Jacques Cousteau once called the Sea of Cortez the “aquarium of the world,” and for good reason. Ocean currents sweep nutrients into the Gulf of California, while upwellings of rich waters serve up a tasty buffet to colorful reef fish and massive pelagic life.The result is an alignment of perfect conditions for scuba diving and snorkeling.

From Cabo Pulmo to reefs off desert islands, Our back yard in Sea of Cortez is a world-class snorkeling and scuba diving destination.While you can dive and snorkel year round out of Palapas Ventana, the waters are warmest and visibility the clearest in summer months. Bikini-warm, crystal clear waters are home to incredible marine life, from the tiniest of colorful sea slugs to sharks, rays and whales. On a typical day snorkeling or diving in Baja, you might run into some of our favorite locals:

Garden Eels

Swim out over a sandy expanse and you may see what looks like seaweed fluttering in the current. Take a closer look and you’ll see hundreds of tiny eels, most of their bodies concealed below the sand, peeking out like periscopes. Get too close, however, and they’ll retreat into their sandy abodes.’

Guinea Fowl Puffer

You’ll get to know guinea fowl puffers pretty well: they’re abundant in Sea of Cortez reefs. But every once in a while you’ll catch one in its rare yellow phase: bright, big and the color of a ripe banana.

Mobula Rays

A member of the manta ray family, mobula rays put on quite the show. Keep an eye on the water while you’re eating breakfast and you may see one launch clear out of the water, flap its wings and belly flop on the surface. Lucky snorkels might come across schools of hundreds of mobulas gliding swiftly through the water.

Pacific Green Turtle

Sea turtles are graceful swimmers, slowly gliding under the water and occasionally surfacing for air. Turtles can hold their breath for hours at a time, even sleeping under rock ledges. but, their excellent camouflage makes these majestic creatures a rare sight

Whale Sharks

These majestic fish appear from winter and swim with us until late spring. Whale sharks love to feed in the nutrient-rich waters of the Sea of Cortez. Of course, whale sharks are the largest known species of fish, growing to 12.5 meters and can weigh as much as 79,000 pounds. Don’t be intimidated! We take groups to swim with these gentle giants all of the time.

Book your dream scuba or snorkel trip!

+1-310-594-DIVE

Nikki Inglis

PhD student: Geospatial Analytics, Forecasting land use change, Viewscape modeling, Public land policy, and Bird nerd