Have you ever been diving with thousands of Mobula Rays, schools so massive they literally block out the sun? How about snorkeling with Mako sharks? Or encounters with gigantic, breaching humpback whales and their newborn calves? Scuba diving in Los Cabos gives you the chance to do all of that and much more! We recently held a Girls that Scuba event in Los Cabos, with our awesome dive friends Dive Ninja Expeditions, and were so amazed at the life we saw underwater that we couldn’t wait to tell you about it!
Where is Los Cabos?
Los Cabos spans 3 areas at the southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula located in western Mexico – Cabo San Lucas, San Jose Del Cabo and the Corridor that connects them. All three have beautiful beaches based at the mouth of the Sea of Cortez, with a beautiful mountainous desert in their background. Sitting right where the Pacific ocean meets the Gulf of California, this area has a unique and amazing underwater ecosystem.
Best scuba diving in Los Cabos
Cabo San Lucas
Right outside the marina, just a 5-10 minute boat ride from downtown , you will find interesting dive spots. Rocky terrain and sandy slopes inhabited by schools of grunts and jacks, a variety of stingrays and eels, nudibranchs, seahorses, lobsters, angelfish and coral. Sheer walls and rock formations packed with life at Pelican Rock, underwater sand falls at North Wall, Guitar rays and colorful macro life at Neptune’s finger and pelagics pass over the shipwreck at Lands End. During the early summer and late autumn months huge schools of acrobatic mobula rays enter the bay for courting and breeding. Nowhere else will you see this spectacular show of jumping, flipping and splashing on the surface, or be surrounded by hundreds of rays while freediving.
The Corridor
Between San Jose and Cabo San Lucas, where the bays and beaches are dotted with lavish resorts, the water teems with life. Coral and reefs are more abundant here and tiny critters and reef fish hang out among the boulders. Eagle rays and Electric rays are a common sight and sharks often cruise the area.
Gordo Banks
The best dive site in Los Cabos for pelagic marine animal sightings. Hammerheads, Silkies and Mako sharks, Manta rays, turtles, tuna, wahoos and even whales can be seen here. The deep submerged seamount gets strong currents, filled with nutrients, which attract fish of all shapes and sizes. Since the top of the mount is quite deep, about 35 meters/115 feet, most of the dive is spent drifting in blue waters, which is also where most of the big animals spend their time hunting and swimming.
As the most northern coral reef in the eastern Pacific and a UNESCO World Heritage site, this dive spot is a must for any scuba diver who comes to the area of Los Cabos. Located 2 hours drive east of Cabo San Lucas and abundant with life, the marine reserve features gigantic schools of jackfish and snappers, groupers, stingrays, eels, butterfly fish, angelfish, nudies, shrimp, lobsters and in season, Bull sharks. Healthy, colorful reefs with an amazing array of life forms that cannot be found anywhere else in the region.
Read also: Best scuba dive destinations in Mexico
Snorkelling/freediving in Los Cabo
If you are not yet a scuba diver, or you fancy some time away from the tank, there are so many amazing snorkel sites and activities. Have you ever wanted to swim with sharks? How about thousand of mobula rays? Dolphins? All of this and more is possible in Cabo and the surrounding areas! Check out the amazing Pelagic Safari who are a conservation oriented marine life encounter group who will take you out in search of dolphins, whales, turtles, huge schools of mobula rays, and everything else the open ocean has ready for you that day. You can also check out Cabo Shark Dive who runs snorkelling tours specifying on sharks. With shark experts on-board and underwater photographers it is an unforgettable experience coming face-to-face with some of the most beautiful animals in the ocean.
Other things to do in Los Cabos
During the autumn and through till spring is Whale shark season in La Paz, which is only 2 hours away. Snorkeling with these gentle giants is an experience like no other. And While your there you can also go snorkeling with sea lions near the island of Espíritu Santo, there’s also giant manta rays in La Reina too!
There are also many mountain and other nature activities available, like mountain biking and ATV rides, waterfalls, hikes and even bungee jumping for the extreme sports lovers. Surfing, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding is also a popular pastime. And, of course, lest we forget, Mexican food and drinks are always some of the best things you can indulge in.
You may want to rent a car during your stay in Cabo and visit nearby towns like Todos Santons and Cabo Pulmo – check out our friends guide to road tripping in Baja California here.
Beaches
Playa Publico
Playa del Amor (Lover’s Beach)
Playa Santa Maria
Playa Santa Maria
Adventures in Baja can take you on a personalised tour of the whole of Baja California Sur. Whether you’re into hiking, climbing, sightseeing, historical towns, diving, swimming in waterfalls or snorkelling with sea lions, they can arrange it all especially for you.
Who to dive with in Los Cabo
There are many dive and tour operators in the region, but we’ve picked the GTS approved- and highly recommended one – Dive Ninja Expeditions!
They arrange scuba diving, whale watching and whale shark snorkelling tours in Los Cabos, with a personal touch. They also conduct recreational and technical scuba courses, with experienced instructors, and organize world wide diving trips and expeditions.
If you want to dive in Cabo Pulmo talk to GTS gal Laura from Cabo Private Guide.
Tell them Girls that Scuba sent you, you’ll be part of the family in no time!
About the Author
Donna Schechter is world traveler and scuba instructor currently writing for Dive Ninja Expeditions. She started traveling 6 years ago and couldn’t stop! She’s a vagabond at heart who loves diving, hiking and adventure.