NOVEMBER 2026

Best of Baja California Sur:
Diving & Wildlife Expedition

Magdalena Bay, La Paz & Cabo Pulmo

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The Best of Baja is a nine-day, small-group ocean expedition across Baja California Sur, combining three of the region’s most iconic marine experiences: the Mexican Sardine Run in Magdalena Bay, whale shark snorkeling in La Paz and scuba diving in Cabo Pulmo National Park.

Timed for November, the journey takes us from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez, following seasonal wildlife and exploring Baja by road, boat, snorkel and scuba. Rather than staying in one destination, we cross the peninsula to experience how dramatically the marine ecosystems of Baja California Sur change from one coast to the other.

Three marine ecosystems. One Baja expedition

Baja California Sur sits between two very different bodies of water: the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. The Best of Baja was designed to experience both.

We begin on the wild Pacific coast in Magdalena Bay during the Mexican Sardine Run, cross the peninsula to La Paz for seasonal whale shark encounters, and finish beneath the surface in Cabo Pulmo National Park.

It is not three separate tours placed together. It is a roadtrip through three different marine ecosystems during one of Baja’s most dynamic seasons.

Mexican Sardine Run in Magdalena Bay

Every autumn, large schools of sardines gather along the Pacific coast around Magdalena Bay, attracting striped marlin, California sea lions, dolphins, seabirds and other predators.

During our expedition, we spend multiple days at sea searching for bait balls and following the activity as it develops. Encounters take place by snorkeling rather than scuba, allowing us to move quickly with the wildlife in open water.

November falls within the core season used by operators in Magdalena Bay for this seasonal event.

Read our complete guide to the Mexican Sardine Run in Magdalena Bay

Close-up of a striped marlin with its dorsal fin raised in Magdalena Bay

La Paz: whale sharks & sea lion colony

California sea lion swimming just beneath the surface in Los Islotes, La Paz

La Paz gives us two very different ways to experience the Sea of Cortez.

We begin at the surface, entering the regulated whale shark interaction zone to snorkel with Rhincodon typus when conditions allow. Later, we head toward the Espíritu Santo archipelago and Los Islotes, one of the region’s best-known California sea lion colonies.

Here, the experience moves underwater. We dive around the rocky islets alongside California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), surrounded by reef fish and the dramatic volcanic landscape of the Sea of Cortez.

In a single stop, La Paz takes us from one of the ocean’s largest fish to one of Baja’s most charismatic marine mammals.

Scuba diving in Cabo Pulmo National Park

The expedition ends underwater in Cabo Pulmo National Park, one of Baja California Sur’s most important marine protected areas and part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California.

We dive its reefs and rocky formations in search of the large schools of fish, jacks, sea lions, sharks and other marine life for which Cabo Pulmo is known.

After several days following wildlife from the surface, Cabo Pulmo changes the rhythm of the expedition completely: tanks on, descent, and back beneath the surface.

Diving Cabo Pulmo: The Ultimate Guide to One of the Sea of Cortez’s Great Marine Sanctuaries

Scuba diver exploring beneath a school of jacks in Cabo Pulmo

PRICE : 3.300€

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Itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival & crossing Baja
Meet in Los Cabos and travel across the peninsula toward Magdalena Bay.

Days 2–4 — Magdalena Bay
Three days of Ocean Safari during the Mexican Sardine Run.

Day 5 — From the Pacific to the Sea of Cortez
Cross Baja toward La Paz.

Day 6 — La Paz
Whale shark snorkeling and marine encounters in the Sea of Cortez.

Days 7–8 — Cabo Pulmo
Scuba diving inside Cabo Pulmo National Park.

Day 9 — Departure
Final morning together and transfer back toward Los Cabos.

