North America · Mexico
Sea of Cortez — La Paz
Sea lions at Los Islotes and whale sharks in La Paz Bay
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Boats from La Paz dive the Espíritu Santo National Park, off the coast in the Sea of Cortez. Los Islotes is the sea lion dive, where California sea lions share the water with divers; the El Bajo seamounts hold the chance of scalloped hammerheads and silky sharks, and La Reina has a canyon of moray eels. Two sunken ships, the Salvatierra and the Fang Ming, add wreck dives, and juvenile whale sharks feed inside La Paz Bay.
About diving in Sea of Cortez — La Paz
Diving here is by boat out of La Paz. Los Islotes lies 60 to 80 minutes away, and El Bajo is about 30 minutes beyond it, inside the Espíritu Santo National Park, which is reached only by boat. Trips to El Bajo need suitable weather and ocean conditions. Los Islotes is closed to in-water activity from June 1 through August 31 for the sea lion breeding and pupping season.
Underwater, the area splits into a few very different kinds of dive. Los Islotes is a pair of rocky islets at the northern end of the park's land, with coral walls and an arch where sea lions concentrate. El Bajo is open water around three seamounts that drop past 40 m (130 ft), where scalloped hammerheads and silky sharks are possible among big schools of jacks, wahoo, tuna and mobulas. La Reina is a small islet with a canyon packed with green morays, and two wrecks, sunk in 1976 and 1999, include one that now shelters green turtles.
Most sites top out between 20 and 30 m. Los Islotes needs only Open Water certification, and most of the sea lion action happens in the top 10 m. El Bajo is another matter: the minimum there is Advanced Open Water or equivalent, and it is recommended for experienced divers because of potentially strong currents.
Best time to dive Sea of Cortez — La Paz
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
| Sea surface | 21°C70°F | 21°C70°F | 21°C70°F | 22°C72°F | 24°C75°F | 25°C77°F | 27°C81°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 27°C81°F | 24°C75°F |
| Daytime high | 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 33°C91°F | 35°C95°F | 36°C97°F | 38°C100°F | 38°C100°F | 38°C100°F | 37°C99°F | 36°C97°F | 33°C91°F | 30°C86°F |
| Rain | 6 mm0.2 in | 7 mm0.3 in | 2 mm0.1 in | 1 mm0.0 in | 1 mm0.0 in | 5 mm0.2 in | 14 mm0.6 in | 60 mm2.4 in | 105 mm4.1 in | 39 mm1.5 in | 17 mm0.7 in | 13 mm0.5 in |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 21°C70°F | 21°C70°F | 21°C70°F | 22°C72°F | 24°C75°F | 25°C77°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 30°C86°F | 31°C88°F | 33°C91°F | 35°C95°F | 36°C97°F | 38°C100°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 6 mm0.2 in | 7 mm0.3 in | 2 mm0.1 in | 1 mm0.0 in | 1 mm0.0 in | 5 mm0.2 in |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
| Sea surface | |||||
| 27°C81°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 29°C84°F | 27°C81°F | 24°C75°F |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 38°C100°F | 38°C100°F | 37°C99°F | 36°C97°F | 33°C91°F | 30°C86°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 14 mm0.6 in | 60 mm2.4 in | 105 mm4.1 in | 39 mm1.5 in | 17 mm0.7 in | 13 mm0.5 in |
2011–2025 averages. Sea surface: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, measured at the surface, so deeper water can run colder. Daytime high and rain: NASA POWER.
Calm, clear conditions run October to May; summer brings occasional wind and choppier seas, and Los Islotes closes from June to August.
Best months: January, February, March, April, October, November, December
La Paz, Sea of Cortez water temperature and weather by month
The sea surface runs from 21 °C (70 °F) in February to 29 °C (84 °F) in September. It is 24 °C (75 °F) or warmer from May to December. Most rain falls from August to October, peaking at about 110 mm (4.3 in) in September; it stays largely dry from December to June. Daytime highs reach 38 °C (100 °F) in August and drop to 30 °C (86 °F) in January. The coldest water here is about 19 °C (66 °F), so pack a 5 mm suit.
Dive types & marine life
Juvenile whale sharks feed in La Paz Bay from mid-November through April, inside a snorkel-only zone. From late April through July, mobula rays pass in squadrons sometimes a kilometre long off Cerralvo Island. Giant mantas are possible at La Reina from July to October. The scalloped hammerhead schools at El Bajo have thinned dramatically and are no longer a reliable sighting.
