Baja California – The Mexican mobula migration up close.
The Sea of Cortez is one of the richest and most spectacular marine areas in the world. Every year, thousands of mobula gather in these waters during their migration. You will also make spectacular dives with sea lions, among others!
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Baja California: experience the mobula migration & dive with sea lions
Picture this: you are standing on the deck of a boat, the sun is shining on the waters of the Gulf of California and around you mobulae are jumping out of the water. This is the sign to jump into the water, because one mobula above water means hundreds below the surface!
During this unique 13-day trip to La Paz and La Ventana Bay, you will experience this spectacle up close. Two full days are dedicated to this impressive migration: you snorkel among the mobulas, admire their elegant jumps and may even see orcas following the rays’ trail. It’s an experience you’ll rarely have in your life.
In addition, you will make several dives in the Sea of Cortez, home to a large colony of sea lions. You’ll swim among the curious animals, explore colorful rock reefs and wrecks and see a variety of other marine animals in their natural habitat. In some locations, you’ll dive along underwater walls and pinnacles, where schools of fish pass by and pelagic species such as rays and barracudas make regular appearances.
Besides the animals and diving, this trip also offers the magic of the environment: sun-drenched coves, deserted beaches and the vibrant culture of La Paz. This trip is designed for adventurers who want to experience wildlife up close and seek an unforgettable mix of snorkeling and diving experiences.
Best travel time for a diving vacation to Baja California
This trip to the mobulas can only take place between February and August, the season when the mobulas migrate and you can snorkel there. During this period there is also a chance to see orcas. Please note that between June and August is sea lion breeding season, so some dive areas are closed.
In the early year (January-March), you can follow the gray whales as they migrate. In the fall (September-November), the water is warm and clear, ideal for diving, and you can snorkel during the spectacular sardine run and snorkel with whale sharks.
Average Temperatures
Wetsuit advice for diving in La Paz, Mexico
For diving in La Paz, a 3 to 5 mm wetsuit is recommended, depending on your personal preference and the season. Water temperatures are generally between 26 and 28 degrees Celsius, which is relatively warm.
What will you experience on this diving vacation?
View itinerary here
Day 1 & 2 | The journey to Baja California
Today you will travel to Mexico! You will fly to La Paz, this is the capital of the state Baja California Sur. A flight to La Paz often has a layover in Mexico City and you are often about 17 to 22 hours away. Because of this, you will depart on day 1 and arrive on day 2.
After arriving at the airport, a transfer will be waiting for you to take you to the hotel. The airport is nearby, it is only 10 kilometers from the center of La Paz and you are therefore only 15 minutes away.
La Paz is a laid-back city located directly on the azure Sea of Cortez. It is known for beautiful beaches, its lively promenade, desert-like surroundings and, of course, its dive sites. In fact, none other than Jacques Cousteau described the Sea of Cortez as“the aquarium of the world.
Day 3 | Snorkeling safari in search of migrating mobulas
The trip begins with an absolute highlight: snorkeling with mobulas during their impressive migration. During this trip, you will go twice to La Ventana Bay, a quiet coastal town about a 45-minute drive from La Paz, on the Gulf of California. This area is known for its clear waters, strong sea currents and rich marine life: exactly the conditions that mobulas gravitate to.
A popular spot for nature lovers and marine biologists, La Ventana is the ideal base for spotting large marine animals. From here boats depart for snorkeling safaris in search of the migrating devil rays, as they are also called.
During this day, you will go out to sea with an experienced captain and guide for an approximately seven-hour marine safari. Once a school of mobulas is found, you will have the chance to enter the water and snorkel among these elegant animals. Sometimes a school consists of hundreds or even thousands of mobulas, moving synchronously through the water.
A special spectacle is when mobula jump out of the water. If you see this happen, chances are there are large numbers swimming under the surface, a sign that you are in the right place. In addition to mobulas, dolphins, orcas, turtles and sometimes whales are regularly spotted in this area. You even have a chance to see orcas while snorkeling here.
Lunch and soft drinks are included during the safari, so you can fully enjoy a long day at sea.
Good to know: the program always depends on weather, sea conditions and the presence of animals. In practice, diving and snorkeling days may be alternated to take advantage of the best opportunities.
Day 4 - 11 | Diving in the Sea of Cortez
During this trip, you will spend a total of 8 days diving in the Sea of Cortés and also take 2 snorkeling safaris to La Ventana to experience the impressive mobula migration. These days alternate throughout the week, depending on weather, sea conditions and the presence of animals. In practice, for example, the program may consist first of several diving days, followed by a snorkeling day, then diving again. Basically, you finish the trip with a snorkeling day, so you can fly back afterwards without any problems.
