Explore Baja South To North Adventure October 2026

Join Bluewater Travel in October 2026 for an unforgettable liveaboard adventure aboard the Rocio Del Mar, sailing the entire length of the Sea of Cortez from south to north.

October 3, 2026 - October 15, 2026

Trip Leader: Bryan Blauvelt

Photo Workshop

13 Days / 12 Nights From $4,895 per person

Prices are per person, based on double-occupancy.

Why Join This Trip?

Unique itinerary sailing the entire length of the Sea of Cortez from south to north
See the unexpected in remote locations: dolphins, sea lions, whales, mantas, and more
Sail with one of the best liveaboards in the Sea of Cortez, the Rocio Del Mar
Easy travel: fly into San Jose del Cabo to start the trip and fly out from Phoenix, Arizona
Diver to Guide ratio is 6:1
Fully refundable deposit until 12 months from departure
25% off rental photo gear from Bluewater Photo

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Trip Overview

Experience what very few people have - a journey where there are no roads, very few people, and almost no boats. At night you hear something splashing. It could be anything - dolphins, marlin, a school of bonitos? Then you hear a huge sound of blowing and water spouting. It's a whale! You can't see him, but he sounds big. At a distance, you hear sea lions and pelicans. What a splendid way to end a magnificent day.

Check out our complete guide to our Explore Baja trips!

Video by our guest Dan McGanty on our 2018 Explore Baja Photo Workshop.

During the day we move from one island to the next, diving 3 to 4 times daily. If you wish to hike the remote islands during surface intervals, there is always a dinghy available to take you to shore. Kayaks are also always available for a serene cruise around the islands.

Exploring one island to the next is a magical experience - one that will linger in your memory for years to come. The Sea of Cortez remains a secret oasis where the desert meets the sea.

Read all about our latest Explore Baja trip.

Marine Life To Photograph

The biodiversity between the Northern and Southern Sea of Cortez is incredible. The sea life we witness on the surface from the boat, dinghies or snorkeling is fantastic. There's potential to see dolphins, sea lions, pilot, humpback, blue, fin, sei, orca, and sperm whales. Also, flying mantas, blue and brown-footed boobies, cormorants, frigate birds, and the endemic yellow-footed gull.

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Sample Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary from San Jose del Cabo to Puerto Penasco, subject to weather and other conditions.

Day 1 - San Jose del Cabo

Board the boat at 5 pm.
Depart from San Jose del Cabo around 6 pm.

Day 2 - Espiritu Santo Island

Check-out dive at Punta Prieta in San Gabriel Bay, part of Espiritu Santo Island.
Dive the Fang Ming wreck and Salvaterra wreck.

Day 3 - La Reyna

Dive at La Reyna, a great spot for sea lions, a school of barracuda, and occasionally oceanic manta rays.

Day 4 - Los Islotes & El Bajo

Visit Los Islotes in the northern part of Espiritu Santo Island.
Dive with the friendly sea lion colony.
Depending on weather and ocean conditions, dive El Bajo, known for big schools of hammerheads.
Enjoy a spectacular mobula night dive.

Day 5 - Las Animas & San Dieguito

Dive the east and north pinnacles near San Jose Island.
Afternoon dive at San Dieguito.
Night dive at San Dieguito.

Day 6 - Danzante Island

Dive at Submarino, Silhouette, and the artificial wreck C-54 Agustin Melgar.
Afternoon hike at Honeymoon Beach.

Day 7 - Coronado Island & Loreto

Visit Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto and Coronado Island.
Enjoy macro diving and sea lion encounters.
Complete three dives.
Enjoy an evening with dinner in Loreto.

Day 8 - San Ildelfonso Island

Complete three dives.
Don't miss the Green Moray City.

Day 9 - San Pedro Martir Island

Enjoy fabulous diving with sea lions.
Explore incredible black coral fields.
Experience some of the best macro diving of the Midriff Islands.
Complete three to four dives.

Day 10 - San Pedro Martir, Las Animas & Sal Si Puedes

Early dive at San Pedro Martir.
Crossing to the Sal Si Puedes area with opportunities for whale watching.
3 pm dive at Lavadero in Las Animas Island.
Night dive at the same location.

Day 11 - Sal Si Puedes

Explore some of the best macro diving along the Sea of Cortez at El Caballo, Los Cuervos, and La Corona.

Day 12 - Bahia de Los Angeles

Wake up on the east coast of Baja California.
Dive El Pescador or Punta Don Juan.
After breakfast, snorkel with whale sharks at Bahia de Los Angeles.
At 2 pm, the boat begins motoring to Puerto Penasco.

