Whale watch cabo is the only dedicated whale watching company based in cabo san lucas, mexico. Recent sightings whale watch cabo whale watching mexico. Dolphin and whale watching in puerto escondido hecktic. Tours can last anywhere from one afternoon to a full week with food and lodging accommodations provided by the tour company.
Apr 07, 2014 whale season in puerto escondido starts in december and tails off in march of every year. Experience magical, close encounters with the friendly gray whale mothers and calves of san ignacio lagoon, a unesco world heritage site. Whale sharks tours on isla mujeres mexico frequently. California gray whales migrate away from the cold, foodrich, waters near alaska to.
Therefore, in response to the growth of whale watching in baja and in an effort to reduce impacts to these marine mammals, the mexican government stablished strong whale watching guidelines nom 1semarnat2010. Apr, 2015 4 responses to 6 things to know this whale shark season. Although its very late in the season for whale watching our marine biologist katia and the captain were able to find a momma and baby humpback whale pair to follow for about an hour. To have an excellent chance of seeing whales, visit baja between the end of december and.
January through early april is peak time to experience the grandeur of the grey whale in mexico. This is when the sharks are abundant in waters around cancun, isla mujeres, isla contoy, and isla holbox. Whale watch vallarta nuevo vallarta 2020 all you need. Todos santos whale watching baja california, mexico. Ive always seen some whales while on vacation in the past, always went in march or april. But in reality there are not related to whales, they belong to the shark. Governmental regulations limit any whale watching tours to this time period. Pdf population size of the humpback whale megaptera. As these mighty whales reach 14 meters in length, it is possible to see them from the beach while theyre jumping in the sea, but theres nothing compared to getting a.
Large cetaceans, such as humpback and gray whales, annually migrate over great distances from the cold waters. Dec 29, 20 while fishing 38 miles out of venice louisiana we came across a couple of whales like favorite and subscribe. The impressive blue whale is the biggest whale in the world, reaching 30 meters in length and weighing 120 tons. Mexico is one of the worlds best destinations to swim with whale sharks, as hundreds of these huge fish remain in the waters of the yucatan peninsula. Every winter they swim along baja california, and its possible to see them from january to april near the south, in loreto bay. A sustainable, responsible whale watch company will give local fishermen extra means to support themselves and their families. Whale watching season opens in vallarta nayarit december 8. Finally after 3 summer we went to holbox and snorkeled with this amazing whales. According to rodriguez medrano, the ministry of environment and natural resources of mexico, all the captains and crew members are provided adequate training every year especially for the whale watching season. Mar 15, 2018 though whale watching in baja is a yearround activity, the winter months are the height of whale season. We are looking forward to a another great whale watching season in cabo san lucas. These guidelines are not only to regulate sightings, but to also promote the conservation of whale species, including the gray whale.
Whale watching cabo best time whale watch cabo tours. To download the full whaleplanner as a graphic, please just click this link and. The whale watching season officially starts on 15 th december with february being the peak month for sighting whales. Guaranteed whales with the most thrilling, environmentally responsible, sustainable, professional, comfortable, and educational whale watching tour company in vallarta. Dec 20, 2017 every whale watching tour has to get an official authorization from semarnat for its single vessel or corporate events. This bay is nestled between the states of jalisco and nayarit, so puerto vallarta is a good point of departure. Why whale sharks swim to cancun for spring break nature tripper.
The official opening date for the whale shark tour season as set beginning may 5, 2017 and the closing date of the season is september 17, 2017. It has a bulky head with bumpy knots tubercles and long pectoral fins. From the late 1980s onwards, local mexicans began to profit more directly from whale watching, by offering tours from their own boats to tourists arriving by land. Then they go on their long journey to feed in the rich feeding grounds of the north. Whale watching near sayulita sayulita mexico vacations. Another whale species you might see in the offseason is the humpback whale, whose adults range in length from 40 to 50 feet and often appear from april to june.
As these mighty whales reach 14 meters in length, it is possible to see them from the beach while theyre jumping in the sea, but theres nothing compared to getting a closer view. If you are not around in mexico in wintertime, another excellent opportunity to snorkel with whale sharks is in isla holbox or cancun riviera maya. A hydrophone, a special marine microphone, is onboard so you can listen to the whales. If they come through the cancun area at all, or somewhere nearby. The fishing village of puerto adolfo lopez mateos located at the north end of magdalena bay event holds the international festival of the gray whale is celebrated, whale watching tours are also.
