Mexico Sardine Run Trip Report At the end of November 2025, I had the very good fortune of being able to visit Mexico’s Baja California for a rare moment in time, when some of the ocean’s most enigmatic species come together to hunt. For about six weeks each year, species like the California sea lion, striped marlin, dorado, Bryde's whales, and humpback whales all converge just outside this magnificent little bay called Magdalena Bay, to hunt the shoals of mackerel and sardines that congregate here, starting from around October to December. As most of these species are pelagic ocean wanderers, it’s nearly impossible to predictably encounter them on your average snorkeling trip. However, as the sea lions, marlins, whales, and other ocean predators are all drawn into this relatively small area by the dense bait balls, we snorkelers have a rare opportunity to swim alongside these magestical creatures and bear witness to them in all their glory as they prey on the tiny fish. https://youtu.be/7DCPilsmf4A?si=Q6WaerYdgdcPPA0S As this is a very unique tour for us, one in which we will be running in November 2027, I wanted to get out to Mexico and experience it for myself so we can paint a much better picture of what to expect with our Mexican Sardine Run, through photos, videos, and only the most eloquent wordage. Now, I’ve already done quite a bit of posting about the tour on the Facebook and Instagram as I was partaking in it. For those of you who are lucky enough not to be on either of these apps, I hope this trip report suffices as a vehicle for absorption of all things relating to our Mexico Sardine Run! Magdalena Bay Magdalena Bay–Mag Bay for short–is a really quite large bay that sits on the Pacific coast of
Mexico Sardine Run Trip Report At the end of November 2025, I had the very good fortune of being able to visit Mexico’s Baja California for a rare moment in time, when some of the ocean’s most enigmatic species come together to hunt. For about six weeks each year, species like the California sea lion,
For those of you who haven't done a bunch of snorkeling or spent a significant amount of time around the ocean, you may be wondering what exactly pelagic means. Well, pelagic generally refers to marine life that spend the majority of their time in the open blue ocean, as opposed to residing close to the shoreline or reefs. Species like manta rays, tuna, sword fish, most species of sharks, and whales would all be considered pelagics. Basically, these are the species that are responsible for most peoples interests in the ocean given the charismatic personalities and awe inspiring behavior of these animals. The only thing is though, many of these species are quite hard come by as they spend their their time roaming the open ocean. Regular encounters with creatures such as schools of mobula rays and dolphins are few and far between, even in most iconic snorkeling destinations, and can hardly be predicted, unless of course you happen to be on a pelagic specific snorkel safari in the pelagic paradise that is the Sea of Cortez. The way the pelagic safari works is, every morning we board a well equipped and comfortable speedboat from the beautiful marina in Cabo San Lucas Mexico and head out past the iconic arch of Cabo and into the illustrious Sea of Cortez in search of orca whales, fleets of mobula rays, various species of sharks, and whatever else happens to cross our bow. I'll say this straight away, this tour is not for everyone. If your ideal snorkeling holiday is spending hours floating over beautiful reefs, this is not that holiday. Komodo or Raja Ampat, places with a mix of marine life and endless reefs may be more your cup of tea. For those of you who dream of sitting on the edge
For those of you who haven’t done a bunch of snorkeling or spent a significant amount of time around the ocean, you may be wondering what exactly pelagic means. Well, pelagic generally refers to marine life that spend the majority of their time in the open blue ocean, as opposed to residing close to the
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