We have amazing craftspeople building Quino del Mar, launching July 2025!

You can tell when a chef loves what they do. Joshua and our chefs prepare meals as beautiful as they are delicious. From garden-fresh salads and homemade dressings to entrees decoratively presented and desserts almost too beautiful to eat, our guests are treated to wonderful dining experiences. For guests with dietary restrictions or gluten allergies or for vegetarians and vegans, our chefs provide a tasty variety of options. When you come diving with us, be sure to bring your appetite!

As the sun sets on this beautiful San Jose del Cabo evening, Rocio del Mar departs for Socorro and another epic adventure for twenty divers. February 5, 2024

Dive aboard Rocio del Mar and Quino el Guardian Liveaboards to Socorro, also known as the Archipielago de Revillagigedo Our trips are November through early June and are ten days, nine nights, and six days of diving The Revillagigedo Islands (also Revillagigedo Archipelago) are a group of four volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, known for their unique ecosystem. The islands are home to many endemic plant and animal species. Socorro Island is the most diverse in flora, fauna, and topography. The islands lie 250 miles off Baja Mexico's southern shore. These islands are a spectacular magnet for the largest ocean pelagic animals in the world. Animals include schooling hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks, friendly bottlenose dolphins, silky sharks, Galapagos sharks, clouds of jacks and barracuda, tuna, wahoo, oceanic whitetip sharks, and giant, inquisitive manta rays - Socorro's claim to fame! Humpback whales visit during the winter months of mid-February through mid-April. We often hear the sounds of the singing mating males as they provide escort underwater. Surface sightings are common during this time. Whale sharks may be seen during November, December, and May. May is also when we can see giant bait balls and pods of false orcas.

Upon boarding the boat in San Jose del Cabo, we begin our citizen science adventure to Revilliagegedo. We have Dr. Carlos Sanchez and Dr. Fabio Favoretto on board to collect DNA samples from fish and invertebrates. It is such a joy to experience the incredible life of Socorro, San Benedicto, and Roca Partida. Come with us. A film by Jim and Pat Sayer, Out of the Blue Productions. Socorro, Roca Partida, San Benedicto, Citizen Science, lobster, moray eels, white tip sharks, dolphins, manta rays, jacks, underwater photography, silkie sharks, DNA sampling, butterfly fish, spotted boxfish, guinea fowl puffer fish, filefish, bait ball, feeding frenzy, silvertip sharks, school of benito, jacks, whale shark, creole fish, hammerhead sharks, triovoli, Mexico Liveaboards, Rocio del Mar, Quino el Guardian

The Sea of Cortez - Experience a world full of macro and mammals: sea lion colonies, turtles, whale sharks, jawfish, giant jawfish, porcupine fish, king angel fish, bullseye ray, French angel fish, sergeant major, giant hawkfish, moray eels, octopuses, jewel eels, nudibranchs, garden eels, blennies, sea horses, pike blennies, orange-throated blennies, humbolt squid, sperm whales, pilot whales, dolphins, barracuda, night diving, lobsters, underwater photography Socorro - Dive with giant pacific manta rays, 7-species of sharks: tiger, silver-tip, white-tip, black-tip, hammerheads, Galapagos, and silkies, whale sharks, dolphins, humpback whales, huge schools of jacks and wahoo, tuna, barracuda

While diving the famous dive site, The Boiler, at San Benedicto Island, divers got to see a HUGE tiger shark! Thank you to Jerson (Divemaster) for capturing this amazing experience on video. Photo taken January 2023 aboard Quino el Guardian. Join Mexico Liveaboards for your own EPIC adventure aboard Rocio del Mar and Quino el Guardian to Socorro and the Sea of Cortez.

Meet our first graduates of Heroes del Mar! To make conservation work, it must be beneficial to the local communities. Heroes del Mar takes children from Baja's small local fishing villages and gives them experiences showing them that they can make a difference to their communities, the ocean, and themselves. Thank you to PADI and Divers Alert Network, who made it possible to take 14 children who once barely knew how to swim and make them into divers ready to protect the ocean. We are looking forward to the next generation of Heroes in 2023!

