Baja California Sur, Mexico
La Paz
Base on the Gulf of California with a 400-animal sea lion rookery, offshore seamounts, accessible wrecks, and a separate seasonal whale shark aggregation inside the bay that is a snorkel activity rather than a dive.
- California sea lion
- Whale shark
- Pelagics
Best season
Best Oct–Dec
Minimum cert
Open Water
Water
18–27°C
Current
moderate
Season
When this place works
Diving runs year-round, but Los Islotes, the single biggest draw, is closed 1 June to 31 August for sea lion breeding. That is a hard site closure inside an otherwise open destination, which is why Jun-Aug reads 'limited' rather than…
Why dive here
What this place is known for
01pelagicLos Islotes sea lion rookery
Around 400 California sea lions and pups on a rocky islet, and the interaction is initiated by the animals. Closed 1 June to 31 August for breeding, which catches people who book Baja in summer.
Seasonality — peakpeakpeakpeakpeakabsentabsentabsentpeakpeakpeakpeak
02pelagicLow confidenceMobula ray aggregations
Under-marketed relative to the sea lions and the whale sharks. Present year-round with a Jan-May concentration, and the large schooling and breaching behaviour in the Gulf is one of the more spectacular things in the region.
Seasonality — peakpeakpeakpeakpeakshouldershouldershouldershouldershouldershouldershoulder
03wreckFang Ming, Salvatierra and C-59
Three intentionally sunk wrecks close to town. The Salvatierra is shallow and suits novices, which makes La Paz unusually good for a first wreck.
Marine life
Twelve-month species timelines
Resident colony of roughly 400 including pups. Biologically present all year; the Jun-Aug gap is a site closure for breeding, carried in operating_months and in the highlight seasonality rather than…
Arrives around mid-November into the shallow bay. Aggregations here are juveniles feeding at the surface. Snorkel only in practice, see trip_formats.
El Bajo. The historic schooling aggregation was heavily reduced by fishing in the 1980s-90s and sightings are reported as increasing again. Encoded 'shoulder' not 'peak' in the best months, because…
Conditions
What the water is like
Water temp
18–27°C
15°C — 32°C
Visibility
12–24 m
0 m — 40 m
Current
moderate
mild — strong
Thermoclines
Expected
likely
Minimum certification — Open Water
Low confidenceTwo tiers. Inshore sites and the Salvatierra wreck are calm, shallow and suit beginners. El Bajo is an offshore seamount eight miles out with current and no reference, and operators gate it on experience. The season people do not plan for…
Entries — boat
Logistics
How people dive it
3-7 days
scuba
Resort and shop-based day trips by panga or speedboat. No liveaboards are based in La Paz itself, though Sea of Cortez itineraries call…
1 day
snorkel
Format mismatch warning, and the important one for this record. The whale shark season inside La Paz bay is a regulated SNORKEL activity,…
1 day
snorkel
Los Islotes also runs a very large snorkel-tour market alongside the diving, on the same rock, at the same time.
Operators
Who to book with
Loading operators…
Sources & verification
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