Scuba diving in Cabo Pulmo, divers can expect masses and masses of fish- schools so large that they block out the light from above. But Cabo Pulmo wasn’t always that way. It was the establishment of Cabo Pulmo marine park which transformed an overfished, degraded reef into a ‘hope spot’ of abundance, according to famous oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Now, Cabo Pulmo is passionate about environmental responsibility.

The whole village runs on solar power, and park management protects the reef from harm by strictly regulating the number of boats and divers. As the northernmost coral reef in the eastern Pacific, Cabo Pulmo’s twenty thousand-year-old reef deserves this protection, and it rewards divers with fish life that is plentiful and large- swirling schools of jacks and snappers, massive, heavyset groupers and more.

As a former fishing village with a current population of around 100 people, Cabo Pulmo is a very relaxed place to settle for a dive vacation. However, there are still plenty of options for dive centers and dive courses. Liveaboards will be sure to put Cabo Pulmo on the itinerary, but the sites are just as accessible from shore.
 

The calmest time to dive in Cabo Pulmo is from July to January when the seas are undisturbed by the choppy north winds. However, there are great things to see year-round. Whale-watching season for breeding humpback and sperm whales runs from December through March. Bull sharks are regularly seen from December through May. Huge schools of mobula rays are most often encountered during the colder months as well.  On the other hand, Cabo Pulmo’s famous ‘tornado’ of jacks can be found during warmer months. Cabo Pulmo’s sea lion colony of around 50 males resides at the dive site La Lobera from August through May. The water temperature in Cabo Pulmo ranges from around 25 celsius / 77 Fahrenheit to 35 celsius / 95 Fahrenheit.

Cabo Pulmo offers a couple of types of diving between its fourteen sites. The 7111 hectare bay of the park is relatively shallow and mostly sheltered and free of current. Farther from the shore, the current picks up, creating the opportunity for a couple of great drift dives. The park’s coral reef is located in its northern half, while the southern half is dominated by a topography of rocky canyons. Diving at El Vencedor wreck offers the chance to see fearsome bull sharks, combining wreck diving and shark diving into one unforgettable experience. Wherever one dives in Cabo Pulmo, the stars of the show are the park’s profusion of resident and migratory fish species.

Cabo Pulmo diving treats visitors to a wide diversity of marine life. In the park, around 6000 species of fish alone have been recorded. Some of the most memorable fish life include huge groupers, schools of snappers, a ‘tornado’ of circling jacks, stingrays and diverse eels species like jewelled, green and garden eels. It’s also common to see endangered turtle species like the hawksbill, green, loggerhead and leatherback, and it’s possible to see white tip sharks, guitarfish and spotted eagle rays.

Other special sightings include schools of migrating mobula rays; witnessing hundreds of rays with a 1-3 meter wingspan stream through the water or soar through the air is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Dolphins are common in Cabo Pulmo, and humpback and sperm whales are regular visitors, using the Sea of Cortez as a warm nursing ground for their calves. Bull sharks at El Vencedor wreck are new and exciting additions to the Cabo Pulmo dive scene.

One of the most popular dive sites in Cabo Pulmo is El Bajo. This beautiful seamount is decorated in fourteen out of the sixteen hard and soft coral species in the park, and hosts loads of fish both big and small. Giant groupers confidently observe divers at close range, while dog snappers and bigeye jacks circle in enormous schools.

Another famous Cabo Pulmo dive site is Los Morros. Schools of grunts, Panamic porkfish, snappers and jacks are joined by manta rays and mobula rares in season. At Los Morros, divers may also be lucky enough to see a whale shark, a rare visitor to Cabo Pulmo.

The huge coral reef of El Cantil is too large to explore in one dive. El Cantil’s topography includes a sheer wall, small canyons, and other crooks and crannies to explore for shrimps, nudibranchs, and crabs. Other bottom-dwelling animals include the iconic Panamic green moray and small but powerful electric rays. Jacks and turtles glide along with the backdrop of sea fans and staghorn corals.

The El Vencedor wreck, a thirty year old cargo boat in about fifty feet of water, is a cleaning station for bull sharks. With about 75 percent likelihood of seeing bull sharks in season, El Vencedor provides the best bull shark diving in Baja. Schools of snapper and grouper, plus hunting amberjack and pompano, complete the scene.

One very unique Cabo Pulmo dive site actually changes location all the time. This is the famous ‘tornado’ of jacks: a meters-high whirlpool of densely packed jacks (also known as trevallies). The jacks usually swirl somewhere in the middle of the park; it’s up the boat captain to catch sight of a dark patch and let the divers jump in!