Gulf of California and Pacific ocean Wildlife adventure
Baja California is without a doubt one of the places with the most diverse marine life on this planet. Exciting expedition with striped marlins, sea lions, and whales during the second-biggest sardine run in the world along with SCUBA diving with sea lions and amazing dives in Cabo Pulmo National Park.
Location
Duration
Price
Baja California
10 days
3550 USD
Available dates
NOVEMBER 28 - DECEMBER 7, 2024 SOLD OUT
OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 8, 2025 6 SPOTS LEFT
NOVEMBER 12 - NOVEMBER 21, 2025 6 SPOTS LEFT
Reach out for more info
About this Trip
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Expedition for: 6 guests
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Duration: 10 days
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Boat: day trips on small private boats
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Number of full days in the water: 6 full days (4 days of SCUBA diving on various dive sites, 2 days of sardine run) + 1/2 day boat trip Mag Bay
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Food: breakfast and snacks on the boat included
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Conditions: outside temperature: 30°C, water temperature: 23-27°C
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Skill requirement: OWD, Open water diver certification or equivalent
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Pick up location: SJD (San Jose del Cabo) Airport
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Accommodation: Private Mexican Hacienda in La Ribera and Hotel in Magdalena Bay. Rooms for two. Private room on request.
Price includes:
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Airport transfers
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9 nights of accommodation with breakfast
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Snacks during the activity days
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8 dives on various dive sites (2 dives Sea Lion Colony, 4 dives Cabo Pulmo, 2 dives Cabo San Lucas)
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2 days (8 hours each day) on a private boat for the Mexican sardine run in Mag Bay
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1/2 day boat trip in Magdalena Bay to the Sand Dollar Beach
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All national park fees
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All transfers during the expedition
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Professional guides for the entire expedition who will share information about the animals, their behaviour and their importance for the ecosystem
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Album of professional underwater photos
Expedition Highlights
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4 dives with huge tornadoes of jackfish, schooling reef fish, and bull sharks in Cabo Pulmo
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2 dives in Cabo San Lucas
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2 days on a private boat for the second-biggest sardine run in the world: Swimming with striped marlins and sea lions feeding on huge sardine bait balls
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2 dives in the friendly Espiritu Santo sea lion colony from La Paz
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Encounters with mahi-mahi, wahoo, tunas, and sailfish
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Swimming with wild dolphins
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Snorkeling with schools of Mobula rays
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Encounters with humpback whales, Bryde’s whales and Fin whales
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Encounters with humpback whales during the breeding season: Watching mothers with their newborn calves and the beautiful mating rituals.
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Listening to whales' songs under water
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Watching various species of birds: albatross, shearwaters, boobie birds, frigate birds, pelicans, and several different species of gulls
ITINERARY:
Day 1
Meeting, briefing and accommodation
We will pick you up at the airport and take you to your accommodation. In the afternoon, you will get a brief introduction to the adventures that await you in the next days. The expedition will start the next morning.
Accommodation: Beautiful Mexican Hacienda, La Ribera
Day
La Paz - 2 dives in Espiritu Santo Sea lion colony
We will spend the day on the boat with breath-taking sceneries of the coast of Baja California, and we will enjoy 2 beautiful dives in a large colony of sea lions and play with their curious cubs. The female sea lions are usually exploratively looking at us, letting us close, and their babies are swimming in to play and showing off what they can do underwater. We will enjoy lunch on a white sandy beach in a beautiful blue lagoon. Wild dolphins, rays and other animals gather here in big numbers and we will look for them on our way from and to the sea lion colony dive site. If lucky, we will also observe different species of whales on the way.
Accommodation: Beautiful Mexican Hacienda, La Ribera
Day 3
Cabo Pulmo - 2 dives
On this day, we will drive to the Cabo Pulmo National Park. Cabo Pulmo is a small town on the east coast of Baja California and is one of the most beautiful examples of the successful transformation of a rustic fishing village into a sustainable tourism destination. Cabo Pulmo is one of the Hope spots of Mission Blue - a place where animals can reproduce and reside without danger. Since 1995, when it began to be protected, the number of living organisms has increased by a staggering 420%. Cabo Pulmo is now home to over 6,000 marine species and November promises some of the best visibility on the dive sites. We will enjoy 2 dives here observing massive schools of jackfish, bull sharks, big snappers and groupers, rays, sea lions and many more.
Accommodation: Beautiful Mexican Hacienda, La Ribera
Day 4
Cabo Pulmo - 2 dives
We will enjoy another 2 dives in the unforgettable Cabo Pulmo National Park.
