ORCAS AND MOBULA RAYS OF BAJA PHOTO TOUR
swim with schooling mobula rays and orcas
8 Days
Baja, Mexico
4 Pax
Difficult
Medium
Orcas and Mobula Rays of Baja Photo Tour
Swim with large schools of mobula rays and orcas in the Sea of Cortez
Our Orcas and Mobula Rays of Baja Photo Tour will allow you to swim with large schools of mobula rays, as well as provide you the chance to encounter and swim with orcas in the Sea of Cortez. Imagine being in the water near hundreds, if not thousands of munk's mobula rays as they school to filter feed. It is an experience you will never forget. Seeing and swimming with orcas, the apex predators of the area, is awe-inspiring and one we treat with the utmost care and respect. This tour is in the heart of the Gulf of California, where we have the chance to swim with over twenty different mammal species. Enjoy the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez as we encounter the megafauna of these beautiful seas.
SEE LARGE SCHOOLS OF MOBULA RAYS IN BAJA
POSSIBILITY TO SWIM WITH ORCAS HUNTING MOBULA RAYS
SEE OTHER MARINE MAMMALS OF THE SEA OF CORTEZ
SWIM WITH CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS
EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE COMFORTABLE CHARTER BOAT
LEARN HOW FISHING IMPACTS MOBULA RAYS
Why we love this Orcas and Mobula Rays in Baja safari
This Orcas and Mobula Rays in Baja photo tour is designed to get you in the water with large schools of Mobula rays, with the chance to see orcas as they pursue them. This tour takes place during the peak migration time for the rays in the south western part of the Sea of Cortez, when thousands of the rays gather to form super schools. This maximizes our chances of seeing these large schools, which attract the local orca pods that hunt them. If we are lucky, we will have the chance to be in the water and swim with the orcas, an incredible experience as you watch the apex predator of the Sea of Cortez.
The Gulf of California is home to a staggering twenty three species of cetaceans, and we will keep our eye out for all of them. There is a good chance for us to see dolphins like the Common Dolphin, Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, and Common Bottlenose Dolphin. These dolphin species can often be found in large pods, even super pods, that have joined together as they pursue their prey. We will also look for the whales of the Sea of Cortez, including humpback whales and blue whales!
The Sea of Cortez is a haven for marine mammals, including pinnipeds like the California Sea Lions. These sea lions are often very curious, especially when you enter the water with them. It is an incredible experience as the sea lions check you out and to see them move effortlessly through the water, like ballerinas dancing through the air.
As we always believe in utilizing fantastic local guides, we have partnered with the Rocinante boat team. We will have exclusive use of the boat, allowing us to go where we want to go, and see the marine wildlife that we are interested in. To complete the experience we will learn about how fishing co-exists with ecotourism in the region, an essential fact to protecting the wildlife long term.
Orcas and Mobula Rays in Baja photo tour testimonials
- Coming Soon
- Teresa Gallet
-
Mobula-Ray-School-Sea-of-Cortez
-
Orcas-Baja-California
-
Mobula-Ray-School-Baja-California
-
Orca-Predation-Sea-of-Cortez
-
Mobula-Ray-Aggregation-Sea-of-Cortez
-
Orca-Pod-Sea-of-Cortez
-
Orca-female-Baja-California
-
Orca-mother-and-calf
Other wildlife you can see on this tour
-
Brown-Pelican-Flying-Baja-California
-
Dolphin-pair-Sea-of-Cortez
-
California-Sea-Lion-Group-Underwater-Sea-of-Cortez
-
Brown-Pelican-Baja-California
-
Whale Shark, Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico
-
Sea-Turtle-Baja-California
-
Bottlenose Dolphin jumping, Baja, Mexico
Target species during our orcas and mobula rays in Baja photo tour
ORCA (Orcinus orca)
Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family. They are mostly black in coloration with white markings behind the dorsal fin, chin, and lower body. Male orcas have a very large, straight dorsal fin. They are apex predators, capable of hunting prey much larger than themselves. If you want to target Orca in the Sea of Cortez check out our Orcas and Mobula Rays photo tour.
Difficulty: Difficult
MUNK'S MOBULA RAY (Mobula munkiana)
Munk's mobula rays have numerous common names including Munk's devil ray, pygmy devil ray, smoothtail mobula, and Munk’s pygmy devil ray. They are the smallest of the five species of mobula rays found in the Sea of Cortez, with a wingspan of about one meter. However, what makes munk's mobula rays so incredible is that they congregate in large schools, often consisting of thousands of individuals. Additionally, munk's mobula rays, like the other four species of mobula ray, will leap out of the water, often bellyflopping as they hit the surface.
