La Ventana & Cerralvo Island: Ocean Safari & Reef Snorkeling
Explore with us! Let’s go on the open ocean and look for ANY pelagic wildlife that graces us with it’s presence. This may include the infamous mobula rays, wild dolphins, Orca families, sperm whales, blue whales… actually all kinds of whales among much more!
If the pelagic life is shy, don’t worry. We will have a chance to swim at a sea lion colony and visit a tropical reef which, by itself, offers fantastic, secluded wildlife encounters!
La Ventana is framed gloriously by the beautiful rustic landscape of Cerralvo Island – home to an abundance of rich pelagic life thanks to one of the deepest trenches in the Gulf of California on the east coast of the Island. The area has become a hot spot in recent years for the spectacular display of mobula munkiana (a close cousin of the manta ray) leaping out of the water like popcorn. Every year in April – June, huge groups of these pygmy devil rays congregate in their hundreds and thousands near the surface of the water! We join them at a distance, calmly and respectfully, mesmoraized by the fever’s beauty.
July – October is also GREAT for seeing all kinds of pelagic wildlife and often offers more sheltered waters than Los Cabos, that would be feeling the brunt of swell season down south.
The shallow reefs are beautiful to visit when the big life is hiding!
Tour details Price & booking
Tour Outlines
Early hotel pick-up from Cabo Centro at 5am SHARED or 5.30am PRIVATE. Light breakfast is provided.
Arrive in La Ventana for 7am. Your 26ft - 28ft panga boat has shade and a ladder, but no bathroom. We climb into the boat from the beach. Beach shoes are the best idea and any long pants might get wet.
Spend 4 - 6 hours onboard looking for wildlife and picnic snack lunch onboard.
Head back to Los Cabos to arrive between 4pm / 6pm.
What's included
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Transportation
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Snorkel equipment
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Expert boat crew
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Light breakfast, Picnic lunch, drinks & snacks
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CABO PRIVATE GUIDE tour manager
Schedule
From April to October
Mobulas APRIL -JUNE
4 to 6 hours boat time
Departure
From Cabo San Lucas
Duration
Day trip : 5.30am to 5pm
Price & Booking
Mobula rays & pelagic life at Cerralvo Island
Cash discount available
To see the prices in your local currency, click the "Book Now" button
Safari SHARED Tour
$ 5,300 MX
Per Person
April - October
FOCUS Mobula Rays April – June | Dolphin July – October
5.30AM from Cabo San Lucas
INCLUDES: Transport, snorkel equipment
FOOD: Breakfast pack, Lunch, snacks & water
4 people needed to run the tour
Safari PRIVATE Tour 24' Boat
$ 22,500 MX
Whole Tour
April - October
FOCUS Mobula Rays April – June | Dolphin July – October
5.30AM from Cabo San Lucas
INCLUDES: Transport, snorkel equipment
FOOD: Breakfast pack, Lunch, snacks & water
Up to 5 people
Safari PRIVATE Tour 28' Boat
$ 27,000 MX
Whole Tour
April - October
FOCUS Mobula Rays April – June | Dolphin July – October
5.30 AM from Cabo San Lucas
INCLUDES: Transport, snorkel equipment
FOOD: Breakfast pack, Lunch, snacks & water
6-8 People
$2700 MXN for 9+ people
5% discounts available on balance Payment. Contact us to leave a deposit
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Discover the Mobula ray aggregation in Baja California
The mobula ray aggregation is so spectacular it has been documented by National Geographic and the BBC Blue Planet. Huge fevers of Mobula Munkiana devil ray peak in number in this part of The Sea of Cortez in late April and May. The nearby nursery grounds of Espiritu Santo Island in La Paz mean they travel here first before heading down to San Lucas in June and July. Until now, Cabo Private Guide has been enjoying their late-summer encounter with mobula from Cabo San Lucas with guests for a number of years.
Swim with thousands of Mobula Rays at Cerralvo Island
As a bespoke boutique adventure snorkeling company, we have now decided to offer this bucket-list open-ocean day safari to Jacques Cousteau Island (Cerralvo Island); a more secluded area of Baja Sur where you can spend a day away from busy Cabo enjoying this unique and stunning wildlife encounter. And it’s not just the mobula rays! It’s possible to also see Orcas, sperm whales, whale sharks and swim with wild dolphins.
Price & booking
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the journey from Cabo San Lucas to La Ventana and Cerralvo Island?
The car ride is approximately 2.5 hours. We will make a toilet stop where we pick up the take-our breakfast. With young children we recommend a private tour , if you would like to stop frequently along the way.
How long are we out on the boat for on Ocean Safari in La Ventana and Cerralvo Island?
The boat trips are a standard 5 hours.Sometimes the captains are willing to stay out an extra hour if the encountrs are good. Please keep this in mind if you plan to tip! The captains have given up fishing to work in tourism.
What equipment is included in Cabo Private Guide ocean safari tours to La Ventana and Cerralvo Island?
We include Cressi mask, fins and snorkels. You can request wetsuits,
What are the water temperatures in La Ventana and Cerralvo Island?
From April to June the water is going from cold (approx 20c) to warm (approx 25c). Sometimes a 3-5mm suit is comforatble in these months. By July it should be much warmer, with August – October often reaching 30c.
Are cancelations common because of surface conditions in La Ventana and Cerralvo Island?
The windy season is December – March and for this reason we don’t run tours. April can be windy. May to July is calmer. By August the whole of Baja Sur is prone to storms and hurricaines, With planning all should be avoidable. We offer full refunds if the weather causes port closures or we deem it unsafe to leave land.
What wildlife are we going to swim with in La Ventana and Cerralvo Island?
Nothing is guaranteed. We recommend asking for a trip report in the days leading up to your trip and asking for flexibility in reschedules (up to a week is generally not frowned upon). We will go and snorkel a reef and most likely see sea lions that hang out on the reef. You would have to be unlucky to not see at least one pelagic animal. But we simply won’t guarantee it!
Where can you swim with mobula rays in Baja Calirfonia Sur?
La Ventana is not the only choice! If you perfer a shorter day and a more budget friendly option, we get exactly the same experience from Cabo San Lucas Marina in late May to late July! Click here for info
Is the La Ventana safari tour suitable for young children, people that want to stay on the boat and people with mobility challenges?
kids: We have been taking young children on this tour for a while. We recommend a private tour so you can adjust if necessary, especially if they get restless on long journeys. However kids love it! Bring extra sun cover , food they like if they are picky and do let us know so we can bring life jackets in their size.
Mobility restrictions: People are welcome to stay on the boat too! However there is no bathroom so they need to be comfortable going off the sides or waiting until we have a beach picnic, and even then we would probably jump into waist-height water. For those wanting to swim in the deeper water, they need to be able to climb a basic ladder with the assitance of the crew.