Baja Wildlife Expedition Trip Report 2025

Trip # 3
May 10 - 17, 2025

 May 11, 2025 – Day One

And so it begins.

So happy to have the rest of the SDM team here with me for this expedition. My wife Mari and my daughter Sophia are here with me for this trip. 

We left port at 7:30 AM to a beautiful, calm morning in the bay. No idea what the open ocean would bring—but we were hoping it wasn’t too swelly.

Of course, we got reports that orcas were in the area yesterday… on our one day off the water. Insert eye-roll here.
So today, we headed out with fingers crossed, hoping to catch up to them.

The wind was expected to build in the afternoon, so we were trying to make the most of the morning and kick off the trip with something special.

Not long after leaving, we ran into a super pod of bottlenose dolphins in the bay. They looked playful, but we didn’t stay long—just watched for a few minutes before pushing offshore to follow the orca reports.

9:40 AM – We tried going north into the open ocean, but it was covered in whitecaps. It was going to be sloppy and slow, so we shifted plans and rerouted along the northern coastline in search of mobulas—hoping to find clean water and big schools.

But the swells and whitecaps just kept building, and eventually, we made the call to turn back.

Just as we were heading in, we got a radio call: pilot whales had been spotted in the bay.

It was going to be a bumpy ride to get there, but we went for it. A few other boats were already on site, trying to get some jumps in.

We watched the whales for a few minutes, but it was clear the conditions weren’t ideal. The water was swelly and the animals didn’t look comfortable, so I called it. Not worth pushing it.

It’s just Day One—we’ve got five more days ahead of us, and the ocean isn’t going anywhere.

Heading back to port now.
Tomorrow is another day.

May 12, 2025 – Day Two

We headed out this morning into a flat, calm bay—beautiful blue skies above and just a slight breeze in the air. Winds are expected to pick up throughout the day and then drop again later. Hopefully they hold off… but we’ll see.

Today, we’re heading south. Lately, all the best action has been coming from that direction, so we’re rolling the dice and hoping for something special.

The day begins—as always—with hope.

We were going to stop and swim with mobulas before we headed out, but with the afternoon winds predicted, I decided that we should go straight out to the blue and look for big stuff while the weather was calm.

11:30 AM
We had a brief look at a Bryde’s whale—moving fast, just a quick glimpse.

Then we crossed paths with a super pod of common dolphins, but they were on the move and super scattered. Common dolphins are very shy so there is no point in trying to get in the water with them. They are ghosts when you get in the water with them.

We’re now cruising slowly north again, drifting over a deep canyon and scanning the horizon for whatever might show up.

1:39 PM
We’ve left the open ocean and are now back inside the bay, hoping to find a school of mobula rays before calling it a day.

The swell offshore kept building, so before it started tossing us around too much, we decided to return to calmer waters. There’s still some movement in the bay, but it’s running in our direction, so it’s not bad at all.

Unfortunately, no mobulas in the Bay today. We searched, but came up empty.

So we called it.
Tomorrow is a new day.
And I’ve got a feeling—it’s going to be the day.

May 13, 2025 – Day Three

8:25 AM – The day started off cloudy, with the sun hiding behind a thick sky, making the boat ride a little chillier than usual. But the ocean was flat calm—and after getting kicked around on the first two days, I couldn’t have been happier. It was exactly the break we needed.

We’re starting the day searching for mobula rays, hoping to get in the water for a morning swim before heading offshore to chase bigger animals.

We found a few mobulas in the bay, but there were already a few boats circling them, so we opted to move on to one of the more reliable mobula hotspots.

On the way out, we spotted a humpback whale. We paused to watch it surface, take a few breaths, and then dive back down. After a quick moment with the whale, we were back on course, heading toward the mobula grounds. The day officially begins.

We found the mobulas—and today turned out to be the best mobula day of the season so far.

A massive school was moving slowly, staying near the surface, and the water was clean. We jumped in and had an awesome session. It was the perfect way to start our first full day in the water—not just on it.

We also spotted a small pod of bottlenose dolphins near the shoreline, but they weren’t interested in us today.

10:00 AM – We left the mobulas and headed offshore in search of the bigger stuff.

12:00 PM – We found a super pod of bottlenose dolphins. We attempted a few in-water encounters, but they weren’t having it. Still, the water was beautifully blue, although a bit chilly.