- Seamount
- Reef
- Wall
- Wreck
- Drift
- Pelagic & blue water
- Seals & sea lions
- Hammerheads
- Whale sharks
- Mobula rays
- Manta rays
- Eagle rays
- Sea turtles
- Trevally & jacks
Best dive sites in Sea of Cortez — La Paz
- 1
Los Islotes
Rocky islets in a no-fishing zone where sea lions gather under an arch.
- 2
El Bajo
Three seamounts, the shallowest peak at 16 to 18 m, where scalloped hammerheads are possible.
- 3
La Reina
Islet off Isla Cerralvo with a canyon holding 50-plus Panamic green morays.
- 4
Fang Ming Wreck
Ship sunk in 1999 as an artificial reef, now a resting place for green turtles.
- 5
Salvatierra Wreck
Ship sunk on Swanne Rock in 1976, its trucks scattered on the seabed among huge groupers.
Site guides
Wreck
A scuttled navy hull in about 18 m of island water
Seamount
A hammerhead seamount with nothing showing at the surface
Wreck
A scuttled smuggling ship with multi-level penetration at 21 m
Cave & cavern
Swim-through caves and a standing garden of conger eels
Pinnacle
A lighthouse islet with sea lions and passing mantas
Pinnacle
A current-swept pinnacle off Cerralvo with large groupers
Wall
Boulder wall to 27 m with summer mobula ray squadrons
A 1976 ferry wreck with her cargo trucks still aboard
Reef
Sea lions, rays and morays over coral heads in 11 m
How to get to Sea of Cortez — La Paz
Manuel Márquez de León International Airport (LAP) receives domestic flights from Mexico City, Cabo San Lucas and other Baja California hubs. The dive sites, including everything inside Espíritu Santo National Park, are reached by boat from La Paz.
Photos from Sea of Cortez — La Paz
ProtoplasmaKid · CC BY-SA 4.0
ProtoplasmaKid · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Diving the INCREDIBLE Sea of Cortez! · BlueWorldTV on YouTube
Diving and playing with Sea Lion Pups In La Paz Mexico · Brian Siegel Photography on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Do the La Paz dives need an Advanced certification?+
El Bajo does: the minimum there is Advanced Open Water or equivalent, and it is recommended for experienced divers because of potentially strong currents. Open Water certification is enough for Los Islotes.
Does Espíritu Santo National Park charge an entrance fee?+
Yes. The park collects 225 MXN per person per day, and it can only be reached by boat, whether owned, rented or booked through a tour provider.
Can divers get in the water with the sea lions all year?+
No. Los Islotes closes to in-water activity from June 1 through August 31 each year for breeding and pupping, so sea lion dives fall in the other nine months.
Sources
- Diving in La Paz — La Paz Divers
- La Paz Dive Sites — La Paz Divers
- The Cortez Club | La Paz — PADI
- Diving in La Paz — PADI
- Scuba Diving in La Paz: Best Sites, Marine Life & When to Go — Divearoo
- Diving La Paz: Inside the World’s Aquarium — DeeperBlue
- La Paz Average Sea Temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
- about — The Cortez Club
- Dive Sites in La Paz: Map & Guide — Koox Diving
- Espiritu Santo - Dive in La Paz — Dive in La Paz
- CONANP | Protected Areas: Zona marina del Archipiélago de Espíritu Santo — CONANP
- Sea of Cortez Diving: Sea Lions and Sites — DiveHQ
Photo credits
- A whale shark feeds open-mouthed just below the surface off La Paz, Baja California Sur, with small fish riding above its back by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Boats anchored in the bay off La Paz's malecón, with the Sierra de la Laguna mountains rising behind the Baja California Sur coastline. by ProtoplasmaKid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Aerial view of La Paz's marina and waterfront resort on the turquoise Sea of Cortez, Baja California Sur, Mexico. by ProtoplasmaKid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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In The Logbook
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
- Where to dive with seals and sea lionsBig animals · 17 min read
- Where to dive with whale sharks, month by monthBig animals · 16 min read
- Where to dive with manta rays, month by monthBig animals · 8 min read
- When and where to dive with hammerheadsBig animals · 16 min read
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