Sea of Cortez

Sea of Cortez - Scuba Diving

Immerse Yourself in the 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

Day Trips Start at US$140
Ocean Safaris US$295 pp.
5 Nights / 6 Days From US$2195 (US$3195)

Destination Overview

Sea of Cortez - Baja

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

The Sea of Cortez is a diver’s paradise. With it’s 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, the hammerhead sharks around El Bajo & Los Animas and whales of all types of descriptions. And if you’re lucky, giant mantas swimming around La Reina, orcas and shipwrecks.

See what a recent guest had to say about the Sea of Cortez! →

Map of the Sea of Cortez
Sea of Cortez - Scuba Diving

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.  

Mobula Rays in the Sea of Cortez
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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!

Nautilus Scout

Spotter Plane - Baja California

Nautilus Scout – Spotter Airplane

Crewed by our own pilot and naturalist, Nautilus Scout will be up in the air 5 to 6 days a week, often on 2 missions a day, to maximize our guests experience and guide them towards the most interesting marine life including some really BIG animals. Blue whales, giant pregnant whale sharks, orcas and huge schools of mobula rays being our speciality.

Mobulas & Orcas Adventure

Mobulas & Orcas Ocean Adventures

Mobulas & Orcas Ocean Adventures

We have you covered with mobulas & orcas. Whether you want to get an early start on an Ocean Safari, or join a liveaboard trip on our 116-ft expedition yacht or try something really exceptional and enjoy a luxury sailing yacht charter with family or small group of friends. We know exactly how to get you onto the schooling mobulas and much more.

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April – August

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Ocean Safari – US$295 pp.
Yacht Charters – US$2250 / 24 hrs
Liveaboard – from US$1895 pp.

Orcas - Baja California

Will We Be in the Water With Orcas?

Maybe. Where there are mobulas, there are often orcas. We have our own spotter airplane, Nautilus Scout, with a pilot and a naturalist onboard up in the air 5 to 6 days a week in-season surveying, spotting and observing mobulas, whales and all the other Sea of Cortez critters. The crew is in constant radio contact with our boats.

We will know where the orcas are if they are in the area. Our week-long liveaboard boats have a 50% success rate getting divers in the water interacting with orcas. On our day boat trips out of La Paz, we will run fast and far for orca encounters IF they are in the local area (50 km radius).

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Sea of Cortez Peak Season

Sea of Cortez: Sea Lion and Diver
Sea of Cortez - Sea lion-Diver

Sea of Cortez – Peak Dive Season

Imagine beautiful warm water and calm seas teaming with life. Loads of California sea lions playing with you. Whale sharks. A tornado of big eye jacks swirling around you. Schools of skipjacks, mobulas, cow nose rays and turtles. Hammerhead and other sharks. Fish big and small all the way down to delightful seahorses. Night diving on shipwrecks. And even giant mantas if we are lucky. Beach walks. Water temp rising to high 80’s by September and visibility as gin clear as your bathtub. This is Sea of Cortez in peak diving season from mid-July to end of November.

Ask about our super pangas, 48-ft high speed day boats, 45-ft luxury sailing catamaran, 55-ft pocket liveaboard, base camp Espiritu Santo, multi-day shore based and 116-ft expedition yacht.

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Two tanks: Starting US$140 pp.
Ocean Safaris – US$295 pp.
Liveaboard – from US$1895 pp.

Liveaboards

From US$1895

Sea of Cortez Tours - Happy People

Immerse in an adventure in the Sea of Cortez and Baja. Soak up the sun and feel the stress of everyday life melt away. Experience the culture and warmth of the people of Baja. Make new friends. Push yourself as hard as you want with activities that you already love or try something new. Or just relax on a secluded beach with a cold drink and a good book.

Divers are perfectly looked after with an average of 4 dives a day. Not a diver? Take a complimentary discover scuba season with us or actually get certified onboard!

We cater to both brand new kayakers who aren’t sure they can actually do this to super experienced paddlers who want the ultimate in luxury mothership. Paddle boarding. Go for a beach walk. Or hike into the desert with one of our naturalists. Snorkelling with friendly sea lions and mobula rays.

Kayaking in the Sea of Cortez

Our very own Nautilus Scout spotter airplane will be on patrol to direct us to any orcas, finback whales, whale sharks, and dolphins nearby.

Ocean Safaris

From US$295 or 2 Tanks: Starting US$140

The Sea of Cortez - Day Trip

Find your adventure

Dive your own way!

Sea of Cortez: Diver near Tornado Fish

Dive Your Own Way

We cater to the entire spectrum of diving experience and fitness. Our super experienced divemasters 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 divemaster. We are there to guide and critter point for whoever wants it. Note that in national parks, divers are required to stay with our divemasters.

Special Offers

Sea of Cortez Special Offers • July – August 2022*

(For Guadalupe affected Guests only)

Cabo Pulmo – $50 add-on

Scuba diving - shark

Add-on an extra day visiting, diving or snorkelling Cabo Pulmo.
Regular value: $225

*Specials available on all multi-day adventures, for Guadalupe affected Guests only

Mobulas & Orcas

Sea of Cortex Tours - Orcas
  • Aerial support with the Nautilus Scout and flying naturalist available every day at no charge. (Regular $375 per hour)
  • $50 pp. / night ocean front all-inclusive 4* hotel in Los Cabos add-on multi-day trips

*Specials available on all multi-day adventures, for Guadalupe affected Guests only

Operated For Safety

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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Get Inspired!

Spotter Plane Baja

Get Inspired

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