The biggest stars in Cabo aren’t the Hollywood actors and actresses that jet down each weekend for 
getaways in their beachfront luxury villas, but rather the enormous whales that annually leave their summer feeding grounds in polar waters for a long migration to their winter homes in Baja California Sur.
Like the movie stars and snowbirds who flock to Los Cabos around the same time, these leviathans of the deep know when to make a well-timed entrance.
Each year from mid-December to mid-March (scouts show up a little earlier, stragglers leave a little later), between 5,000 to 10,000 whales traverse vast tracts of ocean, bound for the warm water coves and lagoons of Baja Sur, where females birth babies the size of small cars. In 2014 – 2015, a gray whale dubbed Vavara made what is the longest mammalian migration ever recorded: nearly 14,000 miles round-trip, from Russia to Cabo San Lucas and back.
Maria would have been a more appropriate name, since she like so many others was originally born in Mexican waters.
Grays and humpbacks are the whales most commonly sighted by those in residence in cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, but it is not uncommon to also see blue whales, sperm whales and even orcas. The breeding grounds for gray whales are centered around Magdalena Bay on the Pacific Coast, while the other species continue on into the Sea of Cortez.
Humpbacks are the most flamboyant of the visiting cetaceans, prone to spectacular breaching. There is no single explanation for this behavior: some speculate that these acrobatic leaps are made to rid the whales of barnacles, others that it is a form of non-verbal communication.
Maybe they’re just showing off.
Whatever the reason, the high-flying humpbacks are the primary attraction during seasonal whale watching tours in Los Cabos.
Although whales can occasionally be seen from shore–golfers are occasionally startled by humpback splashdowns near seaside greens–most visitors interested in up-close looks at these gargantuan creatures sign up for one of the many local whale watching expeditions.
During the winter season, seemingly every commercial boat in San Lucas offers some sort of whale-focused excursion, from small pangas and fast inflatables to fishing boats, sailboats and luxury yachts. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each variety of watercraft, but depending upon whether one prefers high-speed action and adventure or comfort and style, there is a tour type that will appeal to virtually every taste.
Some local adventure companies even offer hydrophones, so that in addition to the sight of these magnificent creatures, guests can also listen to their incredible “songs,” a form of language so complex scientists are still struggling to achieve an even rudimentary understanding.
Call 1-888-655-4548 for more info on Los Cabos Vacation Rentals
Photo courtesy of Gregory “Slobirdr” Smith (Wikimedia Commons).
Please let me know what you think about this!