Sea of Cortez · Mexico · Seamount · Pelagic & blue water
El Bajo Seamount
A hammerhead seamount with nothing showing at the surface
Area photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Three underwater peaks north-northeast of La Paz, charted as Marisla Seamount and dived as El Bajo, topping out at 16, 21 and 25 metres with nothing showing at the surface. The draw is schooling scalloped hammerheads, reported in groups of up to 100 animals, with whale sharks, giant mantas and amberjacks also recorded over the structure and morays and octopus living in it.
Also known as El Bajo, Marisla Seamount.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Sea of Cortez and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
El Bajo is not a single pinnacle but a group of three submerged peaks arrayed north-northeast of La Paz, the central one rising to 16 metres, the southern to 21 and the northern to 25. Nothing breaks the surface, so the dive begins as a descent into open water with the structure somewhere below you, and the profile stays around the tops rather than working down the flanks into deeper water.
The sharks are the reason boats make the run. Large schools of scalloped hammerheads circle the pinnacles and groups of up to 100 individuals can be encountered, usually out in the blue off the rock rather than over it. Whale sharks, swordfish, giant mantas and amberjacks are also reported here, while moray eels and octopus live in the structure itself for anyone who ends up looking close instead of out.
Marine life and season
- Hammerheads
- Whale sharks
- Manta rays
- Trevally & jacks
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Sea of Cortez: Calm, clear conditions run October to May; summer brings occasional wind and choppier seas, and Los Islotes closes from June to August.
Know before you go
- The three peaks top out between 16 and 25 metres with nothing showing at the surface, so the descent is made in open water and depth control matters from the moment you leave the boat.
Dive videos
EL BAJO HAMMERHEAD SHARKS.wmv · signalblenny on YouTube
Silky Shark Dive at El Bajo in La Paz, Mexico - 4K 🎵 Little by Little - Lane 8 · The Dive Planner on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is El Bajo Seamount?+
The three peaks rise to 16, 21 and 25 metres, so recreational dives are worked around their tops. Nothing shows at the surface and the surrounding water is far deeper, which is part of why the site is graded advanced.
Are hammerheads guaranteed at El Bajo?+
No. The seamount is known for large schools of scalloped hammerheads, and groups of up to 100 animals can be encountered, but they are pelagic and the encounter either happens or it does not on any given dive.
Sources
- Marisla Seamount — Wikipedia
- Diving Sites Mexico - Sea of Cortez — Dive The World
In The Logbook
- Where to dive with whale sharks, month by monthBig animals · 16 min read
- When and where to dive with hammerheadsBig animals · 16 min read
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