See my upcoming trips to snorkel the Sardine Run with Striped Marlins in Baja, Mexico Here
2019 Trip Report
Magdalena Bay has be full of explosive Striped Marlin action in the past few years. We had a very successful trip this November 2019 with perfect weather and plenty of sardine action with seals and marlin hunting. Our best day we were able to stay with a baitball for over an hour. What a thrill to see the coordinated action of the fish as they hunted and we photographed from all angles. The sea lion colony of La Paz was very fun with the sea lions checking us out and buzzing all around us. The rays were a magical experience in the evening light as they swirled around us. Last was our visit to Cabo Pulmo National Marine Reserve where we photographed bull sharks on their many wrecks and the incredibly large schools of fish.
Baja is an exciting paradise for diving and snorkeling with huge satisfaction for photographers and videographers.
2019 Baja Trip Overview
Our adventure started in Port San Carlos where Magdalena Bay is host to the largest striped marlin migration in the world. We were our own boat from 7am to 4pm looking for sea birds who point us to the epic hunting action going on underwater. The marlins hunt the sardines as do the sharks and seals. Our guides and captains are experts at spotting the signs of underwater marlin action: the sea birds. Under the surface was a frenzy of action as marlin hunt in cooperation containing and maneuvering the bait balls. One by one they attack the sardines and take their meal.
We stay at an upscale hotel outside of Port San Carlos.
After, we transfered to La Paz where we did a dive unique to La Paz: a night dive with Mobula Rays. Plankton are drawn like a magnet to our lights and schools of rays come swooping in to dive down to feed in the sand. It is non-stop swirling action at night. We also dive with sea lions; a dive full of fast interaction with these curious and humorous animals.
Our last days are in Cabo Pulmo National Park where protected marine habitat and pristine coral draws an enormous amount of tropical fish, seals, turtles, and more. We have fun diving in large schools of jacks which are an awesome sight as the formation pulses and morphs before us. We do dives specifically for bull sharks who lurk and patrol on the scattered remains of shipwrecks.
