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. Guadalupes dive season runs from august to october. Cabo san lucas is a fabulous destination on mexicos pacific coast, famous for its impressive combination of mountains, desert, and ocean. Whales of guerrero research project oceanic society. Breeding for these whales typically occurs during the colder winter months when the water near the northernsouthern polar hemispheres begin to freeze over causing their food supply to migrate away and look for warmer environments. Socorro island is visited by thousands of humpback whales during their breeding season each year and is the best place to visit to swim with the whales. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface. You can enjoy whale watching in baja california sur.
The years of the north atlantic humpback project in 1992 to 1993 and the followup project, more north atlantic humpbacks, in 2003 to 2005 were international collaborations to monitor humpback whale populations, investigate humancaused deaths, and conduct various other surveys, including research on humpback songs, across many humpback habitats. The sea of cortez season runs from august to november and is best visited late in the season for the chance to see whales. Jan 21, 2020 humpback whale watching gets started in riviera nayarit. Whale watching in mexico all the details bring the kids. Humpback whales migrate to puerto vallarta each winter. Banderas bay is the winter home of a sea giant, an acrobat of the sea. As winter sets in over the nothern hemisphere, humpback whales from every ocean begin to arrive on their breeding grounds, the great majority of calves are born during this time, they spend several weeks in the warm tropical waters, and their mothers are among the last whales to begin the return migration to the. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity cf. A hydrophone, a special marine microphone, is onboard so you can listen to the whales. The whale watching season in mexico is reasonably short.
Humpback whales, however, arent afraid of people and are likely to leap out of the water right next to your boat. In fact there are over 25 different species of whale and dolphin that can be found swimming, living and traveling through the waters of the gulf of mexico the warm weather, connecting rivers and waterways and abundant food supply makes the gulf of mexico an ideal place for whales and other. Whales of guerrero study and protect whales boost the. Vavau, in our opinion, is the best place in the world for inwater encounters with humpback whales. Especially gray whales, humpbacks, finbacks and blue whales are regularly seen here from december to march. Governmental regulations limit any whale watching tours to this time period. From december to marchapril they mate and give birth in the warm and shallow waters off the baja california, mexico. To have an excellent chance of seeing whales, visit baja between the. Hawaii, mexico, and california are hot spots for viewing the marine mammals on their annual journey. Humpback whales breed and give birth in the warm waters near mazatlan so there is really a lot of action that youll be able to see. Look for humpback whales off the coast of mexico on a halfday whale watching tour from puerto vallarta. For this reason, we plan to do our dive trips to see the whales in august and september of 2020. A study prepared for international fund for animal welfare in 2009 estimated that million people went whale watching globally in 2008. But for 1 month every year the peaks of all 3 seasons cross over allowing us to run these super special whale expeditions to see the best of them all.
Group size is limited to 10 for personal service from the marine biologist. Every year, thousands of gray whales travel between mexico and alaska, one of the longest known maritime migrations. We specialize in biologist led, noninvasive interactions, while introducing cabo san lucas visitors up close to the over 600 humpback whales that frequent the southern sea of cortez during the whale watching season. Humpback whales the worlds best places for whale watching. 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. Its whalewatching season on mexico s pacific coast, from baja to oaxaca the season runs from december through march, although some areas see whales to the end of may published on thursday. These humpbacks are members of the north eastern pacific population. Humpback whale watching enjoy the best whale watching tour in puerto vallarta and riviera nayarit. September and october are the months to visit mexico for hammerhead sharks. Liveaboard diving in mexico is extremely popular with divers looking to encounter large pelagics and is one of the only places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales. The pacific coast of mexico provides important habitat for approximately 2,000 humpback whales that mate and calf there during the winter months and migrate north to california, oregon, and washington in summer.
Biologist led, 3 hour whale watching tours, leaving directly from the beach in sayulita. Humpback whale watching tours in cabo san lucas mexico. Visitors can choose from an array of boat options, from small boats like inflatable zodiacs to larger. Learn about the preventive measures implemented by vallarta adventures. How to go whale watching in baja california sur, mexico tripsavvy. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. 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. The best months for whale watching are august and september. Large cetaceans, such as humpback and gray whales, annually migrate over great distances from the cold waters.
Additionally, operators are only allowed to sell humpback whale watch trips within the defined whale watch season. Whale watching near sayulita sayulita mexico vacations. 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. Visitors can choose from an array of boat options, from small boats like inflatable zodiacs to larger catamarans and pirate ship dinner cruises. There seems to be no specific whale watching season in the philippines, although the calmer waters of the summer season typically provides the best conditions. The 5 best places to see the winter humpback whale migration. Every year in puerto vallarta mexico, the most acrobatic of all whales, the humpback, visits the bay of banderas in order to reproduce and give birth. 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. Its whalewatching season on mexicos pacific coast, from baja to. Humpback whale watching tour, mexico audley travel. October is generally the earliest that humpback and blue whales arrive at baja. Depending on the whales species some whales will travel to the gulf of mexico to breed and bear offspring. Thanks to its privileged location on popular cetacean migratory routes, it is a perfect place to go whale watching.
Baja whale watching expeditions gentle giants expedition. Cruise past the arch and the sea lion colony and then head away from shore to search for the migrating humpback whales, listening for whale song on an onboard hydrophone. The impressive blue whale is the biggest whale in the world, reaching 30 meters in length and weighing 120 tons. Whale watching in mexico the whale watching season in mexico is reasonably short. 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.