2:00 PM – Our sister boat called in a sighting: spinner dolphins.

We caught up and jumped in. The first few jumps, the dolphins were shy. To make it more challenging, the cloud cover was getting heavier, and the ocean felt dark. I had to bump my ISO up to 1250—a setting I try to avoid. But in those conditions, I had no choice.

Thankfully, on our final jump of the day, the clouds broke just enough to let a little light penetrate the water. I was able to drop down to ISO 800, and it made all the difference. That last jump ended up being the best of the day. I fired off a few frames that I’m genuinely happy with.

I’ve been wanting to dive with spinner dolphins for a long time. Today, I finally got the chance—and it didn’t disappoint.

May 14, 2025 – Day Four

8:00 AM – We left port under perfect conditions: bright sunny skies, flat calm seas, and a full day ahead of us. Reports of sperm whales came in earlier this morning, so we’re heading out into the open ocean to see if we can spot them—maybe fly the drone and grab some footage. The day begins!

10:44 AM – We got a brief glimpse of the sperm whales. They surfaced for a few breaths, then dove out of sight. Short and sweet—but we’re hopeful we’ll see more of them later.

11:00 AM – Our sister boat called us in with an unusual sighting: mating olive ridley sea turtles. These moments are golden—turtles in this state are fully focused and don’t swim off, allowing for respectful observation.

We entered the water, filmed quietly, and left them to continue their work—making more turtles.
The light was beautiful, the water was deep blue, and the visibility was excellent. A calm, memorable session.

But here’s the thing about photographing pelagic sea turtles—they’re filthy.

They’re often covered in sea lice, and those nasty little hitchhikers don’t mind swimming off their host and crawling all over anyone nearby. This time, it was us.

By the time I got in, there were already two divers from our sister boat in the water with the turtles—and their wetsuits were crawling with sea lice. I pointed it out, and one of the ladies suddenly shouted, “WHAT SEA LICE?!” and started spinning and slapping herself in full-on panic mode, trying to get rid of them. It was hilarious. Gross… but hilarious.

1:00 PM – We’re now drifting in the deep south, having lunch and watching the water. There are pods of bottlenose dolphins everywhere, feeding in every direction.

It’s wild—just a few days ago, there were no dolphins around. Now they’re everywhere.

Feels like the stage is set for big predators to return… I got a feeling!

Later, we spotted several boats gathered nearby. We motored over to check it out—there were people in the water.
A mola mola (sunfish) had appeared. We geared up and waited for our turn to enter, but unfortunately, the mola dove before we could get in. So close… but that’s how it goes sometimes.

Still hopeful, we headed back to where the sperm whales were first seen earlier in the day. After a short wait, we spotted the pod surfacing again. We motored over and watched as they took a few long breaths. It was a nice-sized group—10 to 12 individuals. They lingered briefly, then slipped back beneath the surface.

It was especially meaningful for Sophia and Mari, who had never seen sperm whales before. A great moment—and we got drone footage and plenty of topside shots to remember it by.

On the way back in, we caught sight of jumping mobulas near the shoreline. The light was perfect, and the mobulas were launching out of the water in shallow, turquoise-blue seas framed by a bright white sandy bottom.

We took our time photographing them topside—framing jump after jump, trying to catch those explosive bursts. But after a while, we realized where we were: shallow reef, beautiful light, calm water, and mobulas everywhere.

It’s not every day you find them in conditions like that.

We couldn’t resist—we jumped in.

What followed was a magical swim with the mobulas, gliding over sunlit reef and glowing white sand.
It was stunning. One of those quiet little gifts from the ocean that you don’t see coming.

A perfect way to end the day… and a more perfect way to close out day 4.

May 15, 2025 – Day Five

Weather is coming.
But for now, the day is beautiful—flat seas in the north, bright blue skies, and a light breeze that's expected to build as the day goes on. We made the call to head north this morning, since the south is expected to get hit with stronger winds.

9:30 AM – We came across a pod of spinner dolphins, and they were full of energy—spinning, leaping, and racing around the boat. We followed them for a bit and captured some fun topside shots. It was a great start to the morning.

Eventually, the dolphins led us out past the protection of the island, and things changed fast. The swells rose, the sea got rough, and it got too bumpy to continue. We had to break off the chase and retreat to the lee of the island.

We motored around for a bit and then stopped the boat, hoping for something to swim by, maybe more dolphins, maybe a mola mola would stop to visit.

