Whale Sharks & Remote Islands: An Expedition into the Sea of Cortez

The Sea of Cortez is mostly calm this time of year. We will be traversing a lot of areas with regional variations in water temperature and wind. We will likely see water temps ranging from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. It can be very hot during the day, but this is not a problem with air conditioning on board. Comfort on board is ensured, with lots of water activities and shore activities generally scheduled for the first thing in the morning or late in the day when the temperatures are cooler. One of the coolest things about these trips is that, unlike open ocean expeditions, the waters are quite smooth, and there may be very little or no movement on the boat for days at a time.

The whale sharks aggregate in the estuary at the south end of Bahia de Los Angeles, which is a protected reserve in a CONANP national park. Interaction with the whale sharks is by snorkelling only; no diving is allowed. Visibility is typically 30 to 40 feet in the area where the whale sharks gather. Depending on the group’s interest, there will either be a morning session with the whale sharks or two opportunities, morning and afternoon, to get in the water with the animals. We work together with the local dive operator, using his pangas and captains for the actual whale shark interaction. We always reserve our trips with him ahead of time, but this is a small place in the middle of nowhere, and Ricardo and his team are not always available when booked. We always get our guests in the water, but there are sometimes delays.

Our team will be in the air at least two days a week during your trip, with constant contact with the ship’s captain. Your pilot and observer enhance the experience by providing insights on the marine environment, with opportunities to encounter finback and sperm whales, solitary whale sharks, orcas if they are in the area, mega pods of dolphins, and much more. Please note that flights are always subject to weather and mechanical limitations.

Approximately 15 dives plus 1 day swimming with whale sharks and hopefully additional snorkelling with cetaceans. A 5mm wetsuit is recommended at the start of the season in July, while a 3mm wetsuit will likely be fine from August onwards. Our SeeCreatures ocean activities centres are located in Cabo San Lucas and La paz are there to support whatever you need from discounted pre-trip adventures including day trips to Cabo Pulmo and Gorda Banks to photography workshops to wetsuit, gear and go-pro rentals. On our Sea of Cortez adventures there’s usually the opportunity for several night dives noting that the half day or day that we spend with the whale sharks is a snorkelling opportunity rather than scuba diving. There is no minimum experience level required for this trip, but all divers need to have buoyancy control and other skills required for open water certification. We will have dive guides in the water on all dives to assist our guests

A trip like this is heaven for swimmers. Beautiful warm water, lots to see, and lots of adventure. You’ll be traversing deep into the Sea of Cortez, exploring little-visited areas that very few people get to see. There has never been a swimming safari offered like this in Baja. To participate in a swimming safari based on one of our Liveaboards, you do need to be a competent swimmer. But don’t worry about fitness. You can swim as much or as little as you like, and you’ll get stronger every day. Support skiffs will be nearby. Whether you swim very little or, for hardcore summers, you might swim up to 10 km a day, the choice is yours.

Self-reliant paddlers and paddleborders are welcome to head off on their own, subject to safety restrictions. Please let us know your experience and kayak preference well before departure. We have both single and two-person kayaks available. We have very high-end Seaward ocean touring kayaks that are very fast, but a little bit tipsy, and to delegate to be hauled up on rock beaches or alternatively, we have some high-quality plastic touring kayaks that are a bit more stable and much tougher. We can arrange a guide for a minimum group size of six or a custom guide can be requested by prior arrangement.

Come and join us! There will be opportunities to go ashore, hike in the desert, and we will do our best to arrange a tour to view cave paintings. You’ll also have the chance to snorkel with whale sharks, and most likely go ashore on remote Isla San Pedro martir*, home to one of the largest populations of bluefooted and brown boogie birds in the world. Additionally, you can snorkel with sea lions, jump in the water with a pod of dolphins, try your hand at kayaking or paddleboarding in North America, climb the Ridgeline on Isla San Francisco, enjoy beach walks, hike through the desert, and much more. \n * We are fully permitted to go ashore at Isla San Pedro martir which is a special and unique privilege. Please note that a storm in 2023 wiped out part of the path making it much more difficult to traverse the island. Large numbers of sea lions on the beach can also make landing difficult.

Safety, excellence in guest experience, and the happiness of our guests are the cornerstones of our operations. Nothing is more important than your safety. At Nautilus and Baja Expeditions, we are proud to be the only operation in the world with ISM certification and external annual audit of our safety management system. This is the same certification that the largest cruise ships on the oceans hold. We strictly adhere to written processes, procedures, and protocols, and our captain and crew are trained into both initially, and with annual recurrent training. Every activity starts with a briefing on a whiteboard on board. All drivers must be equipped with an SMB and dive alert, which we provide as needed. Any guest participating in water activities must be equipped with a Nautilus Lifeline, emergency radio, and GPS device. We carry AEDs and extensive medical kits with a contract medical officer available to receive our sophisticated satellite communication system.