Humpback whales in puerto vallarta whale watch vallarta. Bajas whale season though whale watching in baja is a yearround activity, the winter months are the height of whale season. This population has been estimated to now be over 18,000 whales and their annual growth rate estimated between 67%. In mexicos stunning magdalena bay, humans and whales meet up. 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. During the cabo whale watching season, you can see different species of whale up close, in their element. The best whale watching spots in mexico culture trip. Mexico is a particularly popular destination for whale enthusiasts because of the annual migratory patterns of these majestic creatures. Jun 06, 2016 mulege, mexico as my traveling companions and i were planning our visit to the kuyima whale camp in baja california, we agreed that three days in mexico werent enough. Only a short boat ride outside the bay we saw six humpback whales. The mazatlanteacapan zone carries out activities for humpback whales. Like many things, there are exceptions to these general migration routes. The humpback whale watching season for cabo san lucas runs from mid december to mid april, the grey and blue whale seasons from mid january through late march. The season officially runs from december 15th, 2011 to april 15th, 2012.
To see the whales you really need to take an organized boat trip or a. The puerto vallarta humpback whales return from their summer feeding grounds along the pacific coast from california to alaska to the sea of cortez beginning in november of every year. This bay is nestled between the states of jalisco and nayarit, so puerto vallarta is a good point of departure. The muchanticipated visit of the humpback whales to the. 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. During that time, some female whales give birth while others reproduce before returning to their feeding grounds in the north. During boat tours, its possible to observe dolphins, sea lions, and even killer whales.
This morning it will be an early start as you are driven south to the tip of baja california. Each and every year thousands of humpback whales migrate all the way from alaska to give birth to their calves and reproduce in the warm waters of mexico and central america. In mexicos stunning magdalena bay, humans and whales meet. Humpback whales whale watching in puerto vallarta mexico. Like every year, around this time, the whale watching season arrives in puerto vallarta and riviera nayarit, starting on december 8 until march 23. On the other hand, our sea shepherd whale defender seafari does this too, but it also takes things a few steps further. Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. The weather is warm, but youll want to bring a wind jacket to keep you comfortable on the boat. This time of the year is spectacular for vacationers in nayarit, mexico who want to go humpback whale watching. Then they go on their long journey to feed in the rich feeding grounds of the north. Our goal is to entertain, educate and inspire our guests by showing them the best our oceans have to offer. Humpback whales arrive in puerto vallarta and riviera nayarit. With many cruise ships stopping here, there is no shortage of companies offering whale watching tours.
Humpback whales in puerto vallarta puerto vallarta whale. Cabo san lucas whale watching season begins baja mexico. Humpback whales are the species most frequently seen during the puerto vallarta whale watching season. Its an important season for the region, which adores these aquatic guests to the mexican pacific. 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. How to go whale watching in baja california sur, mexico. Mexicos baja california sur is a whale watching paradise. Every winter they swim along baja california, and its possible to see them from january to april near the south, in loreto bay. Some populations, like those of the irrawaddy dolphin, brydes whale, and humpback whales in batanes, appear migratory. Heres how to see humpbacks, gray whales, blue whales and whale sharks in the. Its whalewatching season on mexicos pacific coast, from. This vallarta whale watching photo safari tour perfectly captures the magical encounter with the beauty and grace of the banderas bay humpback whales.
Although a few humpback whales can be seen as early as may in the pacific side, t he whale watching season in colombia is from june to october. Learn about the majestic animals from your marine biologist guide as you ride on a small boat that is equipped with a restroom. 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. You can go whale watching in mexico throughout the year, but the peak whale watching season is winter and spring. Their winter stay lasts from december through march. See humpback whales in cabo san lucas on a whale watching tour led by marine biologist guides.
Humpback whales gather around the pacific coast near baja from december to the end of march. Some of the most popular whale species known to inhibit the golf of mexico include the blue whale, fin whale, humpback whale, minke whale, northern right whale, sei whale and the sperm whale, however there are many other lesser known whales that also inhibit these waters such as blainsvilles beaked whale, brydes whale, the dwarf sperm. Recent sightings whale watch cabo whale watching mexico. Mar 15, 2018 bajas whale season though whale watching in baja is a yearround activity, the winter months are the height of whale season. Conduct a field study of the humpback whale population in the area in order to establish a. Officially designated observation areas are located in baja. The muchanticipated visit of the humpback whales to the bay of banderas nature offers up some surprising events much to the delight of us humans. Katherina audley is the founder and director of the whales of guerrero project, an effort to study and protect humpback whales and support community development on the pacific coast of mexico. 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. 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. Its arrival begins around mid to late october and extends to around end of march. By the start of the official puerto vallarta whale watching season, december 8th, the population.
Mexico the best tips for whale watching in mexico whaletrips. Its whalewatching season in mexico as the pacific gray, humpback and blue whales migrate to mexican territorial waters to breed. Yes, whales can be found traveling throughout the waters of the gulf of mexico. Look for humpback whales off the coast of mexico on a halfday whalewatching tour from puerto vallarta. Overall, the pacific coast of mexico welcomes about 2,000 humpback whales to mate and calf. From december to march, these waters are their stage and refuge as they come here to give birth to their young or to. Humpback whale watching gets started in riviera nayarit. Tripadvisor humpback whale watching in cabo san lucas. Today we saw over one hundred dolphins feeding just outside the bay of cabo san lucas. Fifteen years of marine mammal studies have brought her up close to whales, dolphins, and pinnipeds in alaska,washington, oregon, california, hawaii, mexico, bolivia, argentina, and. Read more whales of guerrero season 4 results 2017 was an incredible year for the whales of guerrero research project and i am so grateful for our supporters continued commitment to ocean health and the people and.
431 1303 1164 1278 819 1279 389 250 1601 622 1600 1315 1072 434 522 150 504 175 1175 111 864 897 479 259 1233 1491 925 1009 438 51 58 278 78 1307 555 1451