active tourism allows you to discover numerous corners of the entire planet. The fifteen hundred kilometers in length of the Baja California peninsula contrast with its narrow width, only two hundred kilometers, although in most of its areas it does not reach one hundred. The waters that bathe this very long strip of dry land are some of the richest that exist on earth and are totally different from each other.
On the western coast of the peninsula, the waves of the Pacific Ocean break strongly after traveling thousands of kilometers without encountering any obstacles. They are green waters, turbulent, cold, but loaded with life. The large leaves of laminaria algae are the most significant note of the underwater landscape, where we will find sea lions and elephants, large schools of fish and giants of the sea, such as the blue whale and the gray whale. The latter arrives from the Arctic in the month of December and establishes its home, to mate and procreate, in the lagoons of Ojo de Liebre and Bahía de Magdalena, until spring arrives and it can return to the Arctic to feed.
The eastern coast, framed by the Gulf of California, is bathed by the calm, warm and transparent waters of one of the youngest, and, in certain aspects, richest seas in the world: the Sea of Courteous.
Its morphological characters, its depth, produce large outcrops of nutrients that are used by phytoplankton to create an unusual food pyramid.
The best dives
To visit this wonder of the planet Ocean, we will have to reach one of the three most important towns in Baja: San José del Cabo, La Paz or Loreto. In any of them there is sufficient tourist infrastructure to be able to comfortably explore these magnificent waters.
Saint Joseph
From San José we will have within our reach the entire southern area of the peninsula and its three most interesting areas of diving: Cabo San Lucas, Gorda Banks and Corporal Pulmo. At this last point we find the only coral reef of some magnitude that exists in the entire gulf, although small and with little diversity of madreporic species if we compare it with those that exist in other tropical areas of the ocean.
The Gorda Banks area, a rocky reef located far from the coast, is optimal for encounters with large pelagic species: manta rays, whale sharks, hammerheads, billfish and sailfish, among others.
On the beaches of Cabo San Lucas, a short distance from the shore, we can observe a curious phenomenon underwater: daily hundreds of tons of fine sand precipitate to great depths, forming an incessant waterfall of sand.
Peace
From La Paz we can enter an authentic rosary of islands and islets that rise parallel to the coast until we reach Montague Island, at the very mouth of the Colorado River. Although they have little vegetation, their eroded shapes, their wild beauty and their diversity of flora and fauna, both terrestrial and underwater, make them very interesting.
Espíritu Santo and Partida will surprise us with the magnificent landscape and color of its coves and inlets with shallow waters and sandy bottoms.
In the Islets, a group of small rocks in the middle of the sea, we can spend hours and hours contemplating the comings and goings of the members of a friendly colony of Californian sea lions. Lagoons of transparent waters populated by exuberant mangroves form the spectacular landscape of the island of San José, where the Spanish exploited the rich banks of pearl oysters during the 16th and 17th centuries. On all these islands there are large colonies of seabirds, seagulls, terns, cormorants, frigates, pelicans, which find abundant food in the water, as well as tranquility and solitude on islands and islets to establish their colonies and nest.
The open sea
In the open sea, the presence of large groups of delfines is certain to follow the bow of our boat and will liven up the journey with their jumps and fantastic underwater movements. The fin whale is also a fairly easy cetacean to spot moving between the islands.
On this stretch of coast there are two most interesting diving spots: the Bajos (Sea Mounts) and the Ánimas, both have the particularity of being rock masses in the open sea, surrounded by great depth, which makes them authentic catalysts for life.
The Bass
Los Bajos are three rocky pinnacles whose tops are between 15 and 20 meters deep. The strong currents, which are frequently experienced in the area, cause numerous colonies of filter-feeding invertebrates to settle in, among which they stand out for their profusion, size and color, the gorgonians and the madrepores. In the fissures and cavities of the rocks, a large number of benthic species, such as groupers, moray eels, puffers, trumpets, find easy shelter.
Open waters are the domain of large pelagic species attracted by the amount of food at their disposal, since the shallows are completely filled with immense schools of anchovies and fry of other species.
Mantas, dolphins, marlins, sailfish and sharks are perennial tenants of these places, where schools of hundreds of hammerhead sharks have been observed.
Las Animas
In Las Ánimas, being a group of small islets, diving is much easier, although it is very similar to the previous one, in terms of current, depth, water clarity and marine species, with the added attraction that there is a large colony of sea lions.
The northern islands
Further north, the islands of Catalán, Montserrat, Ildefonso and Rasa are extraordinary at certain times of the year. The first two are completely populated by different species of cacti, with sizes that exceed ten meters in height and, under their waters, at shallow depths, there is a large concentration of garden eels and starfish. Surgeon fish, emperors and butterflies are very abundant, the latter forming enormous yellow balls when hundreds of individuals gather. During the spring, millions of seabirds gather to nest in Ildefonso and Rasa. Terns, gannets, pelicans and seagulls completely fill the exposed land, with some having to leave the place due to lack of space. It is a fantastic and unrepeatable show.