Another whale species you might see in the off season is the humpback whale, whose adults range in length from 40 to 50 feet and often appear from april to june. Averaging 40 feet long and weighing 15 tons, the whale sharks presence is hard to ignore. Like the gray whale, the humpback is a baleen filter feeder whale that grows to about 12 to 16 meters 39 to 52 feet. The fishing village of puerto adolfo lopez mateos located at the north end of magdalena bay event holds the international festival of the gray whale is celebrated, whalewatching. Gray whales are 52 feet long and weigh 36 tons, yet are gentle enough to touch and baja californias pacific coast is the perfect place to experience the thrill.
Discover whalw watching tours in mexico and get ready for a great getaway. Mexico new zealand norway south africa accommodation facts about whales whale classification breeding patterns of whales whale migration join us mexico. The average weight is arround 15 tons the name whale shark comes from its size, being as large as some species of whales. The water is crystal clear this time of the year, meaning that when the whales come close to the boat, there are some great photos to be taken. The truth is not all whale watching tours in puerto vallarta are created equal. To see the whales you really need to take an organized boat trip or a private boat charter operated by an experienced skipper who knows where the whales are and how to approach them in the vessel without scaring them off. We tagged during the cool season, when the whales were located in the loretola paz corridor in the southwestern goc, close to the. By the start of the official puerto vallarta whale watching season, december 8th, the population of humpback whales in the bay of banderas in puerto vallarta all but guarantees multiple whale encounters on every tour. About mexico whale shark we first started operating the snorkeling tour swimming with the whale sharks in holbox island in 2001. The gray whales that visit these waters each winter are famous for their curiosity about humans, a phenomenon that began in the early 1970s when wild whales. Every year thousands of california gray whales migrate 6,000 miles from the cold waters of the bering and chukchi seas to the warm waters of baja californias central pacific coast. These include blue whales, fin whales, brydes whales, minke whales, and sperm whales. From december to marchapril they mate and give birth in the warm and shallow waters off the baja california, mexico.
The diversity of large marine mammals roaming offshore mexico include sperm whales, blue whales, killer whales, and grey whales, but all these are quite elusive and hence are rarely spotted during whale watching tours. Whale sharks tours on isla mujeres mexico frequently asked. We focus on educational tours led by marine biologists and naturalist. Whale watching cabo best time whale watch cabo tours mexico. Boats tend to converge on whales, and we really appreciated that our guides pulled off and found us new whales to view, rather than adding to the. Biologist led, 3 hour whale watching tours, leaving directly from the beach in sayulita. Mexico is a particularly popular destination for whale enthusiasts because of the annual migratory patterns of these majestic creatures. Humpback whales are spotted in the winter, spring, and summer, and the dwarf sperm whale tends to make an appearance in the fall. Baja california is fast becoming the premier location to watch whales in the world. A core group of 40 seasoned safe whale watch guides will monitor and enforce a culture for new guides to follow that will support guerreros reputation as a place where safe responsible whale watching occurs. In mexicos stunning magdalena bay, humans and whales meet. Magdalena bay, mexico just off the bow of our 22foot open boat what baja fishermen call a panga a whale spout erupts with an adrenalinspiking fwooosh. The humpback gets its name from its distinctive body shape.
Additionally, operators are only allowed to sell humpback whale watch trips within the defined whale watch season. Mar 17, 2017 a day of whale watching on scammons lagoon, guerrero negro, mexico video. Whale watching in mexico is at its best at four seasons punta mita, including humpback whales. Large dolphin populations swim very close to shore, and this is a unique opportunity to swim with them in their natural habitat. The dates we take reservations for the whale shark tour season as set beginning june1, 2020 and the closing date of the season is september15, 2020. The 20172018 whale watching season officially opens december 8, giving everyone a chance to observe humpback whales in their natural habitat. Here you will also find mexico whales watching trips and whale watching with experts more information. We also visit the beautiful sea of cortez for whale watching on this weeklong adventure on mexicos baja california peninsula. Whales of guerrero research project boost the economy. The whale sharks visit the mexican caribbean in summertime mid may mid september. These locations are prime for whale watching during their peak seasons. Every year, thousands of gray whales travel between mexico and alaska, one of the longest known maritime migrations. Humpback whales, however, arent afraid of people and are likely to leap out of the water right next to your boat.
Whale watching in magdalena bay encounter magnificent gray whales and sea turtles with a whale watching trip. Unlike most tours in other parts of the world, the density of whale sharks in the area nearly guarantees that youll experience an encounter. We focus on educational tours led by marine biologists and. Mexico to the southern tip of south america hoyt and iniguez, 2008, which followed on. This signifies that the boat has a whale watching permit and that the owner has attended workshops on whale watching and agrees to follow the whale watching regulations of mexico. Tours available in season from december through march.