Marine Refugia Story The member countries of the United Nations have agreed to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030. So far, we have 3.7%. So we have a far way to go. Fishers in local communities often reject the idea of protected areas. As we get closer to the shore, we have competing interests between conservation groups and people who make a living from fishing. Our goal is to show how a protected area helps the local people. We coordinate with NGOs to share the results of our research with fishers to help them design their own marine protected areas. With Dr. Alfredo Giron, the video was taken in the Sea of Cortez/Gulf of California. Dr. Alfredo Giron is a scientist who leads trips aboard Quino el Guardian Liveaboard. Quino is part of the Mexico Liveaboards fleet taking divers to the magical destinations of the Sea of Cortez and Socorro.

Monitoring is an important part of marine protected areas. Data is collected before the protected area is established and periodically after that. It is then compared to non-protected areas. With Dr. Alfredo Giron, the video was taken in the Sea of Cortez/Gulf of California. Dr. Alfredo Giron is a scientist who leads trips aboard Quino el Guardian Liveaboard. Quino is part of the Mexico Liveaboards fleet taking divers to the magical destinations of the Sea of Cortez and Socorro.

Enjoy this casual presentation as Dora shares her passion for the Sea of Cortez with others during her first Zoom Dive on June 14, 2022. Divers can have an international dive experience with a local flight to Phoenix. After just a few hours in a comfortable shuttle, you'll sail away to uninhabited islands and a sky filled with the Milky Way. Dive with playful sea lions, see countless fish, rays, turtles, eels, and octopus and snorkel with whale sharks in Bahia de Los Angeles. Be catered to by the best liveaboard crew in the industry and enjoy chef-prepared meals. We hope this presentation begins to express our love for the Sea of Cortez and how much we would love for you to join us in this very unique and beautiful place on earth.

Revillagigedo is well-known to have the friendliest giant pacific manta rays on Earth. Just slip below the surface and soon they will appear. It makes a diver think just who is checking out who? The giant creature comes up to one diver then after a quick "how do you do" is off to greet another diver. As wonderful as this is to see on a video, it is a thousand times more incredible to experience this in person. Come with us aboard Rocio del Mar and Quino el Guardian!

Dive the beautiful Midriff Islands of the Sea of Cortez during one of our 8 day/7 night/6 days of diving liveaboard trips aboard Rocio del Mar and Quino el Guardian Liveaboards. Fly to the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and in just four short hours you will be boarding one of our beautiful vessels with our incredible crew in Puerto Penasco. After an amazing chef-prepared dinner you will enjoy a restful sleep and wake up to a breathtaking sunrise. During your trip you will dive Isla Angel de la Guarda, Isla Salsipuedes, and Isla San Pedro Martir with incredible life. Dive with friendly sea lions and countless fish, rays, nudibranchs, eels, octopus, jawfish, blennies, turtles, and more. A trip highlight is snorkeling with whale sharks in Bahia de los Angeles. The Midriff Islands in the Sea of Cortez is easy to get to but will feel like one of the most remote destinations you have ever visited. Enjoy star-filled night skies and be enchanted by the milky way. This destination is also amazing for snorkelers so bring your non-diving friends with you, too!

Watch how Karen Acevedo catches Dr. Deni Ramirez ultrasound a whale shark in Revillagigedo, also known as the Socorro Islands. This video was taken during a citizen science expedition aboard Quino el Guardian.

Work side-by-side with scientists from FIN PROJECT to identify unique animals and study and record the behavior of bottlenose dolphins. Much of what research is done is with animals in captivity. Go to Revillagigedo (Socorro Islands) in Mexico to study them in in a place to observe them in their natural habitat. Join the crew and Dr. Fabio Favoretto aboard Quino el Guardian Liveaboard on a trip that will change forever the way you think about dolphins.

