Snorkeling Sea of Cortez in March

[rjscott]

We will be in La Paz and Loreto in early March off the Ryndam. I've read these are both great snorkeling ports but am concerned that the water will be uncomfortably cold that time of year.

 

Would appreciate hearing of experiences snorkeling at these ports.

 

Thx!

[HALFans]

Ditto the question here.

 

We have a group on the Ryndam March 5 doing the Sea of Cortez and have a group of would-be snorkelers and are in great need of advice too!

[sceneisle]

Of these two ports, I think La Paz will afford you better snorkeling opportunities. If you can get a tour to the island of Los Islotes, you should be able to snorkel with some playful seals. I haven't heard too much about any decent snorkeling locations in Loreto; but that doesn't mean they don't exist. We docked in Loreto, hired a panga to take us to Isla Coronada (small island close by) and were a little disappointed with the limited variety of fish we saw. Snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez, IMO, is not on par with the Caribbean, Hawaii or Cozumel. We were in Los Cabos last month; water temperature was around 70 with about 50' of visibility.

[HALFans]

If it makes a difference - we're stopping in Topolobampo for a LOOOONG day.

[ICEdad]

Been to both over a dozen times in the past sportfishing. Both Loreto and La Paz are good fishing spots-or at least they used to be. Most excursions there cater to divers and sportfishing. There is a beach north of the town of La Paz-I think its called Tecolote-the locals hang out there a lot. The large island north of the bay is Espiritu Santos-large with many coves. There are lots of seals on the north end of tiny Isla Partida. My choice would be to find someone to take you to "Balandra" its a rock formation that looks like a balancing rock. There is a beach nearby w/ a large sandy cove-lots of rocks to snorkel around. Its sheltered from the weather and current, whereas Los Islotes/Isla Partida is not. Loreto has Isla Coronado-smaller island north of Isla del Carmen but I never landed there myself-it looked ok. HALs website shows excursions to both so there might be your winners. One word of advice for both locations. Pangas (your mode of transportation to the islands themselves) are just "skiffs". They are 18 ft or so, shallow draft outboard propelled crafts w/ thin cushions for seating (mostly). If the seas are rough, you will feel it. Hopefully since they are catering to cruisers, they will have nicer boats for you. The locals in both areas are very nice and the scenery is rustic but beatiful. Either way have a great time.

[jandjboo]

We, too, will be on the Ryndam in Loreto on March 11. Same cruise you're on??? All the tours I've checked on (not through HAL) in Loreto and La Paz have wet suits available, since the water is quite cool in March. Have you looked on the Internet for tours? They are cheaper than the same tours from HAL and probably smaller groups to contend with. If you haven't, try looking at http://www.loretours.com, check out Dolphin Dive Center in Loreto and check Club Cantamar in La Paz for good ideas.

[rjscott]

The question I posted was from last year. We did snorkel and here is what I found: the snorkel at Loreto did not offer wetsuits, and doing one off the ship was not an option due to the time in port. So we went ahead an did one off the ship. Yes, the water was cold, and at first I wasn't sure I could get in, but after submerging myself, it wasn't too bad and we did see a nice variety of fish. We didn't stay in a real long time, but the sun was warm, so that helped. After the snorkel, we had a lunch on the beach and then we took a short hike around the island and the guide pointed out plants and other items of interest. Several people opted to leave early, so a couple of the boats departed early and we got back to Loreto in time to walk around town for awhile. It is a very pretty town and nice to stroll around there.

In La Paz, we snorkeled with the sea lions, and again, the water was very cold, and we were provided with the shortie wetsuits. Those helped a lot, but it was still cold. However, I would do it again. I am just providing this information for those who may be on the fence about doing these snorkel trips at this time of year.