SCUBA
DIVING
La Paz is an excellent destination
for scuba diving and snorkeling
thanks to its many reefs
and the various
marine species that inhabit the waters
of the Sea of Cortez.
Isla Espiritu Santo.
Located 30 km
(19 mi)
north of La Paz
from the port
of Pichilingue.
This is one of the most visited islands on the Sea of Cortez. It is surrounded
by a group of small islands, including Isla Partida, Los Islotes, La Ballena,
El Gallo and La Gallina. This island has coral banks
that are great scuba diving. You’ll find the
best spots at San Gabriel
Bay, which has a shallow reef called San Rafaelito, and El Candelero, where you’ll see
reefs and underwater caves. At Isla Ballena
you can explore a black
coral reef. In this area, you also
can observe sea lion colonies
and hammerhead sharks.
Los Islotes. Located 35 km (22 mi) north of La Paz,
in the direction of Isla Espiritu
Santo. These are two groups of rocky headlands where you’ll find ideal
conditions for scuba diving and snorkeling. The reefs are anywhere from 6
to 28 meters (20 to 92 feet) deep. In these waters you
can spy a wide variety of species,
such as sea lions, hammerhead sharks, manta rays and tropical fish like surgeonfish,
angelfish, bugle fish and schools of
barracuda.
El Bajo. Located 43 km (27 mi) northeast of La Paz.
This is one of the most recommended
sites for professional scuba diving due to its deep waters, which range in
depth from 18 to 43 meters (59 to 142 feet). This spot is well known
for the interesting
species that inhabit its waters,
including marlin, dorado, corbina, giant manta rays, whale sharks,
hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, yellow
sharks and black and silver
fin sharks.
Barco Hundido Salvatierra (Salvatierra Sunken
Ship). Located in the Canal de San
Lorenzo, 20 km (14 mi) north of La Paz.
This is an artificial reef formed by a
sunken ferry, which is 91
meters (300 feet)
long and covered with black coral, mollusks and sea fans.
The ship lies about 20 meters (66 feet) deep. While diving you
can see a wide variety of tropical fish species, such
as barracudas, angelfish, parrot
fish and grouper.
Isla Cerralvo. Lies 65 km (40 mi) east of La Paz. This
island is 30 km
(19 mi)
long and as wide as 9
km (5.5 mi) on the
southern end. Known for its gorgeous blue waters, this is one of the largest
islands on the Sea
of Cortez.
At this spot you can dive in underwater
canyons near the coast, which is the habitat of numerous fish species. You also can
explore nearby rock formations
at La Reina and La
Roca Carpintero, where you’ll
see hammerhead sharks and giant
manta rays.
Las Animas. Located 70 km (43 mi) northeast of La Paz, near Isla Cerralvo. At this place you can do an
exciting dive among reefs that are 17 meters
(56 feet)
deep, submerged mountains, caves and steeps. Among the species you can see here are sea lions, yellow sharks,
hammerhead sharks and a wide array
of colorful fish.