In the morning, you will have breakfast at the hotel, where you will arrive from 07:00. After breakfast you will be picked up and taken to the dive center, just a few minutes away. Here you will check your equipment and get a briefing about the planned dive sites. Around 08:00 you will depart by boat towards the sea. The sailing time to the dive sites averages about one hour.
You will make two boat dives daily at highly varied sites. Diving around La Paz is known for the great variety of different types of diving. Of course, the sea lion colonies are an important highlight. Here you are often surrounded by curious and playful animals that like to interact with divers.
You will also dive on rocky reefs and coral formations with large schools of reef fish, parrot fish, moray eels, rays and often hunting barracudas and jacks. In some locations you dive along underwater walls and pinnacles, where the blue water begins and pelagic fish may appear. Also scheduled are one or more wreck dives, where sunken ships have become artificial reefs full of marine life.
Well-known dive sites to visit during this trip include:
- Los Islotes: famous for sea lions, large schools of fish, barracudas and vibrant reef life.
- Fang Ming Wreck: a Chinese fishing vessel sunk in 1999 as an artificial reef, about 20 to 25 meters deep.
- La Reina: a rock formation with frequent currents and a chance to see larger marine life such as sharks, rays and schools of jacks.
Day 12 | Snorkeling during the mobula migration
On the last day of the trip, you will again head to La Ventana Bay for a second snorkeling safari with the impressive mobula rays. After an early breakfast, you will depart for the coast, where you will board the boat for another marine safari in search of the migrating devil rays.
Together with an experienced captain and guide, you will sail along the known routes where the mobulas often hang out. As soon as activity is spotted – for example, jumping stingrays on the surface – you get the chance to enter the water and snorkel among large schools of mobulas. Often hundreds to thousands of animals swim here at once, making for a spectacular and unforgettable spectacle.
Again during this day there is a chance to see dolphins, orcas, turtles and sometimes whales, making each safari different. Lunch and drinks are included on board, so you can make the most of a long day at sea.
Afterwards, you will return to La Paz and have the rest of the afternoon free to enjoy this special experience and prepare for your return trip.
Day 13 & 14 | Farewell to La Paz & home
Today it is already time to say goodbye and begin the journey home. Those who still haven’t had enough of Mexico’s underwater world can choose to extend the trip on the other side of the country. A simple domestic flight will take you to Tulum, where you can dive in the mysterious cenotes. These crystal-clear caves and underground rivers are among the most extraordinary dive sites in the world.
Want to make the return trip a little more accessible? We can also arrange a stay in Mexico City, or some other place where you can explore Mexican culture even more.
Highlights of this trip
What can you expect from this trip to Baja California?
The mobula migration
The mobula migration is something where you almost don’t believe your eyes. So many mobulas gather in the water, it almost seems unreal. These devil rays swim close to the surface and sometimes jump out of the water, a sign that hundreds are swimming below the surface. Snorkeling among these large schools offers a unique opportunity to see up close the behavior of these elegant filter feeders and experience one of the world’s most spectacular marine migrations.
Encounters with orcas
During snorkeling safaris in La Ventana, you can regularly spot orcas. These predators follow concentrations of fish and mobula, so their presence often coincides with migration. Seeing an orca in its natural habitat is special because of their size, strength and social behavior. From the boat or water you can observe their movements, often in combination with other marine life such as dolphins and turtles, completing the experience.
Diving among the sea lions
Around La Paz live large colonies of California sea lions that are curious and playful. During dives, they actively swim around divers, making quick turns and approaching you at close range. This behavior makes each encounter unique and dynamic, unlike most other underwater animals. In addition to interacting with the sea lions, you will discover colorful reefs, rock formations and wrecks, making dives in this area both exciting and varied.
The accommodation
The stay and surroundings
Villa Carey
Villa Carey is located just outside the center of La Paz, in a quiet spot overlooking the bay and mountains. You’re far enough from the city to unwind, but close enough to be on the beach or promenade in minutes. The small-scale accommodation is surrounded by tropical plants and shaded seating areas. At the center is a pool with adjacent Jacuzzi – a popular spot to cool off or relax under the stars at night.
Rooms are simple but comfortable, with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a desk with European and American outlets, and a private bathroom. Some have sea views or access to a balcony or terrace. Have breakfast outside on the terrace or in the common room, with a simple fresh breakfast. Although there is no restaurant, informal dinners or barbecues are regularly organized – often spontaneous and fun with other guests.
