In the Sea of Cortez, you have so many options to choose from, including our newly revised and finely-tuned Ultimate Whale Sharks adventure.
Whale sharks are present year-round in the Sea of Cortez, but every summer, something extraordinary occurs. Between May and November, an aggregation of between 80 and 220 whale sharks takes place in Bahia de Los Angeles. Not all at once of course! What makes this an “ultimate trip” is the extraordinary nature of this gathering. It occurs in a remote bay that is super difficult to reach, and we are typically alone with the whale sharks with no other boats around. Spending a day swimming with these magnificent creatures is our ultimate ambition on this trip.
The trip itself is a remarkable voyage, starting with a coach transfer from Cabo San Lucas, adventuring from La Paz deep into the Sea of Cortez with full spotter airplane support, looking for critters. The adventure usually starts with several of our favourite dive sites, such as La Reyna and Espiritu Santo, with mesmerizing tornadoes of fish. Afterward, we’ll head off for an overnight journey to Las Animas, fingers crossed on hammerhead sharks. We will be sure to see inquisitive acrobatic California sea lions here as well as many other sites on this trip.
We’ll plan on one day in Loreto National Park, where we are likely to dive to a great shipwreck as well as the beautiful Carmen Island. The scenery here is stunningly beautiful, with steep mountains cascading right down to the sea, creating a breathtaking backdrop. A day spent at San Pedro Martir is very special. This oasis is in the middle of the Sea of Cortez, located at the edge of massive upwellings of nutrient-rich deep ocean water and teeming with life. We have a unique permit to go ashore here with the largest breeding population of blue-footed boobies in the world!
You can be sure of a very full day in Bahia de Los Angeles, where we almost always enjoy numerous and memorable encounters while swimming with whale sharks. Although Mother Ocean doesn’t always smile on us – we had one trip in 2023 in which sightings were somewhat sparse. Our final day at sea is the voyage back to La Paz, hopefully stopping for a swim with dolphins or pilot whales at our secret sweet spot close by Mulege. It’s a great spot and we have also had multiple encounters here with sperm whales and are always on the lookout for orcas!
Click here for dates and rates and availability.
Cocos island of the sharks and Costa Rica!!
Our exploratory adventure to Costa Rica was very interesting, and we will be heading back for sure in 2024. Cocos was great! Everything we had been hoping for after decades of dreaming about the place.
Our ocean and rainforest trips didn’t go as smoothly, but has loads of potential. On the north route, we are super keen to do more trips there but with rigid hull inflatables instead of pangas, and a different itinerary. The south route went a lot better and also has loads of potential. Heck, where else can you see sloths, monkeys, and flocks of red macaws in the morning, followed by great diving in the afternoon. We will be heavily discounting these coastal trips again in 2024 as our exploration continues.
We hope to have 2024 Cocos dates from the park authorities shortly. Please let us know if you are interested in our “will call” list! Contact us.
All new! Luxury Mothership Kayaking Tour! 8-days / 7-nights aboard our 116 ft Nautilus Gallant Lady
Paddle as much or as little as you like, with our very experienced guides. Suitable for all ages, experience and fitness levels.
Explore the stunning route from Espiritu Santo up to Loreto, where you can rest, relax, and effortlessly covering the bigger passages onboard your liveaboard. Complete with attentive staff, air conditioning, hot tub, fine diving, and large comfortable suites. We have been operating Liveaboard trips for a long time and our sister company, Baja Expeditions, pioneered paddling trips around Baja using high end Seaward fiberglass touring kayaks. But this will be a first for us, combining luxury and paddling in the Sea of Cortez.
March 16 – 23, 2024 // US$3,995 pp. dbl occ. // Book now
7-days / 6-nights guided Overlanding adventures reimagined and you won’t find anything like it elsewhere
This is overlanding, Baja Expeditions style. Say goodbye to roughing it in the wild. We bring comfort to the heart of the Baja wilderness from the sand dunes of the pacific coast to San Ignacio Lagoon to cave paintings and ancient missions to our beautiful sea of Cortez.
Here is what sets us apart:
- Our own company-owned, late-model, fully-rigged Toyota Tacoma trucks.
- Overlanding with a chef: creating mouthwatering dishes from locally sourced ingredients. Say goodbye to campfire beans and canned goods.
- Bar: relax and watch the sunset while the stars come out, with a craft beer, refreshing margarita, single malt, or our fully stocked bar.
- Hot shower: yes, you read that right. You’ll enjoy the luxury of a hot shower even in the heart of the wilderness.
- Bathroom: no more digging cat holes! We provide a clean bathroom on our base camp vehicle, ensuring your comfort throughout the trip.
We are not just about adventures. At Nautilus we have been about making lasting memories in comfort and style for almost 30 years.
US$3,995 pp. // 7-days / 6-nights.
Jan 20 – 26th, 2024. Overland expedition from La Paz to San Ignacio Lagoon. Incl. 2 nights at the lagoon and 2 days whale encounters. Fly back to Cabo.
Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2024. Overland expedition from San Ignacio Lagoon to La Paz. Fly Cabo to the lagoon for 2 nights, 2 days of whale encounters. Adventure back to La Paz.