Difficulty: Medium
Other possible marine mammals during our safari
BLUE WHALE (Balaenoptera musculus)
The world's largest animal to have ever lived, blue whales are simply spectacular measuring up to one hundred feet in length and weighing over one hundred tons. Blue whales come to the Sea of Cortez, also called the Gulf of California to give birth and mate, for just a few weeks each year. This is the time for us to see these incredible giants. These long lived rorqual whales are thankfully increasing in numbers.
Difficulty: Medium
HUMPBACK WHALE (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Though common along the pacific coast of North America, humpback whales don't venture far into the sea of Cortez, which means there is a smaller chance of seeing these baleen whales. Please check out our humpbacks of Tonga tour if you want to swim with these gentle giants! We will of course keep an eye out for their distinctive long pectoral fins, and tubercles on its head.
Difficulty: Difficult
FIN WHALE (Balaenoptera physalus)
The fin whale is the second largest whale in the world, after the blue whale, growing to lengths of eight-five feet. They can be differentiated from their larger cousins by their darker coloration on their dorsal side, with two asymmetric chevron patches near the back of the head. These baleen whales are the fastest whales, reaching speeds up to twenty-five miles per hour. There is a small resident population in the Sea of Cortez.
Difficulty: Difficult
BRYDE'S WHALE (Balaenoptera brydei)
The Bryde's whale is a baleen whale similar to the Sei whale. It can be differentiated from other whales by its dark gray dorsal coloration, darker than Sei whales. Their tail flukes barely break the surface, and their spouts are very columnar. Their dorsal fin appears to be in the middle of their back, when surfacing. These whales are found year around in the Sea of Cortez.
Difficulty: Difficult
SEI WHALE (Balaenoptera borealis)
The Sei Whale is very similar in appearance to the Bryde's Whale, and is more rare in the Sea of Cortez, than its slightly smaller cousin. It is dark, steely gray in its ventral coloration. Its dorsal fin is slightly more upright than the Bryde's Whale and appears further back on its body. These whales are classified as endangered and we would be thrilled to see any individuals during our tour.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
COMMON DOLPHIN (Delphinus delphis)
These medium sized dolphins are unique in their coloration, having a yellow or golden hourglass on the sides of their bodies. These dolphins can form large pods, over a hundred individuals and can sometimes even create super-pods, when multiple pods come together at the same time. They are found year around in the Sea of Cortez.
Difficulty: Easy
SPINNER DOLPHIN (Stenella longirostris)
Spinner dolphins are small, slender-bodied, dolphins known for their acrobatic displays of leaping and spinning when breaching. Unlike most other dolphins, spinner dolphins are nocturnal, hunting squid and fish at night, rather than during the day. They are one of the more rare dolphins in the Sea of Cortez.
Difficulty: Difficult
SHORT-FINNED PILOT WHALE (Globicephala macrorhynchus)
Despite their name, Short-finned Pilot Whales are dolphins. They can be distinguished from other dolphins in the Sea of Cortez by their larger size, bulbous head, and sickle-shaped dorsal fin. They are generally found in deeper waters, preferring to go for prey off the continental shelf.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
RISSO'S DOLPHIN (Grampus griseus)
The unique looking Risso's Dolphin has a large bulbous head, with a quickly tailoring body towards its tail. Its dark gray colored body is often marked by white scratches. They are mostly nocturnal, feeding on squid off of the continental shelf. They are found in the Sea of Cortez all year around.
Difficulty: Difficult
PANTROPICAL SPOTTED DOLPHIN (Stenella attenuata)
The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin is a fairly slender, streamlined dolphin. It has light spots on its body that increase in number and size as it gets older. The coastal spotted dolphins in the Sea of Cortez are larger than the pelagic populations. They are one of the more obvious dolphins as they are very active, and leap and splash a lot.
Difficulty: Medium
FALSE KILLER WHALE (Pseudorca crassidens)
The name of the false killer whale comes from its skulls appearance being similar to that of the orca. False killer whales have slender bodies with an elongated, tapered head. The are black or dark gray in coloration with a slightly lighter ventral side. They are the third largest dolphin in the Sea of Cortez, reaching sixteen feet in length.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
The Pacific white-sided dolphin is an average sized dolphin that has three different colors. The belly, throat, and chin, are creamy white. The back, flippers, and beak are dark gray. On the sides of their bodies, they have light gray patches and an additional light gray stripe. They are only found in the southern part of the Sea of Cortez.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
STRIPED DOLPHIN (Stenella coeruleoalba)
The Striped Dolphin is similar in size to the Pantropical spotted dolphin, but can easily be distinguished from it by its markings. Black bands circle the eyes, which then run across the back. Two further black stripes run from behind the ear down its side of its body. One runs along its body toward the tail, the other ends just at the flipper.
