Sea Lion in the sea of Cortez

Immerse Yourself in the Sea of Cortez

5 Night GetAway
7 Night Classic
La Paz / Loreto Sea of Cortez

SEASONS

January – July: Peak Animals
Mid-July – November: Peak Diving
September – March: Most Popular

TYPES OF ADVENTURES

Liveaboard, Yacht Charters, Ocean Safaris
Base Camp, Day Trips

PRICING (pp. dbl occ.)

5 Night GetAway: From US$1,795
7 Night Classic: From US$2,495
La Paz / Loreto: From US$2,595

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Your Summer Get-Away Begins Here
Dive the World’s Aquarium

The Sea of Cortez is a diver’s paradise. With its unique ecosystem and the overall natural beauty, have earned a UNESCO World Heritage Site status. We have been diving here for almost 5 decades and every time it has been exciting! Come see firsthand why this sea is called the “Aquarium of the World” and all of it’s natural wonders.

Meet the playful sea lions of Los Islotes, surround yourself in a tornado of big eye jacks and schools of skipjacks. Lets not forget the huge pods of dolphins, turtles, mobulas, sperm whales, gobies, the hammerhead sharks around El Bajo & Los Animas, whales of all types of descriptions, shipwrecks and night dives. And if you’re lucky, giant mantas swimming around La Reina and orcas.

Watch Video

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Sea Lions

The Sea of Cortez is Vibrant with Life

The Sea of Cortez is loaded with life from huge pods of inquisitive dolphins, sharks, giant whale sharks, friendly sea lions, mobula rays, cow nose rays, sperm whales, swirling tornadoes of fish and sometimes even Manta Rays. Whales of all descriptions visit over the winter and into spring. Huge squadrons of mobula rays numbering upwards of 100,000 aggregate every spring, orcas have been frequent visitors over the last several years. Also, hammerhead sharks migrate into the sea in May and stay until early winter.  

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Sea-of-Cortez-Flight-Map

Easy Non-Stop Flights to Cabo San Lucas

We are closer than you think. Over 30 major airports around the world have direct non-stop flights to Cabo San Lucas (SJD). With seamless La Paz transfers included on all multi-day adventures. It’s never been so easy to get to the Sea of Cortez and Baja!

Sea of Cortez Tours: Diving with Tornado fish

Sea of Cortez 5 Night Get-Away

Jacques Cousteau called it the “Aquarium of the World.” We call the Sea of Cortez the perfect vacation where you can do as much or as little as you like. Including up to 4 dives a day, snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding, short hikes, or just plain relaxing on a beautiful beach. Combine all this with the warmth and Baja authenticity of our crew, and life becomes beautifully easy and relaxing.

Our 6-day 5-night get-away is an ocean safari into the generally calm waters of the Sea of Cortez, a marine adventure on the edge of the Sonoran desert. With 5 decades of experience running these trips, we have a “pretty good” idea of how to maximize your enjoyment while exploring this wonderful part of Mexico. Regular patrols with a spotter airplane is the icing on the cake.

July – October
6 Days, 5 Nights
From: US$1,795 pp. dbl occ.

Sample Itinerary

Fly into SJD. Cabo.

Day 1

We encourage you to take advantage of our complimentary photo imaging workshop at SeeCreatures on the morning of your departure. Our photo pros are experts at coaching you towards that perfect image. They will also have rental GoPros cameras available, along with additional coaching if you want to take one along on your adventure.

Please check into SeeCreatures Cabo by 4:30 pm latest for coach transfer to La Paz where our hosties will be waiting on the back deck for you with trays of margaritas and champagne.

Bonus option! Relaxing on the upper deck or maybe in our hot tub under the brilliant star filled Mexican sky. Most nights are calm with very little motion which make this even more special.

Days 2-5

Everyday is different. Every trip is different. Mother ocean is always full of surprises and your captain and crew will do their very best to maximize your onboard experience taking into account our 5 decades of experience in the Sea of Cortez, recent animal sightings and weather!