Day 13 - Puerto Penasco

Arrive at Puerto Penasco and disembark at 7 am.

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Diving Conditions

Average water temperatures in September and October are in the low to mid-80s. A full 3mm wetsuit is recommended. Although conditions in the Sea of Cortez are mostly calm, there are times that the sea can be rough. Guests should be prepared for this type of situation and bring seasickness medication if necessary.

Water Temperature: 75 - 84°F (24 - 29°C)
Visibility: 50 - 115 feet (15 - 35m)
Depth Range: 16 - 130 feet (5 - 40m)

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Recommended Scuba Gear

Download our full scuba gear guide to Explore Baja. Bluewater Travel guests receive 10% OFF!

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Trip Type

This is a PHOTO WORKSHOP. Led by one of our photo instructors and includes daily underwater photography tutorials, in-water photography support, and one-to-one advice and guidance as required.

What to Expect From Our Photo Workshops

Daily photo workshops - Your photo instructor will schedule seminars each day on topics including, but not limited to, equipment type and selection, the concept of underwater photography, lighting and composition techniques, and post-processing. They will also include additional topics relevant to the location and your experience.
In-water support - Where possible, each dive group will spend time underwater with the photo instructor, receiving in-water support and guidance on their shooting techniques. Participants can also request in-water assistance during the workshop and the photo instructor will do his or her best to accommodate all requests.
Consecutive days of practice & review - Each day you will have the opportunity to practice the techniques and skills learned in the previous day's tutorials. If you are new to underwater photography you will likely see a vast improvement in just a few days.
Daily photo image reviews - You are strongly encouraged to bring your laptop, a thumb drive, edit your photos, and submit your shots for review from both the instructor and your peers. These are fun and interactive sessions encouraging you to improve throughout the trip.
Quality time with fellow photographers - Both new and experienced photographers from past workshops have expressed the advantages of joining a trip with like-minded divers with a passion for underwater photography.
Suitable for everyone - New and experienced photographers are welcome on all our trips. Gain the necessary skills to start shooting great photos, increase your confidence in finding the best underwater shots, or hone specific skills. Non-photographers are also encouraged to join.

Enjoy free, unlimited access to a wealth of knowledge and advice from your photo instructor.

Want to learn more about our Underwater Photography Workshops? Check out this video!

Trip Syllabus

Bluewater's Explore Baja photo workshop with Dan Bishop is all about learning how to shoot wide-angle and edit photos in one of the most diverse marine habitats on earth: the Sea of Cortez!

This workshop will include formal instruction plus 1:1 help as needed. There will be a daily one-hour class which will include PowerPoint presentations, group discussions, image reviews, and live demonstrations such as Adobe Lightroom Classic and Topaz.

Foundational Topics will Include:

Successful Wide Angle Photography Fundamentals
One-Time Camera Setup (DSLR/Mirrorless and Compact Cameras)
Focusing Fundamentals: Understanding Depth of Field, Autofocus Types, Focus Tracking, Back Button Focusing, Focus Pipper, and Underwater Focus Techniques
Exposure Basics: Understanding the Exposure Triangle and how to effectively use Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO for underwater images. Also includes an in-depth review of Strobe Techniques
Composition: Understanding how to Compose captivating images that 'tell a story'
Putting It All Together: Understanding how to incorporate Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO, Strobes, and Composition Techniques into a simple underwater workflow

Each topic will include definitions, techniques, tips, and example images to illustrate the points.

Intermediate Topics will Include:

Additional Wide Angle Techniques: Understanding how to shoot Sun Balls, Subjects on Sand, Close Focus Wide Angle, Sea Lions, Diver Models, Silhouettes, and Ambient Light Shots
Introduction to Lightroom Classic: PowerPoint and Live Demo to Cover:
- a) Lightroom Key Concepts
- b) Library Module Overview
- c) Develop Module Overview
- d) Basic Editing Workflow: In-depth walkthrough of Image Import, Best Image Selection techniques, Global Edits for general exposure and color correction, Image Export and Collections

Advanced Topics will Include:

Advanced Lightroom Editing: In-depth walkthrough of Local Edits, masking types and techniques, local color corrections, local exposure adjustment, Backscatter Removal, and Imaging Sharpening and Denoising techniques using Lightroom and Topaz
Time permitting, there will be a video editing overview using Premiere Pro

There will be an evening sign-up sheet for additional 1:1 help on any topic, photo or editing, schedule permitting. In addition, Dan will provide basic help underwater as conditions allow.

