Considered to be one of Mexico’s top vacation spots with a notorious party scene, Cabo San Lucas, in fact, is also the perfect underwater playground for snorkelers. Exploring the Sea of Cortez, famously referred to as “The Worlds Aquarium,” promises to be an unforgettable experience for all those with a passion for an underwater adventure.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, promises a snorkeling experience of a lifetime. Exploring “The Worlds Aquarium” gives snorkelers the opportunity to see an abundance of exquisite marine life, including living coral reefs. Some of the popular snorkeling spots include Land’s End and Santa Maria Bay.
Come and experience all of the magic that Cabo San Lucas has to offer in the scenic area of Baja California Sur. This vacation hotspot has so much to offer for individuals and families with children of all ages with a wide range of experiences to enjoy. Discover why Cabo, Mexico, should undoubtedly be your next snorkeling destination.
Snorkeling In Cabo San Lucas
Baja California and its Peninsula are home to a few of the world’s most thrilling snorkeling spots. The Sea of Cortez has been famously dubbed the “The Worlds Aquarium” by Jacques Cousteau, the famous sea explorer and coinventor of the Aqua Lung. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is undoubtedly home to an underwater paradise not to be missed by anyone with a passion for snorkeling.
Los Cabos, Cabo San Lucas, and San Jose del Cabo, located in the gorgeous Baja California Sur, are actually three separate towns that together are commonly referred to as Cabo. Keep this in mind for when we list some of the best snorkeling spots.
Cabo San Lucas offers some unforgettable snorkeling opportunities with parrotfish, pufferfish, angelfish, rays, and even a few species of sharks. We will explore more of Cabo’s marine life a little later on.
Snorkeling is a pleasant and safe way to enjoy up-close interactions with a stunning diversity of marine organisms against a backdrop of gorgeous underwater scenery, whether splashing around in a tidal pool or exploring the Sea of Cortez on one of the many snorkeling tour options that are available.
The Best Time To Go Snorkeling In Cabo San Lucas
Generally speaking, the finest and most popular months to visit Cabo San Lucas are between May and June, when the winter hordes have dispersed, and the summer storms have not yet arrived. October and November are also ideal months to visit Cabo for a vacation. However, this is one of the most expensive times to visit the area.
For snorkeling, in particular, April through October is the optimum period to explore the sea life at Cabo San Lucas since the water temperature begins to drop around November. Overall, the spring, summer, or fall months are the best for snorkeling. More experienced snorkelers and divers, on the other hand, will enjoy the waters all year since colder water temperatures aren’t much of a deterrent for them.
On a side note, if you’re particularly interested in whale watching, make sure to visit Cabo San Lucas between mid-December and mid-April. These months offer the best opportunities to witness one of the ocean’s most majestic creatures.
Marine Life In Cabo San Lucas
The waters in Cabo San Lucas are some of the densest when it comes to the population of sea creatures, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Cabo San Lucas has become such a hotspot for snorkeling, diving, and other water activities.
People who have snorkeled in Cabo San Lucas often say that there’s something about Cabo San Lucas’s marine life that leaves you feeling awestruck. The underwater adventure in Cabo San Lucas provides a majestic experience like no other, whether it’s the beautiful hues of coral, the exquisite diversity of its sea creatures, or the astonishing opportunity to swim with whales.
Here is some of the marine life that you can expect to see while snorkeling in the exquisite waters of Cabo, Mexico:
Sea Turtles
Undoubtedly, sea turtles are at the top of most people’s list of sea creatures that they would love to see while snorkeling. Thankfully, snorkeling in Cabo San Lucas can help you to tick that experience off of your bucket list, as these stunning creatures are a somewhat common sighting in the waters of Cabo San Lucas.
Even on the beaches of Cabo, you might be lucky enough to stumble upon nesting sea turtles, which would undoubtedly make a wonderful summer night stroll on the beach even more enchanting.
Seals
Another common sighting among snorkelers is the cute, friendly seals of Cabo San Lucas. The seals found in the Baja California area may have the most unforgettable and truly welcoming personalities. The seals in Cabo San Lucas are known to be rather vocal creatures, and their curious nature almost guarantees an encounter with one while snorkeling.
Outside of the water, next to the famous Cabo San Lucas Arch, is where you can expect to see many seals gathered, offering somewhat of a show by clapping their flippers.
Manta Rays
Manta Rays, which are relatives of stingrays, are another one of the most common snorkeling sightings in the seas of Cabo. They can grow roughly to an astonishing twenty feet in length and can be spotted on their own and in large groups.
Though you are almost guaranteed to see Manta Rays on a snorkeling or diving tour, you could even be tanning or strolling along the beach when these magnificent creatures make an appearance. That’s because the Manta Rays of Cabo San Lucas have been known to breach the ocean’s surface and soar five to ten feet into the air. What an astonishing sight that would be to see!
Sharks
Do not be alarmed. Although sharks have a dangerous association attached to their name, the species that you are likely to encounter in the seas of Cabo San Lucas are not going to harm you. Thankfully, shark attacks are simply unheard of in Cabo, which is great news for any kind of water enthusiast.
Cabo San Lucas is, in fact, home to the world’s largest shark – well, technically a fish – the exquisite whale shark. Whale sharks are very docile aquatic animals, despite their enormous size. Divers and snorkelers can swim alongside the slow-moving giants in the Sea of Cortez, making them a popular attraction.
Whale sharks have a rather frightening number of teeth, up to 3,000 teeth, to be more specific. However, they are all smaller than 6 millimeters long and are actually used for filtering rather than chewing, so you won’t need to worry about getting chewed up by one of these sea giants.