Your first day at sea typically starts anchored off a quiet beach at Cerralvo Island for a warm-up dive and then over to the incredible tornadoes of fish at La Reyna. This is also our best chance of encountering giant manta rays in the entire Sea of Cortes. We encourage our non-diving guests to chat with our concierges at least a month before departure date to pre-arrange snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming coaching, or a complimentary discover scuba experience before their trip.

Where we go next will vary. We might have reports of a huge pod of dolphins or even orcas in which case we’ll make full steam ahead to get you close or even in the water maintaining full respect for these animals. Interactions are always on their terms.

During your days at sea, we will almost certainly visit Isla Las Animas which boasts a large population of California sea lions and is a great spot for hammerhead sharks from June to November. It’s a great snorkelling, kayaking and paddle board and swimming opportunity and chance for everyone else to go ashore. We are also certain to visit Isla La Reyna which is home to the vast schools of fish pictured on the cover of this booklet. It’s also your single best opportunity to see manta rays in the entire Sea of Cortez.

We’ll likely also spend time around the UNESCO World Heritage site of Espiritu Santo. One of our company founders was instrumental in saving this gorgeous island from commercial development as a casino and facilitated donating the land to the people of Mexico as a national park. Check out some wreck diving. Go ashore for beach time or hikes into the hills guided by our naturalist. Kayaking. Paddle boarding. Swimming or whatever you want. Whale watching and encounters are always on the agenda including a resident pod of giant finback whales. Divers will always have the option of 4 days of diving.

Day 6

Morning breakfast. Disembark at 8:30 am in La Paz and complimentary transfer back to either SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas or SJD Airport.

Your last day is always sad for us. We hate to say good-bye. But wait, you don’t have to say good-bye just yet. There is still time to head up to Cabo Pulmo with us for a one day adventure or take advantage of our special offer staying in a local hotel. Or for divers, this could be your chance to dive the famous pinnacles of Gordo Banks before you go home!

Sea of Cortez Tours: Diving with Tornado fish

Sea of Cortez 7 Night Classic

The southern Sea of Cortez offers good diving, seas that are usually flat calm, and by late July or August, great visibility and nice warm water. Expect to be engulfed by huge swirling tornadoes of schooling fish, interactive California sea lions, moray eels, all manner of rays, large pods of dolphins, and hopefully pilot whales. We will do our best to get you onto schooling hammerheads and even some wreck diving. We will likely explore Cerralvo, La Reyna, Espiritu Santo, Las Animas, and further north, often venturing into the Loreto National Park. Be on the lookout for orcas, great whales including sperm whales, mobula rays, and other big animals. These adventures meet in Cabo San Lucas, depart and return from La Paz with complimentary transfers back to either SJD or SeeCreatures Cabo.

July – October
6 Days, 5 Nights
From: US$2,495 pp. dbl occ.

Sample Itinerary

Fly into SJD. Cabo.

Day 1

Meeting at SeeCreatures Cabo 5 pm to board your ship. Sail off to the Sea of Cortez with drinks and dinner as the sun sets.

Day 2

Your first day at sea typically starts anchored off a quiet beach at Cerralvo Island for a warm-up dive and then over to the incredible tornadoes of fish at La Reyna. This is also our best chance of encountering giant manta rays in the entire Sea of Cortes. We encourage our non-diving guests to arrange before their trip for snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming coaching, or a complimentary discover scuba experience.

Days 2 – 7

Where we go next will vary. We might have reports of a huge pod of dolphins or even orcas or sperm whales. Interactions are always on their terms.

During your days at sea, we will almost certainly visit Isla Las Animas, which boasts a large population of sea lions. This can be a great hammerhead shark destination for divers and a great snorkeling opportunity and a chance for everyone else to go ashore. We’ll likely spend time around the National Park of Espiritu Santo, check out some wreck diving, go ashore for beach time or hikes into the hills guided by our naturalist, and enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming, or whatever you want. Divers usually have the option of 4 dives a day. You can expect 2 days in Loreto National Park diving Coronado and Danzante and perhaps Carmen Island.