Accommodation: Beautiful Mexican Hacienda, La Ribera
Day 5
Cabo San Lucas - 2 dives
On this day, we will enjoy two dives in Cabo San Lucas. Scuba diving in Cabo San Lucas offers an exhilarating experience with its crystal-clear waters, diverse marine life, and stunning underwater landscapes. We will enjoy two dives observing the beautiful reef, rock formations, impressive deep sand falls, many fish, moray eels and in this season also the elegant schools of Mobula Rays. At this time of the year, we will also be able to listen to the mesmerizing whale songs - sometimes throughout the entire dives.
Accommodation: Beautiful Mexican Hacienda, La Ribera
Day 6
Magdalena Bay
In the morning we will head to Magdalena Bay. On the way, we will observe the beautiful colors of the Mexican desert full of huge cacti. We will stop at scenic viewpoints and enjoy the unique desert mountain views. In the evening, you'll get a briefing about the "sardine run" - a spectacular natural event where huge schools of migrating sardines attract striped marlins, sea lions, whales, and other large animals to the area. The Mexican sardine run is the second-largest sardine run in the world.
Accommodation: Hotel, Magdalena Bay
Day 7
Magdalena Bay - Sardine run
We will spend this day on a private boat observing seabird activity and locating schools of sardines. The sardines school together to protect themselves. They form a living, moving ball of fish. The marlins then push them up to the surface and attack them from below. When we find the scene of this action, we jump into the water. Marlins can grow up to 420 cm long and weigh up to 200 kg. The feast is joined by sea lions, dolphins and sometimes even whales. Watching this natural phenomenon is an incredible experience.
Accommodation: Hotel, Magdalena Bay
Den 8
Magdalena Bay - Sardine run
Another day spent with the animals that the sardines attract to this bay. We can't promise anything in the wild, but we may encounter the following species: a large number of California sea lions, mahi-mahi, sea lions, sailfish, marlin, wahoo, sharks, dolphins, fin whales and other whales, and many species of birds. This natural event is a fascinating spectacle and a testament to the delicate balance of nature. The winter season is also the best for encounters with humpback whales who migrate here every year to give birth to their calves and mate. We will be able to observe the beautiful bond between the whale mothers and their calves and if lucky, we can also watch the fascinating mating rituals of several males trying to "persuade" the female to mate with one of them.
Accommodation: Hotel, Magdalena Bay
Day 9
Magdalena Bay and Cabo San Lucas
After the experiences of the past days, we will enjoy our last moments on the beach in the beautiful Magdalena Bay. We'll take a boat ride to the beach where thousands of sand dollars - skeleton urchins - wash up every day, walk the sand dunes and enjoy scenic views of the pristine Baja California coastline. In the afternoon, we will return to Los Cabos.
Accommodation: Hotel, Cabo San Lucas
Day 10
End of the expedition, transfer to the airport.
GALLERY
What to look forward to?
Baja California is a place that promises some of the most interesting interactions with big marine life. Humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions, sharks, and striped marlins in the waters of the open Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California, on an adventure guided by professional animal behavior specialists.
On this trip, we will be able to enjoy the best diving in Baja California, traveling to Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, from the marinas located on the coast of the Gulf of California. We will dive in a huge sea lion colony, play with the curious sea lion babies, look for mobula rays, colorful fish, moray eels, and watch the elegant humpback whales.
We will also spend two days in the Cabo Pulmo National Park. This place is an iconic example of Mission Blue Hope spot - a protected marine area with thriving marine life, full of schooling fish, where you will feel like the clock stopped 50 years ago. Cabo Pulmo is proof that protected marine areas make sense and you will see how the ocean can be if it is treated sustainably.
For the second part of our expedition, we will drive to Magdalena Bay, where the second-largest sardine run in the world takes place. The Mexican sardine run refers to an annual phenomenon that occurs off the coast of Baja California where large schools of sardines migrate and follow the plankton bloom in search of food and warmer temperatures. During the sardine run, millions of sardines can be seen swimming in dense schools, forming so-called bait balls. The event is a major attraction for marine predators, including huge marlins, dolphins, sea lions, and seabirds, which all converge to feed on the abundant prey. Whales also come here this time of the year and if we're lucky, we'll encounter a humpback whale, Fin whale or a Bryde's whale.
Our mission is to protect the underwater world, educate people of all generations and explore the treasures the ocean hides in its depths. Our conservation activities are our top priority and we fund them through expeditions like this, and if you join us, you will help us move our vision one step further. All our encounters are based on respect for the animals and our guides will teach you about their behavior and body language. We always make sure the animals are comfortable with our presence before jumping into the water.