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The Very Best of the Sea of Cortez

A coral reef brought back to vibrant life

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.

It’s not Socorro. It’s not Guadalupe Island. The Sea of Cortez is a unique and different destination with it’s own charm – and generally calm water – albeit not the same number of big animals as our other destinations. We welcome the opportunity to give you more information and ensure that we meet your expectations.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 – Welcome aboard the Nautilus Gallant Lady

Meet at our See Creatures dive center in Cabo at 4:30pm to get kitted up with any rental gear needed for your trip. You’ll board the beautiful Nautilus Gallant Lady, then 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.

Day 2 to 4 – 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, La Reina, 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. Our choice of dive sites will depend on weather, visibility, animals, etc. – you can be assured your captain & crew will do their very best to give you the greatest possible dive experience.

Day 5 – 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 respect all park rules which include, staying with a divemaster, not touching the bottom, and diving quotas at some of the most popular dive sites.We’ll have dinner and one last night under the stars before departing overnight for Cabo San Lucas.

Day 6 – 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 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.If you are joining one of our Guadalupe great white shark trips, we will be sure to provide seamless transfers to connect you with the flight to Tijuana and pick you up in TIJ to transfer you directly to our hospitality suite in Ensenada. If you are joining one of our Socorro trips, you may be able to board same-day in Cabo San Lucas. Otherwise, it’s our job to assist you with arrangements for a local hotel, condo, or private villa.

View Nautilus Gallant Lady's Trips & Dates

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Dive Discovery
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1 800 886-7321
(415) 444-5100
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