Living Coral Reefs
Another aquatic wonder can be found at the Cabo San Lucas Pulmo National Park, in the crystal-clear waters of Pulmo Bay. Here, snorkelers will be able to explore a living coral reef. The reef is one of just three live coral reefs in all of North America, with an estimated age of 20,000 years.
The Cabo San Lucas Pulmo National Park’s reef is home to a diverse array of marine life. The waters around the reef create an exquisite aquarium, allowing for the perfect view of all the sea creatures that have made this place home, such as sea turtles and eels. This Baja California gem is one of the world’s most intricate reefs and is undoubtedly a sight not to be missed.
The Best Snorkeling Spots In Cabo San Lucas
Now that you are more familiar with Cabo’s exciting snorkeling experience and diverse marine life, let us now help you in planning your next underwater excursion by diving into some of the best snorkeling spots in all of Cabo:
Land’s End
Land’s End is undoubtedly one of Cabo San Lucas’ most popular snorkeling spots. The Arch of Cabo San Lucas, Neptune’s Finger, Pelican Rock, Lover’s Beach, Whale’s Head, and North Wall make up each of the snorkeling spots at Land’s End, all of which offer excellent marine life sighting experiences and overall incredible snorkeling experiences.
If you visit Land’s End between mid-May and July, when the Mobula rays are mating, you’ll get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snorkel with enormous schools of these amazing creatures just outside the Marina. You will also likely see a large group of sea lions lounging on the rocks. Land’s End undoubtedly promises to be an unforgettable snorkeling experience.
Playa Chileno
The Chileno Reef, which stretches roughly half a mile out to sea from the popular Chileno Beach, is unquestionably a snorkeler’s dream. Playa Chileno boasts stunning crystal clear water and amazing coral formations teeming with wonderful marine life such as manta rays, starfish, tuna, eels, and sea urchins, to name a few.
Playa Chileno is located in Los Cabos, between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, along the popular Golden Corridor. Plan to start your day with a snorkeling excursion in Chileno Bay for the best experience, and then finish your day with a trip to Santa Maria Cove as an end to a fantastic day of snorkeling in Cabo.
Santa Maria Bay
Santa Maria Bay is definitely one of the greatest snorkeling sites in all of Cabo San Lucas. The beach at Santa Maria Bay is protected from the waves of the sea, which means that the water here is typically tranquil and shallow, offering an ideal snorkeling adventure.
Invertebrates and sponges flourish in the waters of Santa Maria Bay, in addition to tropical fish and exquisite sea turtles. You will have several options of joining one of the guided expeditions or, if you’d prefer, bring your own snorkeling equipment for a more private excursion.
Plan to get to Santa Maria Bay early in the morning before the other tourists come to ensure the best, secluded experience. If you happen to bring some crackers or bread, you’ll undoubtedly be surrounded by a lot of marine life. The exquisite corals can also be seen and explored near the rocks, so make sure not to miss out on snorkeling at Santa Maria Bay.
Snorkeling Tours In Cabo San Lucas
Oftentimes, one of the best ways to explore the waters of any snorkeling hotspot, like Cabo San Lucas, is to take advantage of the many snorkeling tours on offer. Aside from experiencing some of the best snorkeling opportunities with experienced guides, snorkeling tours also provide a luxurious time out on the waters of Cabo San Lucas, offering many benefits for your enjoyment.
Since it is such a popular snorkeling destination, Cabo San Lucas has several snorkeling tours available for your selection, regardless of your budget or the size of the group you are in. You will easily be able to pick out the perfect snorkeling tour for you.
Here are just a few snorkeling tour options in Cabo San Lucas to help you plan your next trip:
Fun Cabo
Fun Cabo is a tour company specializing in a wide range of outdoor activities, snorkeling included. They have several snorkeling tour options that can even be customized to meet your needs. One of Fun Cabo’s tour options is the Isla Chica Tour.
The Isla Chica Tour caters to groups of up to twelve people and includes a cruise around Cabo San Lucas bay and snorkeling at Lover’s Beach, Pelican Rock, and the Arch before anchoring at a semi-private beach to enjoy Isla Chica’s amenities.
The price for this tour is $740 for the entire group and includes the following:
- Four-hour cruise + snorkeling trip
- All snorkeling equipment needed
- Paddleboards for some extra fun
To explore more of Fun Cabo’s exciting tour options, click here.
Tours Cabo
Tours Cabo is another company offering some exciting snorkeling tour opportunities. One of their packages, called the Cabo Pulmo Snorkeling Full Tour, offers a thrilling snorkeling experience in Los Cabo, with roughly 226 species of fish to be seen all around the reefs of Cabo Pulmo.
The snorkeling spot that you will be visiting is roughly two hours from Cabo San Lucas, so be mindful of this when planning and ultimately booking your snorkeling tour.
For $150 per person, the tour includes:
- Hotel pickup
- Transportation for the whole trip
- All of your snorkeling equipment
- A certified snorkeling guide
- Snacks and water
- Lunch at one of the local restaurants
With a 5-star review rating, Tours Cabo is guaranteed to give you one of the best snorkeling experiences in all of Cabo, so be sure not to miss out! They offer many other package options too, which you can explore here.
Conclusion
Overall, a snorkeling experience in “The Worlds Aquarium” is undoubtedly an underwater adventure not to be missed. The seemingly endless opportunities for diverse marine life sightings and living coral reefs make Cabo San Lucas a must-visit snorkeling destination. Grab your fins and your snorkel, and get ready for the snorkeling adventure of a lifetime!
