Los Cabos Authorities Urge Tourists Not To Book This Unregulated Tour

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Last Updated 7 months ago

A few days ago, twenty orcas, also known as killer whales, were spotted in the waters of Baja California Sur. 

Following the event, some content creators shared videos showing people swimming with these majestic animals in the town of La Ventana. 

But are tourists allowed to do so? 

Can Los Cabos tourists swim with killer whales?

Tourists should not swim with killer whales due to safety reasons. 

In this regard, Francisco Gómez, the Executive Director of the Museum of Whale and Marine Sciences, declared that even though some tourist providers are starting to offer this activity, at the moment, there is no authorized tour operator offering this service.  

Talking about this issue, Francisco Gómez stated: “They offer trips, but don’t let locals, tourists, or even the tourist service providers themselves be fooled, no one has permission or authorization to swim with orcas.” 

Everything you need to know about killer whales

Orcas are incredibly smart animals and despite being often referred to as ‘killer whales’ they are a type of dolphin.

While males range from six to eight meters in length, females are usually smaller in size, going from five to seven meters. 

These animals are highly social and live in groups called pods. Killer whales hunt several animals, ranging from fish to sharks, seals, walruses, penguins, sea turtles, and even some kinds of whales. 

In light of this, are these animals dangerous for humans? 

Is swimming with killer whales dangerous?

Even though orcas have never been documented attacking humans in the wild, this doesn’t mean that swimming with them is safe.

As with every other large animal, getting too close to them has its own risks. Most importantly, humans may disturb and harass these marine mammals with their presence. 

Francisco Gómez explained how killer whales communicate through sounds traveling in the water. Because of this, the loud noise of boats approaching their habitat may constitute a huge disturbance for them.

In this regard, he declared: “We must (…) take into account that these organisms communicate almost like us through sounds that are clicking. The presence of boats with engines at full speed [constitute] noise pollution.”

Francisco Gómez later added: “The sound travels from three to four times more amplified in the aquatic environment than on the surface.” 

On top of this,  the Executive Director of the Museum of Whale and Marine Sciences stated how the unregulated presence of humans can be a cause of stress for orcas. 

“We are putting them in a situation of stress (…) because we do not have knowledge of the behavior of these organisms.”

Francisco Gómez also specifies how boats approaching their habitat may scare away their prey, causing anger and frustration, which may then lead to aggressive behavior. 

“They come tired and hungry and we are scaring away their prey, they can react negatively against human beings,” said Francisco Gómez.

Other Los Cabos activities

Despite this, Los Cabos tourists shouldn’t get demoralized as this Mexican municipality offers plenty of opportunities for animal spotting.

First and foremost, tourists can book an official whale-watching tour. These services range from $100 to $500 per person and allow visitors to see stunning marine mammals such as humpback whales and sometimes even gray whales. 

Whales approach the coasts of Baja California Sur in early December and then leave in mid-April, meaning that foreigners wanting to try this experience only have a few weeks left to book a tour. 

For those wanting to swim with marine mammals in all safety and without disturbing these gentle giants, swimming-with-whale-shark experiences are the ideal solution. La Paz is the perfect place for this activity, with plenty of authorized tours offering this service. 

Lastly, people can opt for a visit to the San José del Cabo Estuary to try to spot some of the migratory bird species living here. Some of the animals found in this area include stilts, pelicans, cormorants, mallards, ospreys, egrets, and sandpipers.