When to go
To dive in the Sea of Cortez we recommend the months from June to October, although the transparency of the water is always subject to currents and the upwelling of plankton. For the same reason, the water temperature also suffers certain fluctuations, but at this time it does not usually drop below 23 degrees Celsius, and waters can even reach 30 degrees.
From any of the aforementioned towns you can make daily diving trips in speedboats that include two tanks to make two dives.
But the best option is cruise boats where you can live on board in comfort, dive in the most remote places and discover the universe of islands that exist in the Sea of Cortez.
wonderful the gorgonians and the madrepores. In the fissures and cavities of the rocks, a large number of benthic species, such as groupers, moray eels, puffers, trumpets, find easy shelter.
Open waters are the domain of large pelagic species attracted by the amount of food at their disposal, since the shallows are completely filled with immense schools of anchovies and fry of other species.
Mantas, dolphins, marlins, sailfish and sharks are perennial tenants of these places, where schools of hundreds of hammerhead sharks have been observed.
Las Animas
In Las Ánimas, being a group of small islets, diving is much easier, although it is very similar to the previous one, in terms of current, depth, water clarity and marine species, with the added attraction that there is a large colony of sea lions.
The northern islands
Further north, the islands of Catalán, Montserrat, Ildefonso and Rasa are extraordinary at certain times of the year. The first two are completely populated by different species of cacti, with sizes that exceed ten meters in height and, under their waters, at shallow depths, there is a large concentration of garden eels and starfish. Surgeon fish, emperors and butterflies are very abundant, the latter forming enormous yellow balls when hundreds of individuals gather. During the spring, millions of seabirds gather to nest in Ildefonso and Rasa. Terns, gannets, pelicans and seagulls completely fill the exposed land, with some having to leave the place due to lack of space. It is a fantastic and unrepeatable show.
When to go
To dive in the Sea of Cortez we recommend the months from June to October, although the transparency of the water is always subject to currents and the upwelling of plankton. For the same reason, the water temperature also suffers certain fluctuations, but at this time it does not usually drop below 23 degrees Celsius, and waters can even reach 30 degrees.
From any of the aforementioned towns you can make daily diving trips in speedboats that include two tanks to make two dives.
But the best option is cruise boats where you can live on board in comfort, dive in the most remote places and discover the universe of islands that exist in the Sea of Cortez.
wonderful
On the western coast of the peninsula, the waves of the Pacific Ocean break strongly after traveling thousands of kilometers without encountering any obstacles. They are green waters, turbulent, cold, but loaded with life. The large leaves of laminaria algae are the most significant note of the underwater landscape, where we will find sea lions and elephants, large schools of fish and giants of the sea, such as the blue whale and the gray whale. The latter arrives from the Arctic in the month of December and establishes its home, to mate and procreate, in the lagoons of Ojo de Liebre and Bahía de Magdalena, until spring arrives and it can return to the Arctic to feed.
The eastern coast, framed by the Gulf of California, is bathed by the calm, warm and transparent waters of one of the youngest, and, in certain aspects, richest seas in the world: the Sea of Courteous.
Its morphological characters, its depth, produce large outcrops of nutrients that are used by phytoplankton to create an unusual food pyramid.
The best dives
To visit this wonder of the planet Ocean, we will have to reach one of the three most important towns in Baja: San José del Cabo, La Paz or Loreto. In any of them there is sufficient tourist infrastructure to be able to comfortably explore these magnificent waters.
Saint Joseph
From San José we will have within our reach the entire southern area of the peninsula and its three most interesting areas of diving: Cabo San Lucas, Gorda Banks and Corporal Pulmo. At this last point we find the only coral reef of some magnitude that exists in the entire gulf, although small and with little diversity of madreporic species if we compare it with those that exist in other tropical areas of the ocean.
The Gorda Banks area, a rocky reef located far from the coast, is optimal for encounters with large pelagic species: manta rays, whale sharks, hammerheads, billfish and sailfish, among others.
On the beaches of Cabo San Lucas, a short distance from the shore, we can observe a curious phenomenon underwater: daily hundreds of tons of fine sand precipitate to great depths, forming an incessant waterfall of sand.
Peace
From La Paz we can enter an authentic rosary of islands and islets that rise parallel to the coast until we reach Montague Island, at the very mouth of the Colorado River. Although they have little vegetation, their eroded shapes, their wild beauty and their diversity of flora and fauna, both terrestrial and underwater, make them very interesting.
Espíritu Santo and Partida will surprise us with the magnificent landscape and color of its coves and inlets with shallow waters and sandy bottoms.
