Sea of Cortez
Spotter Airplane Supported Mobula Ray & Orca Ocean Safaris

Spotter Airplane Supported Mobula Ray & Orca Ocean Safaris

Our beautiful Sea of Cortez is home to many different and exciting migrations of megafauna, including one of our favourites, the Munk’s Pygmy Devil Ray (Mobula munkiana). From April to July, hundreds of thousands of mobulas gather in dense schools. Where there are mobulas, there are killer whales (Orcinus orca). We use dedicated aircraft support to spot our snorkelers and divers onto mobulas and orcas and also whale sharks, blue and fin whales and much more!

Where There Are Mobulas, There Are Orcas

Orcas (Orcinus orca) are commonly known as killer whales, or to be more accurate, these large apex predators are actually giant dolphins by definition. Males can grow up to 30 feet in length and swim over 35 mph, but the grandmas are the real bosses of the family. These fascinating and highly intelligent “resident” and “oceanic” whales often stay in tight family groups for their entire lives. “Transient” orcas are a little different and travel individually or in small groups of two or three animals maximum. The orcas that we hope to encounter are individuals from the Eastern Tropical Pacific population that is known to travel between Baja and Costa Rica.

The Flying Rays of the Sea of Cortez

Seeing the colour variations and geometric patterns of these rays as they dance underwater is a hypnotizing sight and a dream for photographers. Above water, these rays have earned a reputation for their acrobatic prowess. Hailed as the flying rays of the Sea of Cortez, rays are typically five to seven feet across, and witnessing males leaping out of the water, wings (pectoral fins) flapping, is an unforgettable sight. More athletic individuals can reach an altitude of ten feet or more, and while it’s a guess on our part, we believe that the higher the boys jump, the more impressed the girls are!

Mobula Ray Tour Encounters

Embarking on our luxurious 116 ft expedition yacht, the Nautilus Gallant Lady, we’ll follow this epic migration across the Sea of Cortez. Suitable for snorkellers, swimmers and divers of all experience levels and fitness, we’ll put you in the water for virtually unlimited time with schools of mobulas.

If the rays are on the move, some encounters might only last minutes, but other encounters might last for an hour or longer, and sometimes the mobulas will even allow you into the middle of their squadron. The icing on the cake? Experience special night encounters with schooling rays as they swarm around our dive lights in shallow protected bays…

Your Mobula & Orca Expedition Looks Like This

Day 1 – Welcome Aboard!

Our Nautilus owned SeeCreatures is located right in the harbour in downtown Cabo San Lucas and is your home away from home. We encourage you to fly in early and allow us to arrange for some local diving. Your trip includes a complimentary Backscatter lesson. Our photo pro’s will coach you on how to get that perfect underwater images, help set up, service or repair your camera gear, assist with camera rentals. You are welcome to drop your bags off and check-in whenever it’s most convenient. We ask that you please be at SeeCreatures by 4 pm for the pre-boarding health check. This trip is predominantly focused on snorkelling and freediving, however if you would like to dive you will need to bring your own gear. We have full rental gear available and can get you suited and booted. Enjoy a nice evening walk, arriving back at SeeCreatures by 7pm for the safety video and boarding the boat at 7:30pm. Settle into your cabin before enjoying a delicious dinner as we cruise towards the Sea of Cortez.
Day 2 – Meet the Mobulas

On your first day out at sea, we’ll be heading out in search of the mobulas. Baja Expeditions has been doing this for 47 years, and our crew is comprised of pioneering old timers who know these waters, and its wildlife, better than anyone. Anyone who is interested can get out and have a freediving lesson; we’ll have you descending to 30-ft by the end of the day. For a more relaxed affair, you can opt to spend your time onboard relaxing on the sundeck with a good book or soaking in the hot tub. We also have kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.
Days 3-4 – Aerial Support

