Updated July 2025

Guide To The Best Whale Watching in Panama

Welcome to whale watching season in Panama! But then again, when isn’t it?! Panama Whale Watching, although not many people have discovered it yet, is like visiting a Mecca for humpback whales. Panama welcomes these humongous cetaceans to its warm, tropical Pacific waters 7 out of the 12 months of the year! From July through October (officially ending on October 15th) Panama is safe haven for humpback whales traveling from the Southern hemisphere, on what’s considered the longest mammal migration ever recorded, traveling about 5000 miles all the way from Antarctica! And not only that, but they arrive by the thousands!! While from January to March, Panama is a preferred destination for humpback whales coming from the Arctic North, which may travel as far South as Venezuela. Aside from Costa Rica, Panama is the only other place in the world to receive humpback whale populations from both poles!

When is the Best Time To Book A Whale Watching Tour in Panama?

July 15 to October 15 is the Official Whale Season in Panama

If you’re looking for an amazing whale watching destination, whale watching in Panama should top your list! For the best chances of spotting whales, you should plan your Panama Vacation between July and October. The concentration of whales is best between August and September every year. This is also the only time of the year that you will find multiple options for whale watching from Panama City. There are public boat tours that tend to operate on weekends only, and private whale watching charters you can book any day of the week. The public catamaran tours are more economical, but for your best chance of getting up close photos of whales, you will probably have a better experience on a private charter. Some even allow you to add on a marine biologist guide and a hydrophone for the best whale watching experience.

What Kind of Whales Can You Find in Panama?

Humpbacks whales in Panama are the most popular whales you will find in migrating through Panama and the ones you will most likely spot.

As mentioned, Panama is one of the few places on Earth that receives humpback whales migrating from both the north and the south poles looking to breed and give birth to their calves. Humpback whales are still mysterious animals to humans; they’ve certainly been studied for many years and yet little is known about their fascinating behavior. Whales can grow as big as 50 ft in length and weigh up to 50 tons; imagine an eighteen-wheeler gracefully flying out of the water! Humpback whales are very well known for their acrobatics and everlasting songs, yet no one knows what they mean really; some believe it could be part of a mating ritual, others a way to communicate between them, and there are other strange theories out there but no one knows for sure. What we do know is that humpbacks really know how to put up a show! And your Panama whale watching tour will be unforgettable.

Where is the Best Place to Find Whales in Panama?

Panama’s Pearl Islands whale watching excursions are among the best places to find whales and the most beautiful too!

Whale Watching in Paradise, Pearl Island Whale Watching

The search for whales takes you out to the Pearl Islands, a true gem about 40 miles off Panama City’s Pacific coast with turquoise waters and pristine beaches that can be compared with the Caribbean. This archipelago and its beautiful white-sand beach islands have been the set for the American reality series “Survivor” 3 times already! Whale sighting rates recorded around the Pearl Islands have an outstanding 99% positive outcome, which means that even though no nature tour can guarantee you see whales, you have a pretty good chance to spot MANY on a whale watching tour to Pearl Islands. Although the Pearl Islands are a good distance away and a bit more costly than your average off-shore whale watching excursion, there are one-day whale watching trips to the Pearl Islands easily accessible from Panama City and totally worth every penny! AND if you’re already out at Contadora Island, one of the archipelagos 100 islands with a good tourism infrastructure by the way, there are less expensive Panama whale watching tour options readily available departing right from the beach!

Whale Watching Taboga Islands & Panama Bay in Panama City

A second very common sighting ground for humpbacks, and much closer to Panama City, is Taboga Island. Isla Taboga, or Island of Flowers, is only 12 miles from the entrance to the Panama Canal, south of Panama City. It is not uncommon that people aboard ships anchored waiting to transit the canal see whales from their front row seats, so if traveling aboard a cruise ship to Panama any time during whale season don’t forget to look out for the whales! Whale sightings from Taboga are not as overwhelmingly high as at the other Pearl Islands further out, but still with an 80% success rate it is pretty good! The cost for a day trip to Taboga Island is more within budget, so if you can’t spend the bigger bucks to travel all the way out to the Pearl Islands you can still enjoy an outstanding Panama whale watching trip to Taboga Island and the Bay of Panama.

Whale Watching Gulf of Chiriqui

If you have the opportunity to visit Boquete or the Gulf of Chiriqui, whale watching in the Gulf of Chiriqui is a must! Much more rustic than the Pearl Islands, the archipelago you will find in the Gulf of Chiriqui National Park and Coiba National Park are a natural safe haven for mother humpback whales to give birth and nurse their young. You will not find any large boat excursions here, but you can find smaller group tours such as this whale watching excursion from Boquete. You can also find Pilot whales, sperm whales and even Orcas in the Gulf of Chiriqui. Isla Palenque tends to be a whale gathering spot, so most whale watching tours take clients to that region for the best whale viewing opportunities.

What Other Kind of Marine Life Will We Encounter on a Panama Whale Watching Excursion?

Of course Humpback whales steal the show, but you can find other species of whales, multiple varieties of dolphins, rays, sea turtles & more. Panama’s marine life is vast.

Aside from humpback whales, which are the main attraction for sure, in Panama you can also spot the occasional blue whale as well as some sperm whales, mink whales, whale sharks or even orcas! On these Panama whale watching trips you also have the chance of encountering many other species of marine life such as a variety of dolphins (bottlenose, pantropical spotted, rough-toothed, short-beaked common and spinner dolphins), sea turtles, giant manta rays, and several species of birds. Panama is also a bird watching paradise with over 900 bird species!

Choosing a Responsible Whale Watching Tour Operator in Panama

So if you decide to choose Panama as your tropical whale watching destination, always look for whale watching excursions that safeguard the well being of the whales and other sea creatures. There are tour companies out there, like naturalist guide and whale expert Anne Gordon de Barrigon’s, which respects the whales and follows all regulations and safety steps to ensure the whales are treated with respect. Married to a true Emberra Indian from Panama, Anne practically started whale watching in Panama! And then there are others who do not care about the wellbeing of the whale itself, they try to please the clients to get up closer for that epic photo or video. Take a look at our wonderful whale watching experience vs the horrifying experience of these other clients out for a day of whale watching in the Pearl Islands.

Please, for the love of whales, be a considerate tourist. If you see these types of abusive activities, please report it.

Panama: Whale Watching in Paradise

Panama might not figure number one among world whale watching destinations, but it should! Home to so many tourist attractions, humpback whales are one more reason to visit beautiful Panama. Get ready for a WHALE of a time!!