Saving gray whales and responsible whale watching in baja. Peaceful isla holbox might go unnoticed entirely, except for some highprofile visitors that frequent its warm ocean waters each summer. But there she surfaced to our delighted squeals, and with a baby no less, meaning that they would come up much more often for air than the roughly fifteen minutes an adult whale can go without. This season applies to whale watching in the sea of cortez, as well. Every whale watching tour has to get an official authorization from semarnat for its single vessel or corporate events. While you are on the whale trail download the free mobile application, whale. A total of 1184 humpback whales were identified in mexican waters between. Whale watching mexico watching whales gray whales, humpbacks. The warm lagoon waters along the coast of baja, mexico, are the ideal location for gray whales to give birth before their long migration back to summer feeding grounds in alaska. Fin whale movements in the gulf of california, mexico, from satellite. Puerto vallarta, mexico offers many ecological tours, but nothing compares to the thrill of whale watching on banderas bay. Dolphin and whale watching in puerto escondido hecktic travels. In the weeks in the whales will venture as far south as cabo pulmo and cabo san lucas to winter, before turning around and heading north again to summer in arctic waters some of the pacific bays and lagoons of baja.
We were without a doubt the first ones to take a visitor out on this wonderful adventure, without knowing it was going to become such a big event every year. San ignacio lagoon and sea of cortez oceanic society. These whales are particularly acrobatic, so you might see them splashing about on the surface of the ocean in addition to coming up for air. In addition, whale watching is becoming more common in the sea of cortez. Whales are our passion, and we love to share these moments with you.
Mexico whales watching whale watching with experts. Just off the tip of mexicos yucatan peninsula is a small island untouched by mass tourism. Mar 20, 2017 the official opening date for the whale shark tour season as set beginning may 5, 2017 and the closing date of the season is september 17, 2017. For more information on whales and whale watching in baja, please contact. Other tour operators may accept tours outside these dates, but only take tours inside official tour dates and when we are confident in our ability to provide a memoriable tour without distressing. Of the whale watching tours we offer in baja mexico, this one is best for seeing whales at very close range, and plenty of them. The whaleplanner february a whale watching infographic. More than 20 species of whales are encountered around baja most yearround, making this area an important center for whale observation. Mexico, specifically the area north of isla mujeres on the yucatan peninsula, is the seasonal home of large numbers of whale sharks over the. Whale shark facts the whale shark is the largest fish on the planet, reaching lengths of arround 18 to 40 feet 5.
Mexico whale watching will reveal colonies of gray whales that are among the most gentle whale species in the world. Although the film used varied by region and season. You can enjoy whale watching in baja california sur. Whale watching in mexico the whale watching season in mexico is reasonably short. The whales of guerrero research project was launched in 20 to generate needed data about humpback whales in the state of guerrero, mexico. Given it was the end of season for whales in the area, we had searched for nearly an hour to find her, and had almost given up and turned for shore. Gray whale watching season begins in early december and moves along the pacific coast of the baja peninsula and ends in early april as the whale return north. The project also aims to raise awareness about the presence of whales in the region and to support the local economy through the development of responsible whale and wildlife tourism programs. Whale watching season in banderas bay and the pacific ocean near puerto vallarta officially begins december 8 th and runs through the winter until march 23 rd. The whale watching season in mexico is reasonably short. Though whale watching in baja is a yearround activity, the winter months are the height of whale season. In fact our head guide elisa has seen whales on over 99% of the tours she has led.
We also visit the beautiful sea of cortez for whale watching on this weeklong adventure on mexico s baja california peninsula. Whale watch vallarta is nuevo vallartas 1st dedicated whale watching company. The gray whales that visit these waters each winter are famous for their curiosity about humans, a phenomenon that began in the early 1970s when wild whales first. Whale watching tours with gray whales in bajas magdalena bay. The best places to swim with whale sharks lonely planet. A day of whale watching on scammons lagoon, guerrero negro, mexico video. When to schedule your whale watching trip off the sunny coast of mexico, you can see california gray whales reaching the end of their 6,000mile migration from the chilly waters of alaska. Whale watching tours with gray whales in bajas magdalena bay gray whale watching guaranteed. In mexicos stunning magdalena bay, humans and whales meet up. Espiritu santo island snorkel with sea lions and beautiful reef fish, kayak around the turquoise waters, and discover virgin beaches.
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