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Macro Critters
Whale Shark Encounters
Pelagic Encounters
Free Photo Workshops
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:
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:
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.
Download our full scuba gear guide to Sea of Cortez, Bluewater Travel guests receive 10% OFF! Click the image below to download (PDF).
Rocio Del Mar is one of the most popular liveaboards sailing in the area, offering excellent service and fantastic food. There are 10 cabins for up to a maximum of 20 divers, all offering private bathrooms with hot shower stalls, Western-style toilets, and above-height windows. Cabins are carpeted and have air-conditioning, plus convenient gear and clothes storage drawers beneath the beds.
Dining Room & Salon
Camera Table & Dive Platform
Sundeck & Outdoor Kitchen
Check out this page to see more details and customer reviews on the Rocio Del Mar.
Check out our walkthrough video of the Rocio del Mar!


Mark Strickland’s life-long interest in the sea has included over 10,000 dives and careers as a lifeguard, boat captain, and scuba instructor. His passion for underwater photography has led him to many top dive locales, including the Virgin Islands, Australia, and Thailand, where he spent 17 years as Cruise Director on a series of liveaboards. Mark now resides in Ventura County, California.
An avid marine naturalist, Mark has discovered several nudibranch species. He is co-author and principal photographer for Lonely Planet’s award-winning book, “Diving and Snorkeling Thailand”, and his work appears in many magazines, books, and displays around the world. Currently, Mark leads several dive trips each year to his favorite destinations, while working on a career-spanning large-format pictorial book.
Mark's photos and articles have appeared in magazines and books around the world, including Action Asia, BBC Wildlife, National Geographic World, Natural History, Scuba Diving, Skin Diver, Sport Diver, Sportdiving, Unterwasser, and many others.

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