Buceo Carey
Buceo Carey is a professional and small-scale diving school on the coast of La Paz. Thanks to its central location, almost all the famous dive sites of the Sea of Cortez are easily accessible. The diving school is just a few minutes’ drive from Villa Carey and the city center.
Buceo Carey has modern facilities, including spacious storage areas for your equipment, rinse stations and locker rooms. The team consists of experienced, multilingual instructors and guides who put personal attention and safety first. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, making you feel right at home here.
The service of the team is excellent: you can just leave your diving equipment in the dive center and the team washes everything after the dives.
La Paz, Mexico
La Paz is an atmospheric city on the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez. Unlike the crowded beach towns of Mexico, you will find a friendly, local atmosphere here. Residents have a strong connection to the sea, which is central to daily life.
The city is compact and colorful, with a relaxed pace, pleasant markets and excellent seafood restaurants. But it’s the sunsets that stay with you most of all. As the sun disappears behind the mountains, the sky colors in spectacular shades of orange, pink and purple.
And don’t forget to sample the local flavors. In La Paz, culinary life revolves around fresh seafood. Be sure to try a traditional taco gobernador with grilled shrimp, or a ceviche of local fish with lime and cilantro. Got thirsty? End your day with an ice-cold clamato con cerveza, or a glass of mezcal as the sun slowly sinks behind the mountains.
Travel costs
What is included
This trip to La Paz is available from US$ 3.884 per person based on two people in one room.
A number of things are included by default in this travel package. All prices quoted are per person unless otherwise stated. Prices are subject to price changes or changing exchange rates.
EWDR is a specialist in customization. Would you like the trip to be just a little different? More luxurious, shorter, longer? Let us know. In many destinations the diving programs can be extended with round trips or some excursions in between.
Want to know more about this trip? Get in touch with us!
Included in this diving trip, from US$ 3.884
- 13 overnight stays at Villa Carey
- Stay on a bed and breakfast basis
- Dive package with 16 dives
- 2 mobula snorkeling safaris in Le Ventana
- Nitrox for certified divers
- Lunch and non-alcoholic beverages on dive days
- Access to national park / protected areas
- Return transfers
- VZR & Administration fee
Excluding
- Flight to La Paz from US$ 1.275
- Dinner
✈︎ The quoted (international) flight prices are indicative prices and based on departures from Europe. However, we can arrange flights from any location worldwide. Booking your own flights is of course also possible.
Optional
- Rental dive equipment US$ 41 per day
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Frequently asked questions about La Paz
Diving general
In La Paz, you make exclusively boat dives. Most dive sites are relatively shallow (between 10 and 20 meters) and no dives are made where there is a lot of current. This makes the dives suitable for both beginners and advanced divers. The dives here last on average 1 hour, but of course it always depends on the conditions underwater and air consumption of the divers.
A day program can look like this. Each day you will depart from Villa Carey at 07:30 and return around 15:00.
- 07:00 breakfast at Villa Carey with fresh bread, egg, cheese, ham, yogurt, fruit, cereal, fruit juice, coffee and tea.
- 07:30 transfer to the diving school, few minutes drive
- 08:00 Prepare diving equipment and board the boat. Navigation to the dive site takes an average of 1 hour.
- 09:00 arrival dive site and ready to dive
- 10:30 surface interval on the boat
- 11:30 second dive
- 13:00 back in port and lunch on the beach: sandwich, fruit, cookies and non-alcoholic drinks.
- 15:00 back at Villa Carey. Time to take a dip in the pool, relax in the Jacuzzi, get a massage or explore La Paz.
The dive sites are about an hour by boat.
Making a night dive is not possible because there is no dive site near the beach.
No, there is no house reef. All dives are made by boat.
No, you cannot take courses at Buceo Carey. The instructors focus entirely on guiding the divers.
Yes indeed, these are very close together. For convenience, though, there is a transfer van waiting for you every morning to take you to the dive center. This takes about 2 minutes.
Diving equipment
The standard tanks are INT. If you have your own DIN regulator, the diving school has free adapters available.
No, the diving school only has 12L tanks.
If you bring your own side-mount equipment, you can use it without any problems.
The use of nitrox is included.
Complete diving equipment costs €35 per day.
You bring your gear to the dive center on the first day. Here you can leave them throughout your stay. The team at Buceo Carey will wash it for you every day. In addition, there is even a separate rinsing station for cameras.
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