Difficulty: Difficult
ROUGH-TOOTHED DOLPHIN (Steno bredanensis)
The Rough-toothed Dolphin is a large dolphin species with a distinguishing conical head and slender nose. The body is black dorsally and light gray and white ventrally. The lower jaw of the Rough-toothed Dolphin is white in color. They will sometimes join other pods of dolphins or may create large pods amongst themselves.
Difficulty: Difficult
COMMON BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN (Tursiops truncatus)
The Common Bottlenose Dolphin is the most well known dolphin species, as it is the species most commonly found in aquariums and was the dolphin on the show flipper. It is a medium size dolphin, uniformly light gray in coloration, with a short beak. It is one of the more common dolphin species found in the Sea of Cortez.
Difficulty: Easy
DWARF SPERM WHALE (Kogia sima)
The dwarf sperm whale is the smallest of the three sperm whales, with a length of about eight feet. It has a dark-gray or blue-gray color with a lighter-grey ventral side. It has a pale, crescent-shaped mark between the eye and the flipper, just like the pygmy sperm whale. The squared head is the differentiator between the two smaller sperm whales.
Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
PYGMY SPERM WHALE (Kogia breviceps)
The pygmy sperm whale is slightly larger than the dwarf sperm whale and is lighter in color. Its underside can also often be pink, unlike the dwarf sperm whale. The head of the pygmy sperm whale looks shark like, which is the best way to tell this species from the other two sperm whales.
Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
SPERM WHALE (Physeter macrocephalus)
Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales, with a length of about fifty feet. The easiest way to tell them apart from other whales is by their very large, block-shaped head. Their blowhole is also skewed to the left side of their body. Rather than smooth skin, the sperm whale's skin looks like a dried fruit.
Difficulty: Difficult
BLAINVILLE'S BEAKED WHALE (Mesoplodon densirostris)
Blainville's Beaked Whale have slender, long bodies that are steely-blue in coloration. They are often covered with lighter blotches, potentially caused by cookie-cutter sharks. Like all beaked whales, Blainville's beaked whales forage in deep waters and are rarely seen at sea.
Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
BAIRD'S BEAKED WHALE (Berardius bairdii)
Baird's Beaked Whales are the largest beaked whale and the second largest toothed whale. Their bodies are brownish-grey, while their foreheads turn white as they age. Their unique underbite, with the lower jaw having two pairs of teeth is a unique identifier for this species. Like other beaked whales Baird's beaked whales are extremely rare to see.
Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
CUVIER'S BEAKED WHALE (Ziphius cavirostris)
Cuvier's Beaked Whales are dark gray dorsally and have lighter bellies and heads. Along with their dark eye rings, look for the numerous scars that cover their body from their prey and from fighting. Cuvier's beaked whales have the longest and deepest recorded dives from any mammal of the world.
Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
Easy: for the duration of the trip we will have multiple encounters with this whale or dolphin species with good photo opportunities
Medium: we expect to see the cetacean and have at least one, but probably multiple encounters, with good photo opportunities
Difficult: for the duration of the trip, our goal will be to have one encounter with good photographic opportunities
Very Difficult: for the duration of the trip we hope to have one encounter with the whale or dolphin species, whether a good photo opportunity or not
Extremely Difficult: it is extremely unlikely to see this whale or dolphin species, so having even a glimpse of it is considered success
You are in good hands, we are orca and mobula ray experts
We have chosen the best location at the perfect time of year to witness the large congregations of mobula rays in the sea of Cortez in Baja California. Our orcas and mobula rays of Baja photo tour takes place in June, when the rays migrate to the south eastern part of Baja, near the town of La Ventana. During this time, orcas will come into this part of the Gulf of California to predate the rays. We utilize the best orca and mobula ray guides to increase our chances of finding the apex predators and of having a chance to see them hunt the rays.
We have handpicked the best local guides who have spent years on the Sea of Cortez, searching for and experiencing the orcas and mobula rays. Their vast knowledge will tremendously increase our chances of finding and having memorable interactions with these animals. Finally, your international whale expeditions photography guides are Rachel Tobias and Sebastian Kennerknecht who have both traveled to Baja to photograph its marine life. They will help you along every step to guide you through any photography challenges you may face.