Then… it happened.

We found an orca.

We were still in the North when we heard rumors of orcas farther south. We started heading in that direction when suddenly, a massive dorsal fin broke the surface—a big male.

He was a bit shy but clearly curious. He didn’t come close, but he stayed near the boat, circling and making regular passes. It was so good. I was beyond happy—not just for me, but for our guests, for Mari, and for Sophia. Moments like this are dream-come-true stuff. And to share them with the people I love? Nothing better.

We spent the entire afternoon with him—and the best part? No other boats around. Just us and this orca.

He slapped his tail a few times, then suddenly breached—my first time ever seeing it. A little while later, he slapped the surface again. No breach this time. Not long after that, female orcas began to arrive. One after another, they came from different directions—eight in total, including a few juveniles.

It was clear… he was calling for them.

Later that evening, Michelle looked it up and found articles saying that tail slaps and breaches are done "just for fun." But what we witnessed felt unmistakably like communication. This male had been swimming solo all day—relaxed, slow, and calm. Then, after several tail slaps and a breach, the pod appeared.

They came in so fast and from different directions.

That was no coincidence.

That’s one of my favorite things about staying in an area for more than just a few days. You start to notice the patterns, the behavior shifts, the unspoken language of the ocean.

This pod wasn’t the same group reported by other boats farther south. These were different orcas, in a different zone—and they showed up just as I had hoped.

Yesterday, I mentioned how the dolphin activity had increased and how the mobula schools were growing. It felt like the conditions were right for big predators to return.

Today—they did.

3:43 PM – We’re now following the pod as they head straight toward the bay where we dock the boat. We think they may be hunting mobulas.

Fingers crossed for an epic finale to an already incredible day.

Sadly, the weather eventually caught up to us.

The wind picked up fast, whitecaps started popping up everywhere, and conditions began to deteriorate. It became harder and harder to track the orcas in the rougher seas.

So, after a long and unforgettable day on the water, we made the call to head back in—leaving the pod behind and carrying the moment with us.

It was a great, great day at sea. One I’ll never forget.

May 17, 2025 – Day Six

Final day of the trip.
We woke up to a windy morning, and it didn’t take long to see what the ocean had in store. The bay—usually a glassy sheet of calm—was already choppy. Not a great sign.

I had a feeling the day was going to be tough, but we were here, and we were ready. So we went for it.

From the moment the boat left the dock, we were getting soaked—sprayed with every bounce as we pushed against the wind and swell.

In the distance, we spotted a cluster of boats. Our captain radioed over to ask what they had. The call came back: spinner dolphins.

We weighed the cost. They were north of us, and the northern swells looked bigger, sloppier, and rougher. We decided to pass.

Instead, we turned south—hoping to find mobulas.

One of our captain’s buddies was already in the water with a group and radioed us that the mobula encounter was hot and that we should jump in.

We geared up—knowing this might be the only thing we’d get to do today—and dropped in.

9:00 AM – And wow.
It was EPIC.

We landed in the middle of an active mating mobula pod.
They were vortexing—spinning in a spiral—rushing around us and through us without a care in the world. Completely focused on what they came there to do: mate.

It was one of those encounters I’ve hoped for all season. In fact, the last time I saw an actual mobula mating frenzy like this was back in 2019.

It’s been a minute.

We shared the encounter with other dive groups, so after a solid 20-minute session, we respectfully got out to give others their turn.

Later, we jumped back in when it was our turn in the rotation. The second encounter was still good—but nothing like the magic of that first jump.

By the time we wrapped up, the wind and swells had continued building. After a few radio calls with other boats—and with no orca reports—we made the call to head in.

This week delivered.
Incredible wildlife, beautiful moments, and some truly special encounters.

What made it even more meaningful for me was getting to share it all with my wife and daughter. That’s what made this trip unforgettable.

Huge thanks and big hugs to all my buddies who joined me this week.

There’s so much magic in Baja.
So happy to report that we found it again.

Wildlife we encountered this week;

• bottlenose dolphins 

• Mobula rays

• Brydes whales

• Humpback whales

• Pygmy sperm whale… a quick glance from the distance, they are so shy.

• Sperm whales 

• Spinner dolphins

• Smooth hammerhead 

• Pilot whales

• Common dolphins

• Olive Ridley sea turtles mating 

• Jumping striped marlin 

• Orcas