Personal toiletries. Dive gear (or travel light and use our rental gear). Summer wear, noting that nights will be cooler. It can be very hot in the desert this time of year. Sunscreen (reef-safe sunscreen will be available on board with our compliments), towels, bed linen, soap, and shampoo are provided on board.

Yes, and it must be valid six months from entry date

Only for a very limited number of countries. Please check the requirements for your country.

Guests are required to have medical and evacuation insurance from a recognized provider before participating in any of our activities. Click here. to purchase coverage. We highly recommend this provider because they are very dependable, reliable, and their policies are reasonably priced. Other providers may not offer the same level of reliability. We also highly recommend the optional purchase of trip interruption insurance, which covers everything from cancelled flights, weather-related delays, lost baggage, and reimbursement if another guest has a medical issue that affects your trip. If you decline coverage, please know that we do not issue credit refunds for anything that’s beyond our immediate control.

SJD Los Cabos international has very convenient and nonstop connections to many different cities. Flying into LAP la Paz is also possible.

These trips are planned around the guests having the option of flying in and going straight to SeeCreatures to check in and then board the ship later that day. We recommend flying in several days early to take full advantage of our hospitality and all the neat stuff that we offer as pre-trip extensions.

Sealine Cabo transfers is our recommended provider of airport transfers to and from SJD. For booking please email Martin at: mmoreno@sealinecabotransfers.com We also recommend Miguel from Fara Nuevo as an alternative option. Email: mfc949@gmail.com Phone: +52 (624) 141 6254

We can arrange to pick you up. Please directly contact with our Concierges: concierge@nautilusdive.com

Yes. For sure. We have our favourite hotels that we recommend and we have arranged discounted rates for Nautilus and Baja Expeditions’s guests. For hotel recommendations, or any other pre-trips, questions, concerns, or comments, please contact our concierge’s directly: Phone: +1 (604) 241-1918 – Please ask for Daniela or Maria WhatsApp: +1 (604) 360-9400 Email: concierge@nautilus.com

Bar, gift shop, high-speed Internet connection, rentals, nitrox, crew gratuities. A $35 port fee must be paid on board in cash at the end of the trip.

We highly recommend trip interruption insurance, which will cover you in this unlikely eventuality.

When you arrive in town, please drop by SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas location at Calle Miguel Hidalgo 10, Centro CSL. C.P. 23450, Cabo San Lucas, BCS. We will help get your kit up with whatever you need and hopefully get you out on pre-trip diver activities. Our SeeCreatures locations are normally open from 8 AM to 5 PM, but will stay open later on boarding days. We encourage you to check in early on boarding day, and drop off your luggage so that you can wander off and enjoy town.

Please be at SeeCreatrues Cabo and for your transfer to La Paz, 4:30 pm latest.

Please contact our concierge’s to confirm the meeting place and time

Yes. We specialize in introducing as many people to scuba diving as possible. We offer a full array of diving courses at SeeCreatures.

Yes, we could do it. This is a one day course at SeeCreatures.

Yes.

This time of year, the Sea of Cortez is generally quite calm. If anyone is worried about seasickness, we recommend the prophylactic use of the scopolamine patch. This is the perfect trip and destination for anyone looking for a smooth as possible experience at Sea. Please note that all of our steel ships are stabilized.

Your experience doesn’t matter. If you’re not certified, we can arrange a discover scuba experience. If you’re an experienced and self-reliant diver, you’re welcome to head off on days by yourself, and do your own thing if you wish, with the sole exception of diving in a national park where diving must be done with a guide. Our dive guides are always available for whoever wants to dive with us.

Of course! We have lots of housed GoPros available for rent and we offer a complimentary photo workshop at 1 pm. before every departure for those meeting us in Cabo.

Reminder that most Sea of Cortez trips board and return to La Paz with an included transfer to SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas, or SJD Airport. We are usually back in port by 8 am. Disembarking by 8:30 am after breakfast. It’s a 2-1/2 hour transfer to SJD. For that reason we recommend booking your outward flight 2:00 pm or later.

Yes, with reasonable advance notice, we are pleased to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, lactose, intolerant, gluten, free, low sugar, quasi-kosher and quasi-halal. We are likely unable to accommodate other special dietary requests, or guests with severe allergic challenges.