Sea of Cortez Liveaboard: Trip Report
[Mexico] Trip Report : OCT.23- OCT.28, 2021, LA PAZ CRUISE
Valentina LA PAZ !!
【Oct23, 2021 Trip Report #1】
23/10/2021
Day 1 Embarking day
17:00 Guest arrival, dive equipment revise after check in to each cabin.
18:30 Introducing crew and general orientation.
Free time at Malecon, walking and dinner.
22:00 Finish embarking all guests.
23:00 Departure
24/10/2021
Day 2 La Reina
06:30 Activity start
07:00 Briefing of Valentina safety and diving
08:00 Dive #1
09:40 Breakfast
11:30 Dive #2
13:30 Lunch
15:00 Dive #3
16:30 Snorkeling @ Punta Norte de Isla Cerralvo
19:30 Dinner
We have started the first day with very very strong wind,
did 3 dives around the reef somehow.
Tried snorkel behind the big rock before dinner to look for mantas but unfortunately they didn’t show up.
25/10/2021
Day 3 Los Islotes
06:30 Activity start
07:30 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
14:30 Dive #3
17:00 Dive #4(night)
19:30 dinner
Wind was much calm than yesterday, visibility 60ft, water temperture 82F.
The first 2 dives at Los Islotes was very active with super excited Sea Lion babies, swimming around us up and down.
This trip included very special program as 4th dive this day, Night Dive at Los Islotes!
It was windy again at night, surface was bit rough but underwater was very beautiful and enjoyed night sight of Los Islotes which looks very different from what we used to see during daytime.
26/10/2021
Day 4 Las Ánimas
06:30 Activity start
07:30 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
14:30 Dive #3
17:00 Dive #4
19:30 Dinner
Las Animas was a blast!! Huge school of hammerhead sharks!! (Sorry, we didn’t bring back any videos😅) it was breathtaking.
First 3 dives was with hammerhead, the last one was with sea lions and Guadalupe fur seals.
It was such a great day to feel potencial of dynamic dive site Las Animas.
27/10/2021
Day 5Isla San Francisquito (lobera)
07:00 Activity start
08:00 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
Navitage toward Isla Espíritu Santo.
15:00 Dive #3
18:30 Dinner
20:00 Dive #4 (Night dive)
Wind was still strong, we finished San Francisquito quickly and navigated toward Isla Espíritu Santo.
Chose Cardenal and Punta Tintorera for afternoon diving avoiding wind, enjoyed endemic species of Sea of Cortez reef fish.Night dive was awsome, gathered lots of mobulas.
28/10/2021
Day 6 FANG Ming & Swanee
07:00 Activity start
08:00 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
11:00 Dive #2
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Payment and onboard souvenir shopping
16:30 Arrive to La Paz. Transfer our guests to each hotel.
Two dives on the last day was both wonderful.
Friendly turtle at FANG Ming was waiting there for us,
maybe now it is time to name him 😁
Swanee was with great visibility with warm water
82F.
Lots different kind of fish such as snapper, goatfish, angel fish etc
was all forming a big school and made our last dive on cruise so
gourgeous!!
[Mexico] Trip Report : OCT.16- OCT.21, 2021, LA PAZ CRUISE
Valentina LA PAZ !!
【Oct16, 2021 Trip Report #1】
16/10/2021
Day1 Departure day
17:00 Guest arrival, check in to each cabin and dive equipment check.
18:30 General orientation and introducing our crew.
Free time at Malecon, having dinner and night walk of La Paz town.
22:00 Finish embarking
23:00 Departure
17/10/2021
Day 2 Isla de Cerralvo ( La Reina)
06:30 Start of activities
07:00 Safety briefing of M/V Valentina and diving
08:00 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
14:00 Dive #3
16:30 Dive #4
19:00 Dinner
Water condition was excellent, visibility 80ft, water temperture 84F.
A luxurious check dive with a giant bait ball of horse mackerel.
Very nice start of our trip!!
18/10/2021
Day 3 Isla Espíritu Santo ( los islotes )
06:30 Start of activities
07:30 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
14:30 Dive #3
17:00 Dive #4
19:30 Dinner
Ocean condition had changed a lot this day, very strong wind from west with strong current, we enjoyed drift diving.
Visibility 60ft, water temperture 82F, felt comfortable underwater.
It was a weekend and lots divers at Los Islotes, everybody were swayed by powerful sealion babies swimming around us 😆😆😆😆
19/10/2021
Day 4 Isla las Ánimas
07:00 Start of activities
07:45 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Dive #3
13:30 Lunch
16:30 Dive #4
19:30 Dinner
Excellent visibility of 90ft, water temperture 82F.
Several hammerhead sharks were swimming around but didn’t hit big school.
Guadalupe fur seal is still here, staying with California sea lions.
Many of our guests had never seen Guadalupe fur seals before, interestingly observed the difference from sea lions.
20/10/2021
Day 5 Isla san Francisquito (Lobera)
07:00 Start of activities
08:00 Dive #1
09:30 Breakfast
11:00 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
15:30 Dive #3
18:30 Dinner
20:00 Dive #4(Night dive with mobulas)
We had expected huge school of barracudas again but the current was too strong and didn’t le us dive free as usual.
Night dive was a great success! All guest was excited and impressed with thier first experience night diving with mobulas!!