Day 1
Arrive in Los Cabos, Mexico. You will be picked up by the Whale Expeditions team and be driven north near La Paz to the quaint seaside town of La Ventana. We will settle into our accommodations, and enjoy an evening presentation about the proceedings of the following days, as well as background information on the area and the species we will encounter.
Day 2-7
After an early breakfast we head into the Sea of Cortez to look for schooling Mobula rays and orcas. While out at sea we will keep our eyes open for dolphin pods, and whales, as well as sea lions. With the guidance of our local naturalists, we will jump into the water with all of these species, to have intimate snorkel experiences with them in their domain. We will have exclusive use of boat, so we decide where we go. Lunch will either be served on the boat, or back on land, and dinner will be back at our lodging.
Day 8
After a good by breakfast, we drive back to Los Cabos for your outbound flights.
Itinerary at a glance
7 NIGHTS
8 DAYS
1 HOTEL
12 cetacean safaris
sheltered ocean
lagoon
1 Dolphin
MoTOR BOAT safaris
snorkeling
Swimming amongst mobula rays and orcas in Baja California
Our orcas and mobula rays of Baja photo tour is designed for you to experience the incredible schooling of mobula rays who can congregate in the thousands in the Sea of Cortez during the time of our tour, and to have the chance to swim with orcas, the apex predator of the area.
Munk's mobula rays migrate along the Baja California peninsula throughout the year, but congregate in very large schools in June, during the time of our tour near the town of La Ventana. It is an incredible opportunity to see and swim with these large rays, as they filter feed in the waters off the coast. Even more incredible is that we have a chance to encounter and swim with orcas, the apex predators of the Sea of Cortez as they follow the schooling mobula rays. Swimming with the world's largest dolphin, a truly inspiring predator, is awe inspiring and life changing.
The Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California, is a marine life hot spot. Over twenty cetaceans call this ocean home, plus other marine mammals like sea lions. We will keep our eyes out for all of these large, charismatic animals and will swim with them if the opportunity arises.
Besides providing you the opportunity to see and photograph orcas and mobula rays, we at Whale Expeditions make your travel experience hassle free. You will be sent a full itinerary that includes what to bring and how to prepare. Once you land in Los Cabos, you can focus on enjoying yourself as all the travel logistics are not only taken care off, but optimized to give you the most time to enjoy the incredible wildlife that the Sea of Cortez has to offer.
Casa Kalalita, La Ventana
Perfectly positioned along the beach in La Ventana, Casa Kalalita is the ideal base for our Orcas and Mobula Ray tour. While the house is located central to everything in town, within its walls, you will find a secluded oasis - the perfect spot to rest after a long day of adventuring.
The central living area will be the hub of activity, where you can download and edit photos, get lightroom help, and watch presentations. Your large, comfortable rooms are the perfect space to get quiet rest. The hot tub outside provides even more relaxation, as does the sound of the waves, just a few feet away.
Casa Kalalita has high-speed internet. No laundry service is available.
-
Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bathroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bathroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Bedroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Livingroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Livingroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Kitchen, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
-
Livingroom, Casa Kalalita, La Ventana, Baja, Mexico
Conservation impact of our orcas and mobula rays of Baja photo tour
Like all Whale Expeditions tours, our orcas and mobula rays of Baja photo tour has conservation impact built into it. Munk's mobula rays are classified as vulnerable. The four other species of mobula ray of the Sea of Cortez, including the giant devil ray (Mobula mobular), bentfin devil ray (Mobula thurstoni), Chilean devil ray (Mobula tarapacana), and giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) are all classified as endangered. Their main threats are dying as a result of bycatch in tuna fisheries. An estimated 13,000 Mobula rays are captured in global tuna purse-seine fisheries each year.
To better understand mobula rays, their ecology, and their threats we have partnered with the Mobula Conservation Project, which monitor and conserve the mobula species in the Pacific. Part of the tours cost will be donated to this project.
Conservation at a glance
Orcas and Mobula Rays in Baja Photo Tour Dates
June 1-8, 2025 (4 spots available)
Orcas and Mobula Rays in Baja Photo Tour Pricing
Price per person: $6,950
Single room supplement: $1,500
The price includes:
- all transportation starting in Mexico
- lodging
- meals (not including alcohol)
- mobula ray and orca excursions
- marine mammal excursions
- guide services of Rachel Tobias
- guide services of Sebastian Kennerknecht
- guide services of local guide
- conservation donation
The price does not include:
- flights to Mexico
- tips
- laundry
- insurance