Los Islotes
- Open Water
- Pelagic
- Sea lions
La Paz & Sea of Cortez
Diving in Mexico
6 documented dive sites, 3 of them for Open Water divers. Known for whale sharks, sea lions and turtles.
- Best months
- Jul–Nov
- Water
- 16–30 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
La Paz & Sea of Cortez in October
Best season- Sea
- 29 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 33 °C
- 23 °C at night
- Rain
- 30 mm
- one of the wettest months
- Wind
- 13 km/h
- on average
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Diving all year; Jul–Nov is best for warm water and visibility, winter is cooler (20–23 °C). Whale sharks ~Oct–May, sea lions best Sep–May, humpbacks Jan–Mar; Los Islotes closes Jun–Aug for breeding.
Dive sites in La Paz & Sea of Cortez
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m3 sitesFor Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m3 sitesMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale sharksSource: cortezclub.com | ||||||||||||
| Sea lionsSource: cortezclub.com | ||||||||||||
| TurtlesSource: liveaboard.com | ||||||||||||
| Mobula raysSource: liveaboard.com | ||||||||||||
| NudibranchsSource: liveaboard.com | ||||||||||||
| OctopusSource: liveaboard.com | ||||||||||||
| Moray eelsSource: liveaboard.com | ||||||||||||
| Hammerhead sharksSource: liveaboard.com | ||||||||||||
| Humpback whalesSource: liveaboard.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Whale sharks: Oct–May. Sea lions: Sep–May. Turtles: All year. Mobula rays: Jul–Nov. Nudibranchs: All year. Octopus: All year. Moray eels: All year. Hammerhead sharks: Sep–Oct. Humpback whales: Jan–Mar
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Sardine
- Trevally
- Garden eels
- Manta rays
- Dolphins
- Seahorses
Where is La Paz & Sea of Cortez?
La Paz & Sea of Cortez: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive La Paz & Sea of Cortez?
- The best months to dive La Paz & Sea of Cortez are Jul–Nov. Diving all year; Jul–Nov is best for warm water and visibility, winter is cooler (20–23 °C). Whale sharks ~Oct–May, sea lions best Sep–May, humpbacks Jan–Mar; Los Islotes closes Jun–Aug for breeding.
- Is La Paz & Sea of Cortez good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 3 of the 6 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Los Islotes, Salvatierra Wreck and Swanee Reef. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in La Paz & Sea of Cortez?
- The water is usually between 16 °C and 30 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in La Paz & Sea of Cortez?
- Divers regularly see whale sharks (Oct–May), sea lions (Sep–May), turtles (all year), mobula rays (Jul–Nov), sardine and trevally.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sea lion on the rocks of Los Islotes, AlexisSalinas01, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash
