Baja, Mexico

Baja California and Baja California Sur are both states on the western peninsula of Mexico. On the west Coast is the Pacific Ocean, and on the east is the Sea of Cortez. The area is rich in wildlife sightings! Depending on the time of year, you will see migrating whales, marlins, sardine runs, orcas, great whites and other sharks, mantas, giant aggregations of mobulas, bait balls, dolphins and sea lions. The weather is beautiful, water is warm, and tequila is flowing! 

Personally, this is one of my favorite places in the world (and that is saying a lot!)

Starting from North to South:

• Ensenadas is the starting point for liveaboards to Guadalupe Island, where you will cage-dive with great white sharks between July and November. See more here.
• San Ignacio is one of only 4 mating and birthing lagoons of grey whales in the world, with the highest concentration of sociable whales, and the only lagoon still untouched by human development. Season is from January through April.
• Magdalena Bay is your destination for free-diving off shore with striped blue marlins who are hunting massive bait balls. It is also highly likely you will run into different species of whales and mobula aggregations. See more here.
• Cabo is the starting point for liveaboards to Socorro from October-June. Locally, there are shark dives as well as other fun and advanced dive sites year round.
• Cabo Pulmo is a protected marine park about 1.5 hour drive from Cabo. Typically the best time of year is Summer and Fall, however conditions change quickly without much warning. It is well worth the visit though being rich in wildlife - bull sharks are often found at a few sites, as well as massive schools of fish. If you're lucky. you could run into orcas, whales, mantas, mobulas and other shark species too! All dive sites are within 10 minutes from the shore.
• La Paz is nested on the Sea of Cortez and is an amazing place for ocean safaris year-round! See more here.

You will need to fly into Tijuana (TIJ) or San Diego (SAN) and arrange a transfer in order to get to Ensenadas and San Ignacio.

You will need to fly into Cabo (SJD) or La Paz (LAP) and arrange transfers in order to get to Magdalena Bay, Cabo Pulmo, or San Ignacio.

Rental equipment is available for all destinations above. Additional course certifications for advanced open water diving, nitrox, and freediving are available with your tour company.