In this time give it to me easy when whales soar high
By Fernando Rodriguez
Whale watching season in Los Cabos officially begins in December. That cool winter time of year when those enormous visitors return to their annual place of giving birth, is quite possibly the 3rd biggest attraction to this Southern Baja California region of year round summer paradise, behind the sport fishing tournaments and golf. The Sperm and Humpback whales who venture this way year after year, generally spend a good part of about five to six months in Cabo San Lucas during this life-giving time and visitors from all regions of the United States and Canada make their way in Los Cabos and not see—but be a part—of this magical whale watching time of year.
Most of the companies that offer whale watching tours in San Lucas use the same small group, small boat approach to better enrich the tourists whale watching experience and also maintain non-invasive interactions with the humongous whales that visiting families and guests get so charged up about seeing. This respectful form of following the whales and capturing on video or camera this once in a lifetime views of the unique adventure seems to work out best for everyone involved, especially the whales.
This friendly concept allows for a tremendously cool outing in which people enjoy the thrills of seeing the acrobatic displays of mating whales, and the surreal visions of mother whales and new born baby whales interacting after birth. It is undoubtedly what makes whale watching in Cabo San Lucas one of the best places in all of the world to see whales. The endless days of sunshine and warm weathered waters, is the Los Cabos trademark and tradition which attracts these whales and the visitors who fly down here to not only see but be near them again and again year after year.
Cabo Rey and Cabo Expedition, are two of the twelve tour company that provide whale watching services. The range in cost are generally set at $89 US dollars for adults and $60 USD for children ages 8-12 years old. One of the highly sought after tours is the three and a half hour Sunset whale watching tour, which is priced at $95 USD; which includes appetizers & drinks, listening to humpbacks on a hydrophone, while quietly drifting into the sunset around the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean waters.
The Buccaneer Queen gives the whale watching tour a nostalgic experience aboard their authentic-looking, 96-foot long pirate ship; which has been featured in the ‘’Cutthroat Island’’ movie starring Geena Davis, as well as having been showcased in several television commercials. Built in San Diego California, during 1968, as an exact replica of an ancient galleon that sailed these waters thousands of years ago by fortune seeking, blood thirsty Buccaneer pirates. Cabo Expeditions brings their 15 years’ experience as a leader offering Bilingual knowledgeable guides that make the tour fun and educational.
The whales migrate south to Baja California’s Los Cabos waters from as far away as 6,000 miles for the winter warm waters found in the Sea of Cortez, do so in bunches. Traveling from as far away as the frigid northern waters of Alaska to mate and give birth to their young. Most of the gigantic creatures are mammals, whose length ranges anywhere from 40-50 feet long and are said to weigh as much as 73,000 pounds.
Cabo Sails, and the equally sounding Cabo Sailing, offer high-speed, inflatable boats that provide guest with great opportunities to witness and photograph these amazing animals. Both near-identically named tour companies are “whale friendly” and safety conscious whale watching tour companies, vying to make every tour an experience to remember. Newborn whales enter the world of Cabo San Lucas at about 15 feet in length and weigh around 1,500 pounds. Their mother’s whale milk is known to be more than 50% fat and at least 12 times richer than cow’s milk, which allows the baby whale to build up blubber and strength for their long return trip north; once spring in Los Cabos arrives in May.
Famous for their festive sunset dinner booze cruises, Cabo Escape and Sunrider, also provide visitor’s with an exhilarating and wonderful whale watching experience. Meandering through Sea of Cortez waters on the look out for the spouting or visible exhales of air by these friendly mammals, as well as the incredible breaching action of whales leaping almost completely out of the water and falling back; where they create their signature spectacular splash, which everyone loves.
Mother whales have been captured in video footage being extremely affectionate with their young and Pez Gato and Cabo Mar are two more expert whale watching tour companies who always deliver exceptional service as well as Tropicat and Ocean Rider. Four other whale watching tour companies whose boat have the unique hydrophone listening technology that allows listening to whales communicate underwater.