Board Rocio del Mar in Puerto Penasco, Mexico - just a four-hour shuttle ride from the Phoenix, Arizona airport. Once aboard you will enjoy 6 days of diving the magical Midriff Islands in the Sea of Cortez, called "The World's Aquarium" by Jacque Cousteau. See the BIG (whale sharks), the PLAYFUL (sea lions), and the SMALL (nudibranchs, blennies, jawfish) as well as countless fish. Enjoy the milky way and falling stars at night. Truly a bucket list destination for all divers! Photos and video by Joseph Busch.

The Archipielago de Revillagigedo is home to seven species of sharks, playful bottlenose dolphins, inquisitive manta rays, and clouds of jacks, barracuda, and wahoo. From mid-February to mid-April, humpback whales visit this area offering guests opportunities for surface sightings and, when mother nature allows, a unique chance to see them underwater. Video by Michael Pizzi.

Experience the breathtaking destination of the Midriff Islands in the Sea of Cortez aboard Quino el Guardian! This remote yet easy-to-get-to destination is excellent for scuba diving, snorkeling, and exploration. Legendary diver Jacques Cousteau described the Sea of Cortez as the "world's aquarium". Dive on untouched walls and reefs abounding in marine life. Encounter large and small whale species, snorkel with whale sharks, dive with playful sea lion colonies, and see countless eels, octopus, fish, and jumping mobula rays. It's a macro photographers' dream with nudibranchs, colorful blennys, dancing jawfish, and sea horses. Video by Beth Watson.

Get a glimpse of what diver/photographer Joseph Busch saw during his expedition to Revillagigedo aboard Rocio del Mar in January 2021. Over seven species of sharks including silkies, hammerheads, silver tips, white tips, black tips, Galapagos and tiger sharks, and giant pacific manta rays. Enjoy!

Join the fantastic crew of the Quino El Guardian, world-renown whale shark researcher Dr. Dení Ramírez Macías, and her team as we return to attempt to ultrasound pregnant whale sharks and manta rays in the Archipielago of Revillagigedo again! The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) and the giant manta ray (Mobula birostris) are filter feeder elasmobranchs. In some countries, these species constitute a fishing resource, while in other countries, they are more valuable as an opportunity to attract tourism. Therefore, the sustainable exploitation of these species depends significantly on the knowledge of their populations. This knowledge is minimal. Both species are especially vulnerable due to their biological characteristics as they are slow-growing, late to reach sexual maturity, and found in small populations. All of this is why the IUCN Red List recognizes these species for the Conservation of Nature. In the Archipielago de Revillagigedo, we can find giant manta rays and whale sharks that enable Dr. Dení Ramírez Macías and her team to study these charismatic giants. Their studies have focused on demonstrating the presence of pregnant females in both species showing that this is a critical habitat for these elasmobranchs and requires a top priority for its conservation. Our expedition will focus on obtaining an ultrasound in females of both species to corroborate that they are pregnant and to evaluate the degree of the embryonic development. This information will help to substantiate the theory that these waters are necessary for reproduction and to strengthen the protection of habitat for the conservation of the species. A second goal will be to place a satellite tag to see her movements. Our goal is to use the regular itinerary for diving in Socorro, knowing that we will be open to using any opportunity that presents itself to ultrasound whale sharks and manta rays. Deni will also be doing presentations throughout the trip. These presentations will include but not be limited to: Presentations: 1. Following the Giants: Whale Sharks 2. Conservation Biology of the Whale Shark 3. The Giant Manta Rays from Revillagigedo 4. Ultrasound on Mobula Rays 5. I3S software for whale shark and giant manta ray photo identification ABOUT DR. DENI RAMIREZ Dr. Dení Ramírez-Macías is the director of Whale Shark Mexico, a passionate conservationist, powerful advocate for the ocean, and pioneer in her field. As a scientist, her innovations both above and below the sea have led to the founding of multiple NGO's, numerous scientific publications, advanced the careers of her students, and has inspired future generations to take an active role in ocean conservation. As a scuba diver, she is applying scientific research methods to her work underwater, most recently by ultra-sounding pregnant whale sharks and manta rays in an effort to learn more about their reproduction. Her work is being used to create three protected areas in Mexico. Deni's research has taken her around the world and her research has been part of several international films including the National Geographic Discovery Chanel. Deni was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame in 2020.