Striped Marlin Expeditions - 5 days / 4 nights

Hidden deep in the heart of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula lies a magical place.

An incredible area tucked away on the Pacific Ocean far away from all the hustle and bustle of the packed tourist resorts and big cities in the south.

Imagine visiting a bay filled with such abundant life that it has become an inside secret for pro photographers and Nat Geo explorers. An area that one of the worlds few grey whale populations call home every winter.

Picture a beautiful bay surrounded by small mountainous islands above the waterline and packed with makos, blue sharks, sail fish, dolphins, sea lions, whales, 1000’s of sea birds and so much more.

This is Bahia Magdalena. And it gets even better…

Picture a beautiful bay surrounded by small mountainous islands above the waterline and packed with makos, blue sharks, sail fish, dolphins, sea lions, whales, 1000’s of sea birds and so much more.

This is Bahia Magdalena. And it gets even better…

Every autumn giant bait balls congregate miles off shore from the bay creating one of this planets most amazing spectacles, and well kept secrets – the Striped Marlin migration.

These super fish, some of the fastest and most agile in the ocean, work together pushing the bait balls to the surface before shooting into them to hunt.

Imagine being in the water with upwards of 30+ striped marlin around you at once, accepting you into their community as they work together with sea lions, whales, and others to hunt the bait balls.

Meeting Point: Dive Ninjas HQ Cabo San Lucas, BCS MX
Meeting Time: 9:30am first day of your trip
Departure Time: 8am last day of the trip (Back in CSL afternoon)
Duration: 5 Days / 4 nights

Activity Days:  3 Full days Ocean Safari's - sunrise to sunset

Nearest Airport: Los Cabos International (SJD)

Trip Cost: $2340 USD
Min Deposit to Reserve: 30%

Ever looked at images online from pro photographers & marine researchers and thought, ‘wow I wish I could experience that’?

Well, this is your chance.

Help make a difference and protect our oceans while bearing witness to one of the greatest natural phenomenons on earth with your own eyes.

Our expedition will begin at the Dive Ninja Expeditions HQ in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

From here we will journey 5 hours north along the beautiful rocky mountains of the Sierra de la Laguna and through the cactus filled deserts of Baja California Sur to our base camp in a small fishing town on the shores of Bahia Magdalena.

We’ll check into our hotel and have our first presentation of the trip followed by a delicious dinner at one of the local restaurants.

The next 3 days we’ll be up early for a full day on the water searching for bait balls and striped marlin so we can get as much time as possible in the water with them.

While out on the ocean we’ll also be looking for whales and the other incredible inhabitants of the waters here. We’ve seen humpbacks, grey whales, fin whales, makos, sailfish, tuna, and so much more.  

On the last day we’ll head in a little early taking a detour through the local mangroves to visit the natural sand dunes for our expedition closing picnic on the dunes. The mangrove and dune eco systems here are vastly important to the local area. So much so, that they have recently been deemed a protected area by the Mexican government.

We’ll spend one last night in this gorgeous area before heading back to Cabo after breakfast the next morning.

The days out on the water are full on. We head out with a local fishing captain who has made the change from commercial fishing to eco tourism.

This ninja is amazing and shares a passion for the ocean unlike many we’ve met. We’ve even seen him jump in the water in his jeans to check out the action.

Each trip will have  expert ninja guides working alongside the captain to keep everyone safe & informed while enjoying this wonder of nature.

We’ll spend each of the ocean days out searching for different bait balls and getting in the bright blue waters with them to swim, and snorkel.

The action is unreal and hard to really put to words. Seeing tons of these huge striped marlin herding the bait balls and working along side groups of sea lions to hunt together is awe inspiring.

Make sure to keep your eyes peeled to the blue as we’ve seen all sorts of random pelagics come in to see what’s going on.

Striped Marlin are a magnificent apex predator that inhabit the waters off the coast of Baja California.

Easily identified by their elongated bills (or noses) and brightly striped bodies, these fish are astounding swimmers built for speed and are mesmerizing to see in the open ocean.

Unfortunately, they are fished commercially and also for sport, with an estimated 12,000 caught annually through recreational fishing activities near Cabo San Lucas alone.

The IUCN Red List classifies the striped marlin as “near threatened” and in a state of population decline, meaning that this species may become threatened or endangered in the near future without the intervention of conservation efforts.

Overfishing, both commercially and recreationally, are contributing to this serious issue. We partner with local scientists to help & support important research into these magnificent animals to help protect them.

We know there are many different kinds of tour operators out there. Some are doing amazing work to help protect their local environment, while others are more concerned with making money by bleeding these same areas dry. 

At Dive Ninjas our goal is to set the bar higher. We believe that by trying to create a higher standard in dive tourism the rest of the industry will begin to follow suite. Here are a few of the things we do to help support our oceans, their inhabitants, and the precious ecosystems we all live in.

Our captains for this trip are ex local fisherman that have converted to working purely in marine research and eco-tourism. These ninjas are living proof of the amazing things eco-tourism can accomplish. They have grown an unrivaled passion for the ocean and know the waters around this area unlike any other.

Each trip will have an expert Team Ninja guide working alongside our special guests to teach you about this breathtaking area and keeping everyone safe and enjoying themselves.

Located just steps from the beauty of Magdalena Bay, the perfect base for our adventures.

Your home for the week is a comfortable hotel in Puerto San Carlos. Modern and comfortable, our Standard Rooms are designed to provide a relaxing stay.

The nearest airport is Los Cabos International Airport (airport code SJD).  Los Cabos International is also known as San Jose del Cabo International Airport by some airlines.

We recommend arriving a day early to give you some time to relax and a little padding in case of any travel delays. Easy direct flights can be found from many cities in the US and Mexico. From the US flights are quite cheap – especially from the west coast and southwest US.

From Europe flights usually include a layover in the southwest US or Mexico City. If transiting through the US please check in advance to see if you will need a US transit visa.

Our reservations team can help set up a transfer from the airport to the Dive Ninja HQ for you.  Los Cabos airport is serviced daily with domestic & international flights.

Since you will be visiting us at our home in Baja California there are numerous options to add on local diving and activities in Los Cabos and the surrounding areas before and after your expedition.

Give us a shout and we can set up add-on packages to extend your trip to Baja.