Sea of Cortez
and Cabo Pulmo, a UNESCO heritage site
The very best of the Sea of Cortez
The Sea of Cortez is an interesting place. We started diving here many years ago when giant mantas were common and multiple schools of hammerhead sharks would swirl around El Bajo. Commercial fishermen hit the place really hard in the 1990’s before the government of Mexico enacted exclusionary zones and marine protected area. Our beautiful sea has come back to life but it is different than before. Whale sharks are still resident seasonally off La Paz. The sea lions at Los Islotes were never impacted. Humpback whales still show up every winter. And the huge schools of panamic fish are as abundant as ever before. We are seeing hammerhead sharks at El Bajo and Los Animas and mantas at La Reyna although not as abundantly as before. We finally figured out where the humboldt squid are and it’s quite a trek to get there! We discovered the stunning number of whale sharks at Bahia de Los Angeles in the northern sea of cortez. And there is an excellent chance of seeing bull sharks at Cabo Pulmo.
Your Sea of Cortez Adventure looks like this*
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Day 1 – Welcome aboard
Drop by our SeeCreatures dive centre in Cabo to get kitted up with any rental gear you might need and to take advantage of a complimentary warmup dive at Land’s End. Or if you prefer, sign up for some additional Cabo diving before embarking our beautiful Gallant lady. Please be back at the dive centre by 4:30pm to boat your liveaboard and depart for the Sea of Cortez. There will be a cocktail hour on the deck to watch the sunset. Enjoy a smooth overnight run continuing north.
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Day 2 to 6 – Exploring southern Sea of Cortez
We’ll be exploring the best of the southern Sea of Cortez including our old favourites: the wreck of the ferry Salvatierra, beautiful Suwanee Reef teeming with life, the charming sea lions at Los Islotes, giant mantas at La Reyna, Las Animas, and Cerralvo Island. Years ago, we stopped offering trips into the Sea of Cortez because the mantas and sharks had disappeared. We are incredibly gratified that the population is rebounding, and we should see sharks, a chance of seeing mantas, as well as the more typical Sea of Cortez life.
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Day 7 – Diving Cabo Pulmo
Diving the UNESCO World Heritage site; Cabo Pulmo. Marine park Cabo Pulmo is the easternmost barrier reef in the Pacific and is the story of a reef that was overfished and almost obliterated, before the local village stepped up to protect the place. Cabo Pulmo has since gained national protection and has rebounded in an astonishing way over the last 20 years. The upside is that there is a population of bull sharks, other sharks, and huge schools of fish – it can really be beautiful diving. The downside is some divers can find the protection provided by the park to be a little bit onerous. We’ll have dinner and one last night under the stars before departing overnight for Cabo San Lucas.
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Day 8 – Always sad to say goodbye to our guests!
Always a sad time for us. It’s time to say goodbye and disembark the boat in Cabo at 8:30 am for either SJD airport or our dive center in Cabo San Lucas. It doesn’t have to be goodbye for long, as we hope to see you again very soon.
*Our captains and crew will do their very best to give you the most spectaculary dive experience.
Given weather and animal sighting itinerary may vary.
You may wonder…
What am I going to see in the Sea of Cortez ?
Cousteau called the Sea of Cortez the aquarium of the world. Expect to see a lot of fish. A LOT of fish! Whale sharks in season. California sea lions. Giant manta rays at one particular site. A variety of shark species possibly including bulls and hammerheads (noting that the Sea of Cortez is nowhere near as sharkie as Socorro), several shipwrecks, garden eels and diving cormorant birds.
When should I go?
Water temperatures and visibility in the southern Sea of Cortez improve dramatically in mid July through the first norte winds at the end of November. Our trips run from August-November.
How many dives do I get?
We will do our best to offer 4 dives on every dive day. Please keep in mind that Mother Ocean can be capricious and this may not always be possible.
How much experience do I need?
Our Sea of Cortez trips are perfect for divers of all experience levels. This is the perfect destination for newer divers. We have always specialized in catering to experienced self-reliant divers and offer a lot of freedom and flexibility for those who want it. Photographers on these trips will never feel rushed and we are happy to leave you on your own to get that perfect shot.
When should I fly in?
Your ship boards at 4:30 pm on departure day. We recommend planning on flying in by 1:30 pm allowing for an hour or longer to clear immigration and customs and collect your bags. It’s a 35 minute drive from the airport to SeeCreatures Dive Centre which is our meeting point. Don’t worry if your flight gets delayed, on these trips it is possible to transfer to ship at Cabo Pulmo later in the day. Of course, we recommend that you fly in early to enjoy Cabo San Lucas, take advantage of a complimentary warmup dive and sign up for some additional diving.
How much does a trip cost?
The luxury of a yacht and the functionality of a dive boat for USD$2495.00(5 night trip). Premium suite available for USD$2995.00(5 night trip). This includes onboard accommodation, food, non-alcoholic beverages, and diving! (Price to be verified)
Please note that bar, gift shop, internet, rentals, nitrox and crew gratuities as well as a $65 park and port fee are NOT INCLUDED in the trip price.
Blogs
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The Gulf of California, “The World’s Aquarium”
Today was the last day of our trip navigating the Gulf of California (Sea Of Cortez). We spent our day in “Las Animas”, this fantastic Rock formation has one massive cave at 45 ft which can easily fit around 50 divers.
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Diving Isla Espiritu Santo and Los Islotes
Diving Isla Espiritu Santo and Los Islotes in the Sea of Cortez is a unique and different experience with its own charm – and generally calm water – and excellent visibility. Isla Espiritu Santo We started the day at the artificial wreck Fang Ming that came in with Chinese refugees and later became the first […]
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Island of San Pedro Martir and Bahia de Los Angeles
San Pedro Martir(or Mártir) is the most isolated island in the Gulf of California, located right in the center, 51 km from the Baja California peninsula and 53 km from the coast of Sonora. Bahía de los Ángeles is one of the few places in the world where Whale Sharks congregate. The shape of the […]
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Sea of Cortez Mexico Exploratory Trip
Sea of Cortez welcomes the unexpected, our crew and guest had an incredible time diving well-known dives sites, and some unexplored dives sites worth revisiting them.
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Back in the water after 4 months of ocean deprivation, and what a way to start again!
It does feel really good to be back in the water after 4 months of ocean deprivation, and what a way to start again! We are sailing the Belle Amie up the Sea of Cortez with our guests and we are all packing a lot of energy and excitement for being out here, smiles are […]
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Guadalupe fur seals in the sea of Cortez
However we were treated to an amazing surprise as there were also what we believe are Guadalupe fur seals present which none on us have seen there before and in quite large numbers. Probably 200 plus around the island.