Ultimate Whale Shark & Sea Lion Sea Of Cortez Trip 2026
August 29 - September 05 , 2026
Macro Critters
Whale Shark Encounters
Pelagic Encounters
Free Photo Workshops
Why Join This Trip- Inclusions & Exclusions
- Trip Type
- Trip Overview
- Accommodations
- Photo Gallery
- About the Trip Leader
- How to Get There
- Payment Schedule
Why join this Trip?
Rocio del Mar Cabin
Air Conditioning (AC)En Suite BathroomHot Water ShowerCamera RoomDouble Occupancy
$3,095p/p
OptionalLand Extensions
Inclusions
Exclusions
Trip type
Photography Workshop
Led by one of our photo instructors and will include daily underwater photography tutorials, in-water photography support, and one-to-one advice and guidance as required.
Read more about the trip
Trip Overview
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 2022 Sea of Cortez trip report. Also see the reviews on diving the Sea of Cortez here.
Recommended Scuba Gear
- 5mm wetsuit and a hooded vest. Browse Wetsuits at Bluewater Photo
- A good mask and snorkel for whale shark snorkelling. We recommend th eCressi 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
Accommodations
About The Rocio Del Mar
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.
About the Trip Leader
Mark Strickland
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.
How to Get There
Flight Information
Trip attendees will fly in and out of Phoenix, Arizona, which is the closest international airport. You should fly in on Saturday morning (Aug 29th) and arrive before 11 am. For return flights, book anytime after 2 pm (Sep 5th).
Head Out To Rocky Point offers a shuttle service to and from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and takes you directly to the boat. It takes approximately 3.5-4 hours. The cost is $150 per person, round trip. All passengers will be picked up at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport at 1pm, Terminal 4, Door 5 outside on the far side of the street. The shuttles are clearly marked Head Out To Rocky Point. The shuttle will stop at the border so passengers can purchase Mexico Tourist Cards. If you choose to stay at a hotel the evening prior, be sure to be back at the airport by 12:30 so you can comfortably get to the shuttle departure area by 1pm. On disembarkation day the shuttle departs the boat at 7am.
Book the round-trip Head Out to Rocky Point Shuttle here: https://www.headouttorockypoint.com/scuba.
Flight Package
Our group trips attract guests from all over the globe and many of our customers prefer to book their own flights to take advantage of mileage points or credit card discounts. For these reasons, flights are not included in our group trip packages.
However, we are more than happy to work with you to find the best travel itinerary for your trip and will gladly give suggestions and advice, even if you make the final booking. We will check through your travel reservations at any time to ensure they fit with the trip schedule and can give recommendations on transit hotels and day tours where needed.
If you would like us to book flights and transit hotels for domestic and/or international travel on your behalf, we are also happy to arrange this. Please be advised that there is a ticketing fee for this service.
Contact Us for more information.
Payment Schedule
- Deposit: $500 to book your spot
- Payment 2: $750 due 22 July 2025
- Payment 3: $750 due 13 January 2026
- Balance: due 14 April 2026
Ultimate Whale Shark & Sea Lion Sea Of Cortez Trip 2026
Book now and experience adventure
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by Jenny Hanna
