Loreto Bay National Park · Mexico · Seamount
Bajo Sandia
A remote seamount flooded with creole fish near Isla Montserrat
Bajo Sandia is one of the remote seamounts around Isla Montserrat, dived from 8 m (25 ft) to 24 m (80 ft). It takes its name from the large population of creole fish, pez sandia, that floods the place, and turtles, giant triggerfish, green morays and large groupers are often seen.
Where it is and how deep
25.7820° N, 111.0520° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Bajo Sandia is a seamount near Isla Montserrat, and its top rises to around 8 m (25 ft). Divers descend onto the rock into clouds of creole fish, the pez sandia that gives the site its name and floods the place. The seamount is normally rich with life, and turtles and giant triggerfish are not rare here.
Bajo Sandia is part of a larger reef system known as Bajo Cochi, and its topography is varied, with small canyons, plateaus and pinnacles running down to about 24 m (80 ft). Green morays and large groupers sit among the rock on the way down. Divers then come back up to the shallow top at around 8 m (25 ft), among the creole fish, for the end of the dive.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Loreto Bay National Park: Mobula schools peak May to August, and summer brings the warmest, clearest water; winter north winds can keep boats in harbour.
Dive videos
Diving "Bajo Sandia", Loreto BCS · Blue Nation Loreto BCS on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Why is Bajo Sandia called Sandia?+
The seamount is named after the large population of pez sandia, or creole fish, that floods the place.
How deep is Bajo Sandia near Isla Montserrat?+
The seamount is dived from 8 m (25 ft) at its top down to 24 m (80 ft).
Sources
- Loreto Bay National Park — Blue Nation Baja
- Diving — Blue Nation Baja
- Loreto Bay National Park (Blue Nation Baja, archived, with island map pins) — Blue Nation Baja
More dive sites in Loreto Bay National Park
A WWII minesweeper sunk for divers, with easy penetrations
Seamount
Hundreds of king angelfish among huge boulders on a deep seamount
Reef
An offshore reef with schools of surgeonfish and guitar rays
Sea lions from the local colony and black coral caverns at 30 m
Pinnacle
Three pinnacles with horn sharks among black coral bushes at the base
Wall
Sheer drop-offs with yellow polyp black coral and schooling jacks
Similar dives elsewhere
A submerged mountain from 55 m to 3 m, four hulls on its flanks
A hammerhead seamount with nothing showing at the surface
Hammerheads and silky sharks over a seamount peak at 30 m
A rock needle to 3 m, with a conger cave at 22 m on its east side