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Trip Inclusions

Three meals per day, snacks, beverages including soft drinks, juice, domestic beer & wine
3-4 dives per day; tanks, weights & weight belts are provided
Activities included: Diving, hiking, kayaking, snorkeling & several land excursions exploring small towns & missions
16% Mexican tax
Port fees

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Trip Exclusions

Airfare
Airport transfers - around $60 per person for a taxi from SJD Airport to Puerto Los Cabos to join the boat, and $140 per person for the arranged group shuttle from Puerto Penasco to PHX Airport at the end of the trip
Marine park fees ($140, subject to change)
Nitrox ($140)
Dive insurance
Gratuity
Fuel surcharge. Rocio has never charged a fuel surcharge to date but reserves the right to implement a fuel surcharge on all trips in the event the cost of fuel surpasses 20 pesos per liter. Should this occur, all guests will be notified prior to boarding
Travel Insurance - ask us about our preferred partner plan
* Onboard fees and charges are subject to change

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Accommodation

About The Rocio Del Mar

Rocio Del Mar is one of the most popular liveaboards sailing in the area, offering excellent service and fantastic food. There are 10 cabins for up to a maximum of 20 divers, all offering private bathrooms with hot shower stalls, Western-style toilets, and above-height windows. Cabins are carpeted and have air-conditioning, plus convenient gear and clothes storage drawers beneath the beds.

Check this page to see more details and customer reviews on the Rocio Del Mar.

Check out our walkthrough video of the Rocio Del Mar!

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Trip Leader

Bryan Blauvelt

Bryan began diving in 1991 at the age of 12, and first picked up a camera shortly thereafter in a high school photography course. It didn’t take long until these two interests merged, but it wasn’t until 20 years, a career as a web developer, and a wife and two sons later that he became more serious about creating underwater images that captivate. Based outside of Houston, Texas, Bryan now works seasonally as a scuba instructor and trip leader for Texan Scuba. He travels the world in search of mind-blowing reef scenery and creature encounters, from nudibranchs to humpback whales. Bryan gets in 150+ photography dives per year and has participated in many Bluewater workshops over the years, as both a customer and a trip leader.

Awards:

UPY2024 - Up & Coming - 3rd Place
UPY2025 - Macro - 2nd Place

How To Get There

ARRIVAL:

Guests on this trip will need to fly into San Jose del Cabo Airport (code SJD) and take a taxi to the Marina Puerto Los Cabos. The boat is located by the Hotel El Ganzo. Boarding time is at 5 pm on October 3rd.

Guests arriving early may avail of day passes at Hotel El Ganzo, where they can spend time before boarding at 5 pm. There's an area for storing luggage and restrooms for changing. First come, first served, but guests can email the hotel before arriving.

Rooftop Pool: 1000 pesos, guests can use up to 750 pesos as a food and beverage credit.

Beach Club: 750 pesos, guests can use the whole amount as a food and beverage credit.

RETURN:

Explore Baja South to North trips will end in Puerto Penasco. The boat returns to the Marina during the penultimate evening and a continental breakfast will be provided the last morning of the trip. Guests must disembark by 7 am on October 15th.

The closest airport for departure flights is in Phoenix, Arizona (code PHX), and a shuttle will take guests from the boat to the airport. Book return flights any time after 1 pm on October 15th.

Head Out To Rocky Point offers a shuttle service between the boat and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. It takes approximately 3.5-4 hours. The cost is $140 per person, one way. Guests must book the shuttle in advance using the link below.

Book the one-way Head Out to Rocky Point Shuttle - Click Here.

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Flight Package

Our group trips attract guests from all over the globe and many of our customers prefer to book their own flights to take advantage of mileage points or credit card discounts. For these reasons, flights are not included in our group trip packages.

However, we are more than happy to work with guests to find the best travel itinerary and will gladly give suggestions and advice, even if they make the final booking. We will check through travel reservations at any time to ensure they fit with the trip schedule and can give recommendations on transit hotels and day tours where needed.

If guests would like Bluewater to book flights and transit hotels for domestic and/or international travel on their behalf, we are also happy to arrange this. Contact Us for more information.

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Baja Trip Extensions

Want to extend your trip? We can help with that! See more of Mexico before or after your trip with Bluewater. Flying all that way merits a multi-destination vacation! Here are some examples of packages we can add on to your trip reservation.

Read More

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