CABO PULMO TRIP REPORT 2024

Cabo Pulmo, Mexico
October 17 - 21, 2024

 October 18, 2024 - Day One in Cabo Pulmo

We are finally here! I’ve been talking about visiting this epic place for what feels like forever, but I had never made the pilgrimage to this hallowed spot—until now.

Cabo Pulmo is a true conservation success story. Years ago, this area was overfished, and the reef was dying. But the locals saw its potential and were determined to make it thrive. Alongside marine biologists, they created a plan to transform it into a no-take zone, eventually turning it into a national park.

Today, Cabo Pulmo stands as a shining example of what can happen when a community comes together to protect and restore nature.

Our trip was made possible thanks to my good friend, Leonardo Hernandez, who works for Cabo Pulmo Watersports and manages a vacation home in town called The Last Place.

And what a place it is! The house is epic—overlooking the reef with a stunning view of the sunrise, two pools, and a beautiful design. It’s the perfect spot to kick back and take in all the natural beauty this place has to offer.

I’ve always wanted to visit Cabo Pulmo but never made the time—until now. And all I can say is, DAMN, I’m so glad I finally did!

We started the day with a two-tank dive, and wow, wow, wow! The diving here is beyond epic. There’s so much life in these waters. Leo took us to the area where the massive schools of jacks are known to gather, and man, it did not disappoint. Tens of thousands of jacks, all swimming together—it was awe-inspiring and everything I had hoped it would be. Beneath the jacks, we spotted massive cubera snappers and huge black grouper.

I’ve dreamed of diving with these schooling jacks for a long time, hoping to witness that legendary "tornado" formation I’ve seen in so many images. While they didn’t form that for us today, it was still incredible to experience them swimming together in such a massive school.

We did two dives with them, experiencing the school from both high up and near the sea floor. It was so good.

Everything about the day was perfect—the weather was sunny and warm, the ocean was flat calm, and the water was wonderfully warm. All of that added to the incredible underwater show we got to experience. What a day!

Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

October 19, 2024 - Day Two Begins

We woke up to a beautiful, bright blue sky with no wind—a beautiful start to the day. It feels like the calm before the storm, as a northern front is expected to move in tomorrow.

Our first dive was at a cleaning station, and it was absolutely stunning. The massive school of jacks was moving through the area, and the place was alive with activity. Thousands of fish were there, all seeking to get cleaned. Surprisingly, there were only a few butterflyfish available to do the job, but the jacks were still crowding in, eager to be cleaned.

It was an incredible sight—thousands upon thousands of fish, everywhere you looked. Underneath the jacks, we spotted massive black groupers and cubera snappers. My guess is they were hunting the jacks. I’m not sure if they can catch the bigger ones, but with so many smaller fish in the schools, it’s likely a few might make a nice meal.

I thought the black groupers we saw at Tiger Beach were big, but these guys here are absolutely massive! It was such an amazing scene to witness.

Our second dive took us to a different site, away from all the action. It was an okay dive—not quite as spectacular as our first, but I think we’d been spoiled at this point.

This site was strange. We dove over a set of stones that I’m pretty sure were once above sea level. Now, they sit at the bottom of the ocean, about 50 feet deep. At first, I thought it might have been an old stone pier, but now I’m thinking it could have been a sea wall that collapsed. Who knows. All I know is it looked ancient, and it was pretty wild to explore.

If it was an ancient marina or seawall, it must have been built during a time when there was a beach in this spot. My guess is it could be several thousand years old.

The highlight of the dive, aside from seeing these mysterious ruins, was an octopus we encountered. The poor guy had a few legs missing, but he was still out in the open, and I managed to snap a few shots. I love octopus encounters!

The weather is starting to turn now, so we’re hoping we’ll be able to dive tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

October 20, 2024 - Day Three: Unforgettable Dive in Cabo Pulmo

We woke up to rough weather today. The winds had arrived, and I wasn’t sure we’d be able to go out. But luckily, the port remained open. The winds were strong, but not strong enough to keep us from diving—and I’m so grateful for that, because today I experienced one of the best scuba dives of my life.

We headed out for a two-tank dive. I admit, I wasn’t feeling too confident at first. The swells were up, the wind was fierce, and the boat was rocking hard. I figured visibility would be poor, and getting kicked around in bad conditions is never fun.

It took some time to reach the dive site, but we finally got there. We dropped in and began the search for the massive school of jacks.

And we found them.

Following the school against some current, I was relieved to see that despite the topside winds and swells, the visibility was surprisingly good. Our guide, Leo, led us to a cleaning station that was teeming with life. It was one of the most incredible underwater scenes I’ve ever experienced.

The cleaning station from yesterday was great, but this one? It was 100 times better.

There were parrotfish, moray eels, black groupers, reef fish—thousands upon thousands of bigeye jacks swarming the area. The butterflyfish were overwhelmed with all the animals lining up to be cleaned. Schools of parrotfish were tearing chunks from the reef, and the whole scene was complete, beautiful chaos. It felt almost claustrophobic with so many animals packed into one area. My soul was on fire.

As I knelt in the sand, trying to take it all in, a massive black grouper suddenly rocketed up and snatched a jack. Fish scattered in every direction. The grouper shook the jack a few times and then swallowed it whole. Life on the reef quickly returned to normal, but the entire event happened so fast that I didn’t have a chance to capture it on camera.

Everywhere I looked, there was action. Predators were on the prowl, hunting for a meal. Moray eels swam freely, out of their holes, and groupers and snappers stalked the schools of jacks, waiting for the right moment to strike. I was surprised not to see any sharks—it seemed like the perfect place for them to be hunting too.

I didn’t know where to focus my camera. It was a show of shows.

Before I knew it, Leo was tapping his tank, reminding us to check our air. I was so absorbed in the scene that I hadn’t even thought to look. A few of us were running low, so we had to ascend. I still had over a thousand PSI left, so I followed the rising group from below, snapping photos of the fish as we drifted with the current.

My mind was racing. When I leave a place, it takes me a while to mentally process the magic I see out in the world… this dive is going to stick with me for a long time. It was overwhelming—a true privilege to witness.

We did one more dive on a nearby reef, but honestly, my brain was still buzzing from the first dive. Nothing could top what we had just experienced.

A third dive was planned, but with the weather worsening, we called it a day.

I’m still struggling to find the right words to describe my feelings about Cabo Pulmo and the diving here.

Cabo Pulmo is a shining example of what our oceans could become if we gave them the time and space to heal. What a better world we would all be living in.

A huge thank you to Leo, Cabo Pulmo Watersports, and The Last Place for an epic, epic time. Just wow, wow, wow.

Until next season—because we will be back!