  • Seabirds diving above a sardine baitball in Magdalena Bay, Mexico
  • Dense school of sardines underwater in Magdalena Bay
  • Underwater view of the sardine run in Magdalena Bay, Mexico
  • Small group aboard a boat during a Mind the Seas expedition in Magdalena Bay
  • Striped marlin swimming near a sardine baitball in Magdalena Bay
  • Striped marlin swimming through blue water during the Mexican sardine run
  • Striped marlin hunting sardines beneath the surface in Magdalena Bay
  • Close-up of a striped marlin with its dorsal fin raised in Magdalena Bay
  • Striped marlin swimming just below the surface in Magdalena Bay
  • Sunrise over the coastline of Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur
  • Silhouette of a person overlooking Magdalena Bay at sunset
  • Sea lion swimming beside a sardine baitball in Magdalena Bay
  • Humpback whale breaching off the Pacific coast near Magdalena Bay
  • Sand dunes on Isla Magdalena, Baja California Sur
  • School of sardines beneath the sunlit surface in Magdalena Bay
  • Guest aboard a boat during a Mind the Seas expedition in Magdalena Bay
  • Orange Mind the Seas bottle aboard a boat in Magdalena Bay
  • Felipe and Victoria aboard an expedition boat in Magdalena Bay
  • Felipe aboard a Mind the Seas expedition boat in Magdalena Bay
  • California sea lion hunting sardines in Magdalena Bay
  • California sea lion at the water’s surface in Los Islotes, La Paz
  • California sea lion swimming underwater beside a rocky reef in Los Islotes
  • Diver encountering a mobula ray underwater near Los Islotes, La Paz
  • Mind the Seas expedition boat beside the rocky coastline of Los Islotes
  • Smiling Mind the Seas guest wearing a yellow jacket on an expedition in La Paz
  • Divers exploring the rocky underwater landscape of Los Islotes, La Paz
  • Snorkeler swimming alongside a whale shark in La Paz, Mexico
  • Munk’s pygmy devil ray swimming in open water near Los Islotes, La Paz
  • Whale shark swimming underwater in Cabo Pulmo National Park
  • Scuba diver swimming alongside a school of jacks in Cabo Pulmo
  • Close-up of a dense school of jacks in Cabo Pulmo National Park
  • Scuba diver exploring beneath a school of jacks in Cabo Pulmo
  • Mind the Seas guests at the surface after a dive in Cabo Pulmo
  • Diver at the water’s surface beside a boat during a Cabo Pulmo expedition
  • Yellow fish gathered above a rocky reef in Cabo Pulmo National Park
  • Victoria scuba diving in Cabo Pulmo National Park, Baja California Sur

FAQs

When is the best time for the Mexican Sardine Run in Baja California?

The Mexican Sardine Run generally takes place from October to December, with November being one of the key months for wildlife activity in Magdalena Bay.

Where does the Mexican Sardine Run take place?

The Mexican Sardine Run takes place around Magdalena Bay, on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Can you swim with striped marlin in Magdalena Bay?

Yes. During the Sardine Run, striped marlin can be encountered hunting around bait balls, and when conditions allow, guests can enter the water by snorkel to observe the action.

When can you see whale sharks in La Paz?

Whale sharks are seasonally present in La Paz, generally from November to May.

Is whale shark swimming in La Paz snorkeling or scuba diving?

Whale shark encounters in La Paz take place by snorkeling, not scuba diving, and are conducted within a regulated interaction area under local conservation rules.

Is Cabo Pulmo good for scuba diving in November?

Yes. November is one of the strongest months for scuba diving in Cabo Pulmo, with warm water, good visibility and high levels of marine activity.

What scuba certification do I need for Best of Baja?

You need to be at least an Open Water Diver to join the scuba diving portion of the Best of Baja expedition.

Can I join Best of Baja if I am travelling alone?

Absolutely. Most of our guests join our expeditions solo, so travelling alone is completely normal and part of the Mind the Seas experience.

Are wildlife encounters guaranteed?

Never. These are wild animals moving freely in their natural environment. We follow the ocean and its conditions rather than forcing encounters, which means no wildlife sighting can ever be guaranteed.

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