21/10/2021
Day 6
07:00 Start of activities
08:00 Dive #1
09:30 Breakfast
11:00 Dive #2
A surprising difference in visibility between the first Fang Ming and the second Swanee Reef.
Not only is the second one was overwhelmingly more clear, but number of fish gathered together was amazing.
It was very nice dive to complete this trip happily.
13:00 Lunch
14:30 Souvenir shopping and payment
16:00 transfer to each hotel after desembarking
★★★ Guest Comments ★★★
- Smaller tables would be more comfortable for the dining room(and less cold air conditioner).
- Need board with pictures & names & titles of crew/staff.
Hot drinks after dive were great. - Need more hangers.
- Thank you for a great time.
- All guys on boat serving us were top notch.
- Picture with name board for all staff.
Happy hours with bar Divores.
The boat people & place was fantastic. - Not the prettiest boat we’ve been on but the crew is so amazing. They make ap for it. Very attended, thoughtful kind and very safe. Best crew ever.
- The crew of Valentina seem like one happy family and treated us like we were part of the family. Looking forward to further trips to Socorro and La Paz in the future. Please share our comments on your website!!
- Had a great time!
- A little more underwater time.
Start return at 50+min, not less.
Awesome crew. EZ logistics. Interesting and unusual dives.
Thanks for being patient with Loco Gringos. - Better ramp to load at port dock.
More 110 outlet. - More wet suit hangers please.
Great trip – Terrific Destination
Friendly – Very Helpful crew.
Loved diving with sea lions. - More wetsuit hangers.Loved having a double bed, thanks for the chocolate milkshake.
[Mexico] Trip Report : OCT.09- OCT.14, 2021, LA PAZ CRUISE
Valentina LA PAZ !!
【Oct09, 2021 Trip Report #1】
09/10/2021
Day 1 Departure day
17:00 Guests arrival, check in to each cabin
18:30 Crew introducing and general orientation
Free time. Walk malecon, have dinner time with margarita at water front restaurant, hang around souvenir shops etc.
22:00 Finish embarking all guests.
22:00 Departure.
10/10/2021
Day 2 Isla Espíritu Santo
It was too windy to start at Cerralvo island, we have changed our route starting at Isla Espiritu Santo.
07:00 Start ot activities
08:00 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
14:00 Dive #3
16:30 Dive #4
19:30 Dinner
We have started diving at ship wreck point and pujnta cardinal, avoiding the wind. Current was not bad under water, visibility 30ft, water temperture 82F.
Water was not very clear as we expected but there were plenty of endemic fish of Sea of Cortez around us duirng our check dives.
11/10/2021
Day 3 El bajo – Los Islotes
Wind have calmed down, condition was much better than yesterday, we’ve decided to dive at El Bajo.
07:00 Start of activities
08:00 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
14:30 Dive #3
17:00 Dive #4
19:30 Dinner
The first two dives were at El Bajo. water was very warm with 82F, visiblity 60-90F.
Tons of fish around sea mount but once we get far from there to look for hammerhead, not many fish at deep side. One of our group met dophins but looked like water was too warm to meet hammerhead sharks.
Moved to Los Islotes in the afternoon, had lot of fun playing with sea lions. Babies are so much grown, so tough, strong, fast , felt like no longer can be called ‘babies’.
They are swimming around the divers mockingly 😆
12/10/2021
Day 4 La Ánimas
07:00 Activity start
08:00 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
14:00 Dive #3
The way toward Las Animas was pretty much rough because of Hurricane Paulina.
Though diving at Las Animas was worth going there, very high visibility with loooots marine life.
Was great day to show potencial of Sea of Cortez with sea lions, hammerhead sharks, reef fish etc etc-
Visibility 90ft, water temperture 84-86F.
19:00 Dinner
13/10/2021
Day 5 Lobera de San Francisquito
07:00 Start of activities
08:00 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
15:30 Dive #3
18:30 Dinner
20:00 Dive #4 Nocturno
School of barracuda and jacks at Lobera de SanFrancisquito were waiting for us as we expected! Sea lions were very active, too and we wished to do second dive at same point but wind was getting stronger, needed to move to another dive site to hide from the wind.
The second was at Bahía san Francisquito.
Navigated toward Espíritu Santo island in the afternoon.
Night mobula at night was with bit rough condition but still very cool and nice experience swim with them.
14/10/2021
Day 6
07:00 Start of activities
08:00 Dive #1
09:00 Breakfast
10:30 Dive #2
12:30 Lunch
15:30 End of trip
Our dives on the last day was at Salvatierra wreck and Swanee reef. Visibility was much higher than we expected, we had been surrounded by many different school of fish from the beginning until the end of dives, finished the last day enjoying the greatness beauty of the reef.
Muchas gracias to all our guests！
★★★ Guest Comments ★★★
- Maru is a great dive master!
Temo is fun and welcoming.
com gave me the wrong start time.
Boat need more fish ID books. - We had a great time. Thank you.Excellent hospitalities.Rotate dive masters ever day.Better communication, we couldn’t hear the bell some times.
- Thank you for great trip!!
- Good trip, Lorenzo very helpful with equipment issues.
Good briefings, communication during diving different. - Lorenzo saved the dive after an O ring failures!!
Temo great in the dining room.
Food excellent.