Mobula ray / Orca / Whale Shark Ultimate Combo
Whale sharks!! Who doesn’t want to swim with whale sharks, especially when there are lots of them to see in a deserted bay and national park deep into the reaches of the Sea of Cortez. Bahia de Los Angeles is a truly special place, with up to 220 friendly and curious whale sharks visiting every season, nestled deep in the reaches of the Sea of Cortez and best accessed by a liveaboard dive ship and Nautilus. Friendly and curious whale sharks?? Yes, indeed. There are so few boats around that these whale sharks behave very differently around humans than in any other place.
The only thing that could make this adventure even more special is a unique trip overlapping 2 seasons in July combining mobula rays / orcas / whale sharks with spotter airplane support. So, break out the good china, sign up for a trip, and join us for a very special 10 day / 9 night ultimate whale expedition this summer.
This adventure combines some of the best diving in the Sea of Cortez supported by our spotter airplane with a large seasonal gathering of whale sharks in a deserted bay in the middle of nowhere. This summer gathering of whale sharks is legendary in Baja. Between 80 and 220 whale sharks have been identified during May to October. Bonus is all the other big critters in the Sea of Cortez this time of year. We will be keeping a sharp lookout for orcas, pilot whales, sperm whales and finback whales, as well as going ashore on a desert island with the largest population of blue-footed boobies in the world.
$3495 departs from Cabo July 7, 2024.
Returns to La Paz July 16 with complimentary transfer to SJD or SeeCreatures Cabo.
Early booking bonus: $300 onboard credit.
Sample itinerary
10 days / 9 nights
Fly into SJD Los Cabo or your option, LAP.
Day 1:
Meet at SeeCreatures Cabo. Afternoon board your liveaboard and depart for cocktails, dinner, and a sunset cruise into the Sea of Cortez.
Day 2:
Wake up in a bay close to Cerralvo Island loaded with aggregating mobula rays. Huge schools of these beautiful rays gather overnight and through 9 or 10 o’clock in the morning and we recommend an early start to the day to get the best in-water experience with the rays. We will likely spend the afternoon diving or snorkelling La Reyna.
Day 3:
Espiritu Santo Unesco World Heritage site and national park.
Day 4:
Wake up at Las Animas for some great diving or snorkelling with sea lions and our best chance to see hammerhead sharks.
Day 5:
Wake up in the Loreto National Park. We’ll likely start with a wreck dive and then some of our favourite sites around Carmen Island, or something equally fun depending on the animals and weather. Our spotter airplane will be out scouting for interesting critters in the area.
Day 6:
Wake up at Isla San Pedro Martir, the jewel of the Sea of Cortez. Experience everything from black coral and interacting with sea lions to great diving to and going ashore to exploring this desert island, under one of the very few permits ever issued. We will be at anchor tonight.
Day 7:
Another day exploring San Pedro Martir.
Day 8:
Bahia de Los Angeles. Yes, we can go diving if you want, but this is our chance to spend the day swimming and snorkelling with whale sharks in splendid isolation. With a bit of luck, we will have the whale sharks to ourselves. These whale sharks are often interested in human watching and can become quite friendly with us.
Day 9:
Sea day transiting home. BUT we will be detouring right through the “sweet spot” we discovered. There are good upwellings in this area, and with the help of our spotter airplane and crew on the top deck glued to their binoculars, we have had good luck with both sperm whales and pilot whales, and sometimes even orcas.
Day 10:
Breakfast. Disembark in La Paz by 8:30 am. Transfer to SJD or SeeCreatures Cabo, or stick around and let’s go on another adventure.
