Ultimate Whale Shark & Sea Lion Sea of Cortez Trip 2026

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Trip overview

This trip offers a great combination of big animals and fascinating macro life. There's always something for everyone. Plus, it's really easy to get to being only a 4-hour drive from Phoenix, AZ.

The Sea of Cortez is home to sea lions, whale sharks, manta and mobula rays, dolphins, and huge schools of fish. Sperm whales, pilot whales, and dolphins are also commonly spotted.

(Left) A playful sea lion. (Middle) A tiny 1-inch long reveals its position with a colorful dance in a desert of sand. (Right) The same signal blenny photographed with a saga magic tube.

It doesn't just stop there as the Sea of Cortez is also a perfect place to practice your macro photography skills. You will get to see nice varieties of nudibranchs, Panamic arrow crabs, Pacific seahorses, jawfish, small and big octopuses, frogfish, and blennies.

Check out this cool video from diving the Sea of Cortez:

Sample Itinerary

The boat will depart from Puerto Peasco at 6 pm on Saturday and then travel for 12 hours to arrive the next morning for a 7 am dive. You will be diving 3-4 times per day on this trip. Here's a sample day-by-day itinerary of this trip:

Day 1 Embark at 5 pm in Puerto Peasco. Depart at 6 pm
Day 2 Wake up at Refugio Bay on Angel Island

Potential Dive sites: Angel Rock, La Vela, Lolos Cove, Sunset Zodiak Cruise with Sea Lions

Day 3 Angel Island

Potential Dive sites: Andreas Eagle, El Aquario, Las Vivoras, Las Vivoras including a night dive

Day 4 San Pedro Martir

Potential Dive sites: El Arroyo, Punta Martir (Sea Lions), Chayos Cove

Day 5 San Pedro Martir

Potential Dive sites: Ravijunco, Xarenis Pinnacle, Coromel, Morrito, in the afternoon we go looking for whales!

Day 6 Salsipuedes & Animas

Potential Dive sites: Los Cuervos, El Caballo, In Animas, El Lavadero, El Lavadero including a night dive

Day 7 Baja and Snorkeling with Whale Sharks in Bahia De Los Angeles

Potential Dive sites: El Pescador, Baja Ca., start heading back to Puerto Penasco in afternoon

Day 8 Disembark at 7 am

To learn more about what you can expect from this Sea of Cortez trip, check out 2024 Sea of Cortez trip report. Also see the reviews on diving the Sea of Cortez here.

Recommended Scuba Gear

Download our full scuba gear guide to Sea of Cortez, Bluewater Travel guests receive 10% OFF! Click the image below to download (PDF).

5mm wetsuit and a hooded vest. Browse Wetsuits at Bluewater Photo
A good mask and snorkel for whale shark snorkelling. We recommend the Cressi ZS1 & Corsica Snorkeling Package
Anti-fog
Dive light/torch. We suggest Kraken NR-2000 Dive Light
Pointer
Travel BCD. Read our Best Travel BCD Article
Travel regulator. We suggest Mares Ultra 62X Dive Regulator