Whale watching cruise

Humpbacks come to the coast off Mazatlán to mate and calve, and the season is shorter than in Los Cabos, roughly early December to the end of March, with the best weeks before March. Mothers swimming with calves are a common sight, along with breaching, tail slaps and males competing for a female. Dolphins and sea lions often turn up, and some gray whales pass through.

Most boats leave the marina around half past eight in the morning and are out for about three hours. They are small: super pangas and research boats taking ten to fifteen people, a few of them fast semi-rigid boats with sonar and a hydrophone for hearing the songs. On the research trips a naturalist photographs the tail flukes to identify individual whales and passengers help log them. The fast boats are noisy and the ride can be bumpy, and it is cool on the water, so a windbreaker helps. Not every boat has a toilet.