Immerse Yourself in the Sea of Cortez

5 Night GetAway

7 Night Favourites

La Paz / Loreto

Ultimate whale sharks

SEASONS

January – August: Whale Season
March – September: Orcas
July – October: Whale Sharks

TYPES OF ADVENTURES

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

PRICING (pp. dbl occ.)

6 day / 5 nt getaway: From US$1,845
8 day / 7 nt favourites: From US$2,545
8 day / 7 nt La Paz and Loreto great circle: From US$2,645

Sea-of-Cortez-Tornado-fish-diver-1536x922

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

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.

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 to Cabo San Lucas(SJD) or La Paz (LAP). 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!

Observation Airplane

Our unique observation airplane flies year round with a pilot and a marine biologist onboard. Exploring. Recording all our observations. Building a bigger and bigger database with our bespoke “animal identifier” software that we share with the scientific and conservation communities as well as many of our competitors.

Sea of Cortez Tours: Diving with Tornado fish

Sea of Cortez 6 day / 5 nt getaway

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 day / 5 nt

From: US$1,845 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 8 day / 7 nt favourites

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
8 day / 7 nt

From: US$2,545 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.

8 day / 7 nt La Paz and Loreto Great Circle

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 favourites dive sites north of La Paz, 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 day / 7 nt

From: US$2,645 pp. dbl occ.

Sample Itinerary

Fly into SJD. Cabo.

Day 1

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.

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.

8 day / 7 nt ultimate whale sharks

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 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. Keep an eye out 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.

July – November
8 day / 7 nt

From: US$2,745 pp. dbl occ.

Sample Itinerary

Fly into Los Cabos (SJD). No problem to fly in the same day you are boarding your ship or fly in early and take advantage of some day boat adventures or complimentary photo and video workshop. This is a GREAT time of year to dive Gordo Banks.

Day 1 – Boarding Day!

Please check in at SeeCreatures Cabo by 4:30 pm for your coach transfer to La Paz, where our hosties will be waiting for you on the back deck with trays of margaritas and champagne, dinner on the stove and departure for the Sea of Cortez.

Days 2 – 7

Every day 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 stunning time of year to dive the Sea of Cortez with water temps typically in the high 70’s and 80s.

One of the nicest things about this time of year is that the seas are generally very calm without any motion aboard our heavy steel stabilized ships. You can expect to visit Las Animas, Isla San Ildefonso, San Pedro Martir, and Bahia de Los Angeles.

We will spend the last day at sea exploring our secret hot spot near Mulegé, where pilot whales, dolphins, and other incredible marine life are often encountered.

Day 8 – Last Day

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

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

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.

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.

> Discover Gallant Lady