San Carlos · Isla Magdalena · Baja California Sur, Mexico
Two Ways To Experience It
Marlin Expedition: Front Row Access to Baja’s Wildest Hunt
This is the wildest thing I’ve ever gotten to witness underwater. Striped marlins slicing through bait balls at full speed, sea lions crashing into the chaos, whales showing up out of nowhere. Baja’s sardine run isn’t gentle — it’s fast, loud, and completely unpredictable. And once a year, for a few weeks, we go looking for it.
Pacific Ocean·Striped Marlin·Sardine Run·Magbay·Baja California Sur·Feeding Frenzy·Pacific Ocean·Striped Marlin·Sardine Run·Magbay·Baja California Sur·Feeding Frenzy·
The Expedition
The Wildest Hunt
Pacific Ocean · Magbay · 6 Days
Every year, for a few weeks, sardines gather by the millions off the coast of Magbay — and everything that hunts them follows. Striped marlins slash through the bait balls in perfect sync, sea lions charge in from every side, and sometimes a whale shows up to feed on the whole chaos at once. It’s fast, it’s loud, and it never happens the same way twice.
Six days on the water, small groups only, with a marine biologist reading the ocean alongside you every single day.
Two Ways To Go
Choose Your Experience
Same hunt, same ocean — two completely different ways to live it. Pick the one that fits you.
Expedición Marlin
Regular
Based in town, multiple dates through the season.
$49,000 MXN / person
Multiple dates · Oct – Dec 2026
6 days · 4 days on the water
Based in San Carlos town
5 noches de hospedaje
Breakfast & lunch included
Guía certificada y bióloga marina
Máx 6 personas
Once A Year
The Island Special
With ocean photographer @kylamclay · Isla Magdalena
$59,000 MXN / person
One date only · Dec 12–17, 2026
6 days · 4 days on the water
Based on remote Isla Magdalena
5 noches de hospedaje
All meals included, dinners too
Professional photo & video by Kyla McLay
Max 6 guests · intimate group
What Makes This Trip
Why People Choose This Expedition
8+
Expert-Led
Aventura Guiada por Expertos
Every day is guided by a marine biologist and freediving expert with over 8 years of experience in these waters — deep local knowledge means you understand what you’re seeing, and why it matters.
Biodiversity
Explosive Marine Wildlife
Marlins and sea lions usually steal the show, but dorados, sailfish, and even Bryde’s whales sometimes crash the party. No two days on the water look the same.
Logistics
Nosotros planeamos, Tú Disfrutas
Transportation, meals, accommodation, and daily ocean days — fully handled. You just show up ready to be in the water.
The Spectacle
Front Row Seat To Nature’s Show
Bait balls, marlins slashing through in perfect sync, sea lions charging in — one of the most explosive wildlife events in the Pacific, and you’re right there in the water.
Island Special Only
Captured By A Pro
On the Island Special date, @kylamclay documents the whole trip — pro photo & video included, no extra cost. Not included on Regular dates.
The Details
Trip Logistics
Día 1
Arrival & Welcome
Our team picks you up at the airport and drives you to San Carlos. Check in, meet your marine biologist guide for a full briefing, and get ready — the hunt starts tomorrow.
Days 2–5
Ocean Days
Four full days on the water, 8–10 hours each, scanning the horizon for bait balls, marlins, and whatever else shows up. We return to shore before sunset to rest and recharge for the next day.
Día 6
Despedida
Breakfast, then group transfer back to the airport.
Incluido
5 nights accommodation in San Carlos
Daily breakfast
Lunch on the boat during ocean days
4 days on the water (8–10 hours each)
Group airport transfers
Marine biologist guide throughout
Taxes
Not Included
International flights
All dinners
Wetsuit / freediving gear
Gratuities
Travel / medical insurance
Professional photo & video
You’ll stay in a comfortable hotel in the town of San Carlos. Easy access to restaurants and everyday amenities, a few minutes away from where the boats leave each morning.
This is the town-based version of the trip: same ocean, same hunt.
In townRestaurants nearbyEasy access
Día 1
Arrival & Crossing
Our team picks you up at the airport and drives you to San Carlos. From there, a 20-minute boat ride takes you to Isla Magdalena. Check in, dinner, and a full expedition briefing with Kyla and your marine biologist guide.
Days 2–5
Ocean Days
Four full days on the water, 8–10 hours each, hunting for bait balls and marlins with Kyla documenting the whole thing. We return to the island before sunset for dinner and to recharge. On one day, weather permitting, we explore the island’s mangroves and dunes.
Día 6
Despedida
Breakfast, boat back to San Carlos, then group transfer to the airport.
Incluido