Ultimate Whale Sharks
Sea of Cortez Adventures

Recent Trip Video

SEASONS

June – October
8 Days, 7 Nights

TYPES OF ADVENTURES

Liveaboard

Spotter Airplane Supported

PRICING (pp. dbl occ.)

From US$2,895

Destination Overview

Ultimate Whale Sharks
Sea of Cortez Adventures

Whale sharks!! Who doesn’t want to swim with whale sharks, especially when there are loads of them to see in a deserted bay and national park deep into the reaches of the Sea of Cortez. Bahia de Los Angles is a very special place with up to 220 friendly and curious whale sharks visiting every season and is best accessed by a liveaboard expedition ship. 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. So break out the good china and sign up for a trip, joining us for a superb 8 or 10 day Ultimate Whale summer expedition.

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.

Typical Itinerary

Fly into Los Cabos (SJD). While it’s easy to fly into SJD on the same day that you are boarding your ship, we encourage you to come in a day or two early and take advantage of some extra diving. Perhaps warming up with a local 2 tanker, taking a nitrox course or maybe enjoying the more challenging diving at Gordo Banks or a day trip to Cabo Pulmo. Our concierge team will happily assist with finding you the best deal on local hotels.

Day 1 – Boarding Day!
Please check in at SeeCreatures Cabo by 4:30 pm at the latest for your coach transfer to La Paz. Our hosties will be waiting on the back deck for you with silver trays of chilled champagne. Dinner onboard and we will be getting underway for the start of your adventure.

The Sea of Cortez!
Everyday will be different and your captain and dive guides will update your itinerary to maximize animal and diving encounters and minimize any challenges with weather. This is a great time of year to dive the Sea of Cortez with water temps in the high 70’s or 80’s. One of the nicest things about this time of year is that the seas are often very calm without any motion aboard our heavy steel stabilized ships. Our spotter airplane will be out scouting for big animals during your trip with fingers crossed on pilot, blue and sperm whales and hopefully even orcas.

Day 2
Las Animas. Sea lions and fingers crossed on hammerhead sharks.

Day 3
Isla San Ildefonso. Lovely diving north of Loreto.

Day 4
Isla San Pedro Martir. The jewel of the Sea of Cortez. Loads of sea lions, black coral, great diving. And the largest population of blue footed boobies in the world

Day 5
Bahia de Los Angeles. Whooohhoooo!! This is it. The dream. The ultimate destination for whale sharks and lots of them. We may have the bay entirely to ourselves with morning and afternoon swimming with these friendly whale sharks using local pangas and captains.

Day 6
Stopping back in a Isla San Pedro Martir because it’s a great dive site. And it’s special diving in such a remote place.

Day 7
At sea with spotter airplane support with special attention to our “secret hot spot” by Mulege. We usually encounter pilot whales and dolphins at the hot spot and sometimes sperm whales. And of course you are very welcome to jump in the water with them.

Day 8 – Last Day
8:00 am arrival in La Paz with complimentary transfers back to SJD or SeeCreatures Cabo. Or better yet, stay with us in La Paz for a bit longer and we will get you out on more local diving!

See What Guests Have Said

What Guests Have to Say About Ultimate Whale Sharks

Whale Shark Magic: A Day to Remember
Whale shark expedition day! The anticipation builds, how will it be? There were almost 30 of us, would there be enough whale sharks to go around? Read full review
Mike P. onboard the Nautilus Gallant Lady

More Than What I Was Expecting
This trip has been fascinating and way more than what I was expecting. Upon boarding this ship I was shocked at how beautiful and comfortable the ship is. Read full review
Chic onboard the Nautilus Gallant Lady

First-Class Experience for Divers of All Skill Levels
The Gallant Lady by Nautilus is a beautifully well-appointed ship built to provide a best in class live aboard SCUBA diving experience for an intimate number of guests. She holds only 12 divers but on the trip I was booked on, there were only six divers in the group! Read full review
Vic Joshi onboard the Nautilus Gallant Lady.

Operated For Safety

Operated For Safety

Safety is a very serious business. Mother Ocean can be capricious and unforgiving. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and you should expect and demand no less. In our view, every dive boat should be operated within a certified ISM safety management system, outfitted with sprinklers, emergency smoke hoods for everybody and the same safety, fire, life saving equipment and radios as the largest cruise ships. Captains, mates and engineers should have professional commercial mariner qualifications and all crew should have STCW professional mariner certification. Safety is not something to publish in a brochure. It’s part of our DNA. A cornerstone of our culture. Something that we have been living by for every day of the last 30 years.

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