Mexico offers some of the world’s best scuba diving destinations in the world. The barrier reef that begins in Cozumel is the second longest barrier reef in the world (Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the longest.) Historically, Cozumel became the primary scuba diving destination right from the get-go and quickly became overcrowded with divers. Up until 35 years ago, scuba divers had few alternate choices in dive sites, due to limited transportation. When the Transpeninsular Highway was completed in 1973, travel to the tip of Baja became possible, and Cabo took the lead, but once again, overcrowding quickly drove the throngs of sea-explorers away. Now, snorkelers and scuba-divers are discovering the vast and unparalleled menagerie of fish and sea life in the waters around La Paz and CostaBaja Resort & Marina, and are thrilled to be able to be far from the crowds and enjoy the unspoiled beaches and pristine surrounding.

Mid-April , May and June are the peak seasons for scuba diving and snorkeling in the Baja California Sur region of Mexico. CostaBaja Resort and Marina offers you immediate access to one of the best scuba diving and snorkeling destinations in the world — the southern Cortez dive sites near La Paz, Mexico. In this environmentally-preserved ecosystem, the wealth of marine wildlife is unequalled anywhere in the northern hemisphere.



The Lonely Planet guide, Diving & Snorkeling, Baja California, states, “Because of its peculiar geography and its part-temperate, part-topical climate, the waters along Baja’s Pacific and Sea of Cortez coasts provides a wide variety of underwater conditions. In a single trip to Baja, divers and snorkelers can explore a cool-water Pacific environment where abalone cling to rocks, cabezon and lingcod swim in kelp forests; a day or two later, they can view such Indo-Pacific beauties as longnose butterflyfish and exotic Moorish idols, both species at home in the warm waters of the coral reef." When diving and snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez, you can expect to be astounded by brightly-colored tropical fish of every size and description. To name just a few species that call these turquoise waters home: starfish, shellfish, corals, anemone, sea urchins, balloonfish, puffer fish, seahorses, sea turtles, dolphins, seals, large schools of manta rays, flying mobula, sea lions, and octopus, as well as big sea creatures like hammerheads and whales.

There are definite seasonal aspects to take into consideration when scuba diving and snorkeling in Baja. March, April and May bring warmer air and less wind, but the water remains relatively cool until mid-April. By May, migratory fish begin to appear. June marks the beginning of the summer high season as the number of pelagics (species that live in midwater or close to the surface) is at its peak and the reefs are alive with colorful fish courting and guarding their eggs, however, few other that divers might consider July and August the ideal time for a visit to Mexico. September, October and November are the “undiscovered” months for underwater exploration, when the weather cools down but the water is still warm. Whale sharks, Manta rays and schools of hammerheads still linger along with many other species soon to disappear in the winter months. In December, January and February air temperatures are moderate, making travelling, dining and sleeping pleasant, but the occasional cold front can cause heavy winds and whitecaps on the Sea of Cortez, and cooler water temperatures slow the profusion of marine life.