Dive into the Sea of Cortez

      La Paz, Mexico

      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
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      142 reviews
      Nov 3 - 10, 2018
      Group size: 8 - 20
      Dive into the Sea of Cortez
      La Paz, Mexico

      Blue Planet Scuba
      • Email address verified
      • Facebook verified
      • Twitter verified
      142 reviews

      Nov 3 - 10, 2018
      Group size: 8 - 20

      About this trip

      2 nights camping + 5 nights hotel + 15 dives + snorkel with whale sharks!


      Play with sea lions, snorkel with whale sharks, dive at night with schooling mobula rays and more! Join us for this unique trip to the Sea of Cortez, one of the most biologically diverse marine systems in the world. We'll camp under the stars at a World Heritage Site, dive at Cabo Pulmo Marine Park, one of Mission Blue’s Hope Spots, and experience the charms of La Paz. 

      Diving in the Sea of Cortez 

      Get up close to some of the ocean’s coolest creatures including a life-changing frolic with a colony of 400 wild sea lions. What sets La Paz diving apart is the big stuff: giant mantas, sea lions, and impressive numbers of sharks, including whale sharks and hammerheads. There are also over 900 species of fish to see as well as marine mammals and diving birds. In October, the waters are warm with great visibility and a great chance of seeing juvenile whale Sharks.

      Camping on Espiritu Santo 

      You can't really call this camping - think of it as camping with benefits! Espiritu Santo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – a world class natural park. Each tent, which has an amazing view of the turquoise bay, accommodates two people and comes equipped with cots and sleeping bags. Other creature comforts include manual flushing toilets and solar showers in private bamboo stalls, beach lounge chairs with umbrellas, covered dining and classroom area and more. A chef and three-person crew will prepare delicious meals and tend to camp while you are away exploring during the day.


      Here you will experience all that nature has to offer 24 hours a day. The island is uninhabited and the beach camp is available by permit only. Enjoy soaking up the heat on the beach chairs or comb the waters edge as the sand sinks between your toes. Cruise around the bay in a kayak or on a paddle board while spotting for marine life in the crystal clear water. Watch Brown Pelicans and Great Blue Herons feed on the water’s edge. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular. The night sky, unhindered by light pollution, is clear and filled with the unfiltered brilliance of the stars and planets.

      La Paz 

      The port city of La Paz has become the ideal site for all kinds of visitors. Its natural landscapes, deserts, mountains and seas — from the “largest aquarium in the world” to its islands that flank the bay — are the dream of every adventurer who enjoys diving, camping and extreme sports. La Paz offers first class services without losing the charm of a small city. Safe and cozy, but cosmopolitan, it has all the amenities a world traveler could want.


      Our home base will be Hyatt Place, not far from our fabulous dive center, Fun Baja. Our stay includes hot breakfast, free wifi, on site bar, food, pool and shuttles to downtown La Paz.

      Travel

      You should fly in to La Paz (LAP) on November 3 and arrive no later than 3 PM. If you fly into Cabo (SJD), you must schedule your arrival so you arrive no later that 12 PM. From Cabo, plan to take the Eco Baja Tours Shuttle - click here for information on the shuttle and to book a ride. It's a 3 hour ride from Cabo to La Paz. You can fly home at any time on November 10. Please email or call the shop with any questions before booking your flight!

      Cancellation Policy

      Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a cancellation fee and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip. 


      Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information. 

      What’s included

      • 2 nights of camping
        Stay in a tent on the beach with all meals prepared on site by a chef, kayaking, paddleboarding, hiking and more
      • 2 dive days from island
        2 days of 3-tank dives from the island plus diving and snorkeling with the sea lions and a night dive with schooling mobula rays
      • 5 nights in the Hyatt
        Double or single occupancy available; breakfast included
      • 2 dive days from La Paz
        2 days of 3-tank dives plus swimming with whale sharks; lunch included
      • 1 dive day in Cabo Pulmo
        1 day of 2-tank dives at Cabo Pulmo
      • Airport transfers
        Round trip transfers from La Paz airport

      What’s not included

      • Enriched Air/Nitrox
        for Nitrox certified divers
      • Flights
        international flights to La Paz
      • Scuba equipment
        Only tanks and weights included; rental gear available
      • Tips
        Tips for the boat's excellent crew
      • Meals not specified
        Dinners and any other meals not mentioned above

      Available Packages

      Diver, Double Occupancy

      Shared tent on the island and shared room in La Paz; two beds

      $2,185
      Deposit: $500
      Diver, Single Occupancy
      $2,655
      Deposit: $500
      Non-diver, Double Occupancy
      $1,665
      Deposit: $500


      Your Organizer


      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
      142 reviews
      Blue Planet is a different kind of scuba diving organization — aimed at providing the best education and experiences to divers in the Washington, DC area and beyond, while harnessing the excitement and adventure of scuba diving to help protect our fragile oceans.

      Reviews

      Heather & Jonas were excellent trip leaders making sure everyone was well taken care of. The Galapagos Aggressor had a super crew and the diving was challenging and stunning! We saw hammerheads, penguins, seals, sea lions & dolphins! I really appreciated the personal touches like our matching jackets and a cake for my birthday. I would highly recommend this trip.
      By Catherine W for Explore the Galapagos on Mar 02, 2024
      This review is belated, I know... ...But that only means I took **serious*** consideration into reviewing my experience with Blue Planet DC, and ranking them very highly. Its been almost a year since I was OW Certified with Blue Planet in Cozumel - my training during that trip was thorough enough to provide me with a solid foundation to continue scuba diving afterwards many, many times. The trip itinerary, accommodations, and overall pacing of the scuba lessons were incredibly well organized. The instructors were patient and attentive - at various times I was provided specific one-on-one, actionable feedback regarding things like my trim or my breathing rhythm impacting my buoyancy and what I could do to improve my technique. They made sure we knew our stuff before letting us loose into the ocean, and during our checkout dives they stayed closeby and kept a watchful eye on us, so I felt more at ease and safe. (Even with the drift moving us around!) My main priority for this trip was to learn how to scuba, but that said, there were opportunities at Cozumel to (after the day's lessons are done) be a tourist and explore the area. The resort itself is a very beautiful spot with relaxing, open air dining, lounge, and balcony areas as well as a fantastic view of the ocean horizon. I also really appreciated that lodging AND meals were included in this travel package - it saved me the trouble of having to figure that out on my own, which made a big difference by freeing up more time after each full day of lessons to just relax and chill. I know each trip is always different of course in terms of other group trip attendees you may end up with, so of course this can just be sheer dumb luck, but everyone else on this trip was chill. Even the more seasoned divers who were already certified and doing this for years were friendly and happy to drop useful advice or recount from their personal experiences how it was like them becoming certified the first time. The time I did this it was "drift diving" and of course that scared me a ton. But the PADI material that is mandatory to study goes over what drift diving is. When doing my checkout dive the drift didn't like, wash me away from the group dive route. You'll be under instructor supervision so people are keeping an eye on you, and the drift itself is mild - I didn't have to struggle against the current (if you've ever surfed, you'll see that this isn't at all like a riptide or undertow). If anything, managing your buoyancy will end up your primary concern or worry during the checkout dive. Hope this review helps anyone considering who to go with for getting certified on their first ever scuba trip! I'm very glad I went with Blue Planet.
      By M T for March Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Feb 19, 2024
      EM
      This was my first liveaboard! 🛥️ Anthony was a fantastic trip leader and teacher, as always! The Aquacat crew was fun, the food was delicious and the diving and excursions were great! I would definitely recommend this trip with Blue Planet, especially as a first liveaboard experience! I had a good time learning about sharks, too! 🦈
      By Elsbeth M for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 15, 2024
      Thanks for joining on another amazing trip! Hopefully we will be on another fun trip in sharky waters soon.
      By Anthony White on Jan 17, 2024
      AW
      This was my first trip with Blue Planet and my first liveaboard - both were a great experience! The communication and prep from Blue Planet was excellent (pre-trip meeting was really helpful, paperwork was clear and organized). My husband and I are new divers and Anthony (trip lead from Blue Planet) was an invaluable resource - we learned a lot during the dives and felt safe with him looking out for us. The liveaboard itself was amazing. The bed was comfortable, the food was amazing, the staff were wonderful. This was one of the best trips of my life - it's going to be hard to top with the bar now set so high!
      By Rachel L for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 08, 2024
      Thank you so much, Rachel! I am glad you and Ben had such a good time on the trip. You were both great divers, and I can't wait to see you on more of our trips. I look forward to diving with you some more!
      By Anthony White on Jan 13, 2024
      AW
      JR
      Had a great time diving, wonderful people and nice accommodations; hotel was super convenient to dive boats.
      By Jennifer R for December Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Dec 11, 2023
      Thank you so much, Jennifer! We’re so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the dive experience with Blue Planet in Cozumel. We look forward to you joining with us on a future trip!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Dec 12, 2023
      BP
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