La Paz Mayor Milena Quiroga Romero announced the close of the 2025-2026 whale shark season, reporting 950 total sightings and 56 individual sharks identified in the bay between October 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026. Of those 56 animals, 20 were new juvenile records never previously cataloged. Eleven whale sharks were still present in La Paz Bay when the season officially ended.
The data came from Whale Shark México, the research organization that tracks individual animals through photo identification. The city’s Tourism Directorate organized a formal ceremony called Homenaje al Tiburón Ballena (Tribute to the Whale Shark), which brought together civil associations, academic institutions, and marine conservation groups.
A Stronger Season After a Weak 2024-2025
The numbers mark a notable rebound. During the previous 2024-2025 season, whale sharks left La Paz Bay unusually early. Tour operators reported that the animals had departed by January 2025, forcing an early closure of swimming activities. By contrast, the 2025-2026 season opened at half capacity on November 12, 2025, with six sharks confirmed near El Mogote, the sandspit across from the malecón. By December, enough animals had arrived to allow full-capacity operations, and by mid-January authorities counted 30 to 40 whale sharks in the swimming zone.
Quiroga emphasized ongoing coordination with federal agencies and licensed tour operators to protect the species. Conservation rules remain strict: only 56 boats per day are permitted in the whale shark zone, and advance booking is required. Walk-up tourists are frequently turned away during peak weeks.
What to Know for the 2026-2027 Season
The official whale shark window in La Paz runs from October 1 through April 30 each year, though in practice tours do not begin until researchers confirm at least six to nine sharks in the area. In recent seasons (2022 onward), that threshold has not been met until mid to late November. Peak sightings typically fall between November and January, when plankton concentrations draw the filter-feeding sharks into the shallow waters near El Mogote.
La Paz sits about two hours north of Los Cabos via Highway 19. The next season will not open until autumn 2026 at the earliest.
The season-end figures were first reported by BCS Noticias.