For at least two days of the trip, we will be using an aircraft to provide aerial spotting to maximize your encounters with the mobulas and, hopefully, orcas. Our pilot specializes in finding orcas and is the very best in the business. The best place to find them is in the triangle between Espiritu Santo, Carpenter Rock on the west side of Cerralvo, and Las Ventanas on Baja, and we will be focusing our search within this area. Be patient, as it might take ten splashes for the mobulas and orcas to allow snorkelers and freedivers into the middle of the pack, but you’ll be rewarded with truly spectacular encounters. We are only able to launch six divers or snorkelers at one time with the mobulas or orcas to give everyone the best experience. But that doesn’t mean we can’t launch 2 sequential groups of six. You will get as much time as you want in the water. After a delicious lunch on deck, we’ll head back out on the water again in the afternoon. We will keep our support boats running as late as anyone wants up until dusk.
Days 5-7 – Mobulas & Orcas

For the next couple of days, we’ll be back on our own again to look for mobulas and orcas. In the evening, you’ll have the chance to see the mobula rays in a different light. Literally. There will be the opportunity to go snorkelling at night in a calm, protected bay, where we will suspend lights off the bottom of the boat to attract swarms of mobulas. The mobulas come in to feed on the plankton exposed by the lights, providing a spectacular show against the inky ocean. If you’re a certified diver with your own gear, we can also arrange for you to go night diving.
Day 8 – Wave Goodbye

Sadly, it’s the end of your trip. After a final breakfast we’ll disembark the boat in Cabo at 8:30am.

You may wonder…

What Are Your COVID-19 Protocols?

Our job is to keep our guests and crew safe. Now more so than ever during the COVID-19 crisis. Please find our latest covid protocols here.

Will We See Orcas on These Trips?

Yes, our pilot tells us that there is a 40% probability of seeing orcas on any particular day. We’ll be searching hard for them. Multiply this by five days and the odds are in our favour. Our expert pilot and master aerial spotter will scan the seas from above and maximise your time with this magnificent migration.

Will you be able to get in the water with the orcas? Yes. Noting that to be in compliance with federal regulations, we can put you in the water when we see the orcas. It’s up to the orcas to come in and check you out. In our experience, you will likely have to do multiple “jumps” before the orcas will relax and come in for a close look at you. Otherwise, the Sea of Cortez is a pelagic paradise, and you might also come across huge pods of dolphins, sperm and fin whales and even whale sharks.

Are Orcas Guaranteed?

Every mobula ray tour is different. Sometimes we might get right onto a huge school of mobulas surrounded by orcas and everyone will have an amazing time. On other trips, we might have to work really hard to find the really big schools of mobulas and to locate the orcas. We’ll have three days of aerial spotting (weather and flying conditions permitting) on every trip, and we know the orcas will be in the general area between Cabo Pulmo and Los Islotes.

The Gallant Lady is the perfect expedition yacht for this with a giant crows nest that towers high over the boat, seating for four and steering controls for the captain. It’s as if the ship was built specifically for spotting mobulas and orcas. If we have trouble getting on orcas, we will call in air support from La Paz for additional help. At Nautilus and Baja Expeditions we try to cover all the bases and have our own ultralight spotting aircraft.

When Will We Be Able to Get in The Water?

Most snorkelling and freediving will be done either from our 32-foot-high speed aluminum hulled “zodiac style” RHIB or even from the large water level platform at the stern (that’s the back end) of your yacht. You can count on a couple of evening snorkels in a quiet bay with underwater lights and, hopefully, swarming mobulas. But you can spend as much time as you want in the water.

What Other Wildlife Will We See?

We’ll be on the lookout for large pods of dolphins and of course, you will have the opportunity to jump with those guys as well. To be frank, you never quite know what amazing animals you might see in the Sea of Cortez and we’ll be keeping a sharp lookout for sperm and fin whales and whale sharks. Noting that the famous whale shark conservation area at Mogote is closed to visitors at this time of year.

What is Included in the trip?

Accommodation, all meals (continental breakfast, breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert), non-alcoholic beverages and snacks, daily room service, towels and onboard facilities such as the hot tub and lounge… and lots of fun!

Exclusions: 5% tax, bar, gift shop, crew gratuities, internet access, $65 port fee, and foreign tourist tax for non-residents of Mexico.