Day 8

Morning breakfast. Disembark at 8:30 am in La Paz and complimentary transfer back to either SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas or SJD Airport.

Sea of Cortez: Tornado fish dive

La Paz / Loreto Great Circle – Sea of Cortez

Loreto is the most beautiful place in Baja with the stunning Sierra La Gigantic mountains, gorgeous white sand beaches, and, in summer and fall, crystal-clear aqua-blue water. The sunrises a sunsets have to be seen to be believed, and the diving is pretty darn good too. Our 7 night expeditions combine the famous and classic dive sites north of La Pa, including La Reyna, Espíritu Santo, El Bajo, San Franciscito, and Las Ánimas—with a combination of Coronada, Danzante, and possibly Carmen islands in the Loreto National Park.

The Sea of Cortez provides the perfect vacation where you can do as much or as little as you like including up to 4 dives a day, snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding, short hikes, or just plain relaxing on a beautiful beach. Combine all this with the warmth and Baja authenticity of our crew and life becomes beautifully easy and relaxing. Regular patrols with a spotter airplane is the icing on the cake.

July – November
8 Days, 7 Nights
From: US$2,595 pp. dbl occ.

Sample Itinerary

Fly into SJD. Cabo.

Day 1

We encourage you to take advantage of our complimentary photo imaging workshop at SeeCreatures on the morning of your departure. Our photo pros are experts at coaching you towards that perfect image. They will also have rental GoPros cameras available, along with additional coaching if you want to take one along on your adventure.

Please meet at SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas. Feel encourage to drop by anytime to drop your bags off and maybe go for a couple of local dives!! We ask that all our guests are back at SeeCreatures by 4:30 pm for the coach transfer to La Paz.

Day 2

Your first day at sea typically starts anchored off a quiet beach at Cerralvo Island for a warm-up dive and then over to the incredible tornadoes of fish at La Reyna. This is also our best chance of encountering giant manta rays in the entire Sea of Cortes. We encourage our non-diving guests to arrange before their trip for snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming coaching, or a complimentary discover scuba experience.

Days 3-7

Where we go next will vary. We might have reports of a huge pod of dolphins or even orcas or sperm whales. Interactions are always on their terms.

During your days at sea, we will almost certainly visit Isla Las Animas, which boasts a large population of sea lions. This can be a great hammerhead shark destination for divers and a great snorkeling opportunity and a chance for everyone else to go ashore. We’ll likely spend time around the National Park of Espiritu Santo, check out some wreck diving, go ashore for beach time or hikes into the hills guided by our naturalist, and enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming, or whatever you want. Divers usually have the option of 4 dives a day. You can expect 2 days in Loreto National Park diving Coronado and Danzante and perhaps Carmen Island.

Day 8

Morning breakfast. Disembark at 8:30 am in La Paz and complimentary transfer back to either SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas or SJD Airport.

Your last day is always sad for us. We hate to say good-bye. But wait, you don’t have to say good-bye just yet. There is still time to head up to Cabo Pulmo with us for a one day adventure or take advantage of our special offer staying in a local hotel. Or for divers, this could be your chance to dive the famous pinnacles of Gordo Banks before you go home!

What Guests Have to Say About Sea of Cortez

The Staff Was World-Class

I couldn’t recommend the Nautilus more. It was such a great week sailing the Sea of Cortez. Read full review

Nicole, San Francisco onboard the Nautilus Explorer

The Particular Magic of the Sea of Cortez Is That You Never Know What You’re Going to See

Our second and third days of diving were all about the sea lions. We saw sea lions on every dive and it was nothing short of amazing. Read full review

A. Clark, New Jersey, USA onboard the Nautilus Explorer
Sea Lion in the sea of Cortez

Dive Your Own Way

We cater to the entire spectrum of diving experience and fitness. Our super experienced dive guides are there for those who are new to diving. Experienced divers are welcome to explore most of our dive sites at their own pace with or without a dive guide. We are there to guide and critter point for whoever wants it. Note that in national parks, divers are required to stay with our dive guides.

Gallant Lady, Sunset
Gallant Lady, Sunset

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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