestic drinks and gratuities for the crew. There are four pickup areas: San Jose del Cabo, the Tourist Corridor, Cabo San Lucas and La Playa. Wheelchair access is not available.
The description names gray, humpback and blue whales and adds new hydrophones. It lists a one-hour whale search, which is shorter than the True Baja trip, and the rating of 4.7 is the lowest of the three. I’d pick it when the breakfast and the open bar matter to your group, and a smaller boat matters less. If you would like a faster, sunset-style evening instead, the same operator runs a party cruise, covered on my sunset cruise page.
Pez Gato Amazing Adventures
My pick: The catamaran with breakfast and open bar: $97, two hours, 4.7 from 131 reviews; one reviewer saw few whales.
Whale watching in Cabo San Lucas is easy to book, because all three tours refund in full if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead. I’d book the earliest slot of the day when the listings offer a choice, since the wind usually picks up later, though that is general boating sense and not something the listings say. Read the line about pickup too: the Pez Gato hotel pickup has to be arranged 48 hours before, and the True Baja van leaves from Chileno Bay Public Beach.
A Cabo San Lucas whale watching tour is also a small-group wildlife trip, so listen to the crew. The Cabo Nature boat holds at most 14 guests, and its hydrophone only works if the engine is quiet. Whale watching in Cabo San Lucas is a lot more fun when you set your hopes for a good day on the water and not for a guaranteed breach, and the three tours I compared are honest about that.
| Tour | Operator | Price from | Duration | Boat | Rating | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale-Watching Boat Trip, All-Women Crew | Cabo Nature | $91 | 2 hours | 8 m boat, max 14 guests | 4.9 (318) | Free up to 24 hours |
| Whale Watching (Transport and Pictures Included) | True Baja | $97 | 3 hours | Shaded boat with marine toilet | 4.9 (196) | Free up to 24 hours |
| Whale Watching Catamaran Experience | Pez Gato Amazing Adventures | $97 | 2 hours | Catamaran | 4.7 (131) | Full refund up to 24 hours |
I’d bring sunscreen, a hat, a light jacket for the wind on open water, and a camera with a strap. Cabo Nature and True Baja both include photos, so you can keep your hands free. Cash is useful for tips on the two tours that leave gratuities out. Motion sickness tablets are a sensible precaution on any open-water boat; the listing for the Pez Gato catamaran does not mention the swell, so ask before you book if you worry.
For most visitors, whale watching in Cabo San Lucas works best on the Cabo Nature small boat. For a longer trip with pickup I’d book True Baja, and for a catamaran with food and an open bar, Pez Gato. Whichever you pick, check the season dates for your trip, and remember that all three refund in full up to 24 hours ahead.
For the other options on the water, go back to my guide to every Cabo San Lucas boat trip I compared, see the sailing page, or return to the Harbour Advisor home page.
The three whale watching tours I compared cost $91 for the 2-hour Cabo Nature small-boat trip, $97 for the 2-hour Pez Gato catamaran with breakfast or lunch and an open bar, and $97 for the 3-hour True Baja tour with hotel pickup, photos and snacks. Gratuities are included on the catamaran and left out of the other two.
Wikipedia says pods of whales can be seen around Cabo San Lucas in winter, and NOAA explains that humpbacks leave their feeding grounds for warm waters in winter to breed. One private sailing listing in my data says whale watching is part of every cruise from December through March. Ask the operator for the first and last sailing dates of the season.
Two listings promise a repeat trip, not a whale. Cabo Nature offers a second tour free if you find no whales on the first, and True Baja lists a sighting guarantee that gives you another trip for free. The Pez Gato catamaran has no such promise, and one reviewer wrote that they did not see many whales.
Cabo Nature meets in front of La Terminal de Cabo, opposite the Breathless Hotel, and the guide wears a green shirt. True Baja starts with a van from Chileno Bay Public Beach and returns there. The Pez Gato catamaran picks you up at your hotel in Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, the Tourist Corridor or La Playa.
Cabo Nature says it searches for humpback whales. The Pez Gato description names gray, humpback and blue whales, and True Baja talks about mating and breeding behavior. Which species you meet depends on the date and on the day, so the operators can only promise to look for them.
My full review of each one, in the order I rank them: