Route Description - Orcas - Sea of Cortez 11 days / 10 nights
Mobulas & Orcas
The Sea of Cortez is a magical and wonderful place teeming with marine creatures of all sizes. Our guests encounter and interact year-round with friendly California sea lions and mega pods of bottlenose dolphins. If we are lucky, we might also encounter Spinner and Risso’s dolphins. Mobula rays are present year-round and aggregate in enormous schools from March through July. Colossal fin whales (second in size only to blue whales), sperm whales, rays, and whale sharks are present year-round and migrate seasonally up and down the Sea of Cortez. Pilot whales, pseudo orcas, and minke whales are also known to migrate in the area, although they are less commonly seen.
Humpback whales, including mothers and calves, arrive in December and January, while giant blue whales and their babies are present from the end of January through April. Thanks to our extensive local knowledge and aerial patrols, we provide the best opportunities for encounters, which are always conducted with the utmost respect and only on the animals’ terms. It’s entirely their choice to swim over and check us out.
Divers with abundant experience agree that the vast schools of fish witnessed by our divers, snorkelers, and swimmers create the most densely packed fish tornadoes seen anywhere in the world. Hammerhead and tiger sharks have made a comeback after 20 years of tightly restricted commercial fishing.
Itinerary details:
Fly into SJD. Cabo. The expedition yacht will leave from Cabo.
Day 1
Complimentary photo and video workshop at SeeCreatures Cabo San Lucas. Either 5 pm meet and board in Cabo or mid-afternoon transfer to La Paz.
Days 2 – 10
We usually start off at our favorite hotspot for masses of mobula rays leaping for joy first thing in the morning because, well, it’s really fun! And then we will weigh anchor and make our way. During your week onboard, we hope to get you in the water with mega pods of bottlenose dolphins. If we are lucky, we might spot Spinner and Risso’s dolphins, known for their well-deserved reputation for amazing aerobatics. We will also encounter California sea lions, mobula rays, and hopefully cow-nose rays.
Big animals should be in the area, and our naturalist will be in touch with our network of friends and colleagues, exchanging notes. Scout, our spotter aircraft, will take to the air as often as possible, subject to wind and weather conditions. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for interactions with whale sharks. We will be actively searching for sperm whales, fin whales, and sometimes even minkes and pseudo-orcas.
The highlight of any trip is if we spot the black fins of orcas slicing through the water. All interactions are conducted in compliance with the laws and regulations of Mexico. For our diving friends, bring your dive gear, and we will be sure to get you some splashes on local dive sites.
On several evenings, we will anchor in our best spots for in-water night interactions with the mobulas. Otherwise, enjoy the sunset, cocktail hour, dinner, and an evening presentation. Important note that strategic use of our accompanying fast boat will ensure the best sightings and interactions, but this may involve spending some time in the smaller boat cruising around in search of marine creatures.
Day 11
Breakfast and disembarkation around 8:30 am. Complimentary coach transfer back to SJD if you are in La Paz.