Scuba Diving in Cabo San Lucas

Nicknamed “The World’s Aquarium,” Cabo San Lucas is a great dive destination for those seeking vibrant coral reefs teeming with marine life, both large and small. Situated at the very tip of the Baja California Sur peninsula in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas provides divers with the opportunity to explore two separate bodies of water – the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. Where these waters meet, the ocean comes alive with activity as aquatic creatures of all sorts gather to feed. You can expect to encounter everything from large schools of hammerhead sharks to swirling balls of sardine fish, dolphins, sea turtles, marlin, sea lions, white tip sharks, and even migrating humpback whales. It truly is the ultimate aquarium! If this sounds like the type of place that you’d like to visit, then be sure to read on to learn there is to know about diving in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico!

 

When To Go 

 

While Cabo San Lucas does offer year-round diving, generally speaking, it’s the fall from August to November that is considered to be the best time to go as diving conditions are most ideal then. You’ll find pleasantly warm waters and visibility of up to 27 meters in some places. The fall is also an excellent time for encounters with hammerhead sharks and manta rays. That being said, if you’re looking to dive with whales, then December to May is going to be an ideal time for you to visit. During these months, you can expect to encounter a number of migrating whale species, including humpback whales, orcas, and blue whales. There are also several species of sharks around during this time, such as whale sharks, mako sharks, and blue sharks. 

 

What to Expect 

 

Most divers who visit Cabo San Lucas will base themselves on land, as the majority of dive sites here can easily be accessed via short boat rides along the coast. There are several resorts that offer their own dive centers and escorted diving trips that you can take advantage of. Or, if you wish to schedule your dive trips independently, you can always connect with a local dive operator directly. 

 

Some divers will opt to hop on a liveaboard; however, generally speaking, most of these dive cruises don’t hang around Cabo much. While they may hit up one or two dive spots in the area, many of them are bound for other destinations, such as Socorro Island to the south or the Sea of Cortez to the north. Therefore, if you’re interested in exploring the dive sites around Cabo, it’s probably in your best interest to stay locally within the area.

 

What You’ll See

 

The waters around Cabo San Lucas are teeming with marine life thanks in part to the hard coral reefs that stretch out from the shoreline, including those surrounding an exposed seamount. Home to an abundance of reef fish and plankton, the reef is known to attract a variety of large marine animals to the area, including manta rays, dolphins, turtles, tuna fish, sharks, and a variety of migratory whales. There’s even a local colony of sea lions that call the waters of Cabo San Lucas home. It’s common to see them out and about, as they are known to frequent many of the dive sites. They can be inquisitive and entertaining, and while it may be tempting to approach them, it’s best to remember that they are wild animals, and distance should always be given when possible.

 

Best Dive Sites

 

In the waters surrounding Cabo San Lucas, there are many dive sites worth checking out. We’ve highlighted a few of our favorites below for you to consider when planning your own dive trip to Cabo!

 

Land’s End 

 

Conveniently located close to Cabo San Lucas Marina, Land’s End is one of, if not the most popular dive site in the area. Situated near a steep drop-off, at the exact point where the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet, it provides divers with the unique opportunity to dive in two bodies of water at once! Offering a wide variety of options for diving and exploration, the site has several points of interest, including an underwater cavern, pinnacles, and even a shipwreck. Home to a variety of marine life, you can expect to find everything from sea lions to manta rays, massive balls of sardines, tuna, and sometimes, even humpback whales swimming around this dive site. 

 

Cabo Pulmo National Park 

 

North of Cabo San Lucas, along the Sea of Cortez, lies Cabo Pulmo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to a vibrant coral reef system. Once on the verge of collapse from pollution and overfishing, the area became the focus of a preservation movement that literally brought the reef back to life. Today you can expect to find a variety of marine life, including 226 species of reef fish, several types of sea turtles, as well as, dolphins, manta rays, sea lions, bull sharks, hammerhead sharks, and the occasional tiger shark.

 

Gordon Banks 

 

Located just north of Cabo San Lucas, near San Jose del Cabo, lies Gordon Banks, an underwater mountain that is renowned for its population of pelagic marine life. Drawn in by the nutrient-rich waters that surge around the top of the seamount, several different types of sharks, whales, and fish are known to gather here. It’s possible to spot everything from hammerhead sharks to whale sharks, bull sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, dolphins, marlin, tuna, and sailfish. Since the top of the mountain is quite deep, beginning at 35 meters, many divers will spend their time drifting above it, where a lot of the large marine life is known to congregate. 




The Corridor

 

Situated just north of Cabo San Lucas, accessible via a twenty-minute boat ride, lies The Corridor, a stretch of coral reef that offers four dive sites: Santa Maria, Blow Hole, Gavilanes, and Chileno Bay. The sites are close enough to each other that you will probably have the opportunity to visit more than one on a day trip to this stretch of ocean. Here you can expect to find a wide variety of marine life, including several reef fish, moray eels, barracuda, eagles rays, sea turtles, and white tip reef sharks. 



References:

 

Girls That Scuba: https://www.girlsthatscuba.com/scuba-diving-cabo-san-lucas/

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