In the Islets, a group of small rocks in the middle of the sea, we can spend hours and hours contemplating the comings and goings of the members of a friendly colony of Californian sea lions. Lagoons of transparent waters populated by exuberant mangroves form the spectacular landscape of the island of San José, where the Spanish exploited the rich banks of pearl oysters during the 16th and 17th centuries. On all these islands there are large colonies of seabirds, seagulls, terns, cormorants, frigates, pelicans, which find abundant food in the water, as well as tranquility and solitude on islands and islets to establish their colonies and nest.
The open sea
In the open sea, the presence of large groups of delfines is certain to follow the bow of our boat and will liven up the journey with their jumps and fantastic underwater movements. The fin whale is also a fairly easy cetacean to spot moving between the islands.
On this stretch of coast there are two most interesting diving spots: the Bajos (Sea Mounts) and the Ánimas, both have the particularity of being rock masses in the open sea, surrounded by great depth, which makes them authentic catalysts for life.
The Bass
Los Bajos are three rocky pinnacles whose tops are between 15 and 20 meters deep. The strong currents, which are frequently experienced in the area, cause numerous colonies of filter-feeding invertebrates to settle in, among which they stand out for their profusion, size and color, the gorgonians and the madrepores. In the fissures and cavities of the rocks, a large number of benthic species, such as groupers, moray eels, puffers, trumpets, find easy shelter.
Open waters are the domain of large pelagic species attracted by the amount of food at their disposal, since the shallows are completely filled with immense schools of anchovies and fry of other species.
Mantas, dolphins, marlins, sailfish and sharks are perennial tenants of these places, where schools of hundreds of hammerhead sharks have been observed.
Las Animas
In Las Ánimas, being a group of small islets, diving is much easier, although it is very similar to the previous one, in terms of current, depth, water clarity and marine species, with the added attraction that there is a large colony of sea lions.
The northern islands
Further north, the islands of Catalán, Montserrat, Ildefonso and Rasa are extraordinary at certain times of the year. The first two are completely populated by different species of cacti, with sizes that exceed ten meters in height and, under their waters, at shallow depths, there is a large concentration of garden eels and starfish. Surgeon fish, emperors and butterflies are very abundant, the latter forming enormous yellow balls when hundreds of individuals gather. During the spring, millions of seabirds gather to nest in Ildefonso and Rasa. Terns, gannets, pelicans and seagulls completely fill the exposed land, with some having to leave the place due to lack of space. It is a fantastic and unrepeatable show.
When to go
To dive in the Sea of Cortez we recommend the months from June to October, although the transparency of the water is always subject to currents and the upwelling of plankton. For the same reason, the water temperature also suffers certain fluctuations, but at this time it does not usually drop below 23 degrees Celsius, and waters can even reach 30 degrees.
From any of the aforementioned towns you can make daily diving trips in speedboats that include two tanks to make two dives.
But the best option is cruise boats where you can live on board in comfort, dive in the most remote places and discover the universe of islands that exist in the Sea of Cortez.
wonderful the gorgonians and the madrepores. In the fissures and cavities of the rocks, a large number of benthic species, such as groupers, moray eels, puffers, trumpets, find easy shelter.
Open waters are the domain of large pelagic species attracted by the amount of food at their disposal, since the shallows are completely filled with immense schools of anchovies and fry of other species.
Mantas, dolphins, marlins, sailfish and sharks are perennial tenants of these places, where schools of hundreds of hammerhead sharks have been observed.
Las Animas
In Las Ánimas, being a group of small islets, diving is much easier, although it is very similar to the previous one, in terms of current, depth, water clarity and marine species, with the added attraction that there is a large colony of sea lions.
The northern islands
Further north, the islands of Catalán, Montserrat, Ildefonso and Rasa are extraordinary at certain times of the year. The first two are completely populated by different species of cacti, with sizes that exceed ten meters in height and, under their waters, at shallow depths, there is a large concentration of garden eels and starfish. Surgeon fish, emperors and butterflies are very abundant, the latter forming enormous yellow balls when hundreds of individuals gather. During the spring, millions of seabirds gather to nest in Ildefonso and Rasa. Terns, gannets, pelicans and seagulls completely fill the exposed land, with some having to leave the place due to lack of space. It is a fantastic and unrepeatable show.
When to go
To dive in the Sea of Cortez we recommend the months from June to October, although the transparency of the water is always subject to currents and the upwelling of plankton. For the same reason, the water temperature also suffers certain fluctuations, but at this time it does not usually drop below 23 degrees Celsius, and waters can even reach 30 degrees.
From any of the aforementioned towns you can make daily diving trips in speedboats that include two tanks to make two dives.
But the best option is cruise boats where you can live on board in comfort, dive in the most remote places and discover the universe of islands that exist in the Sea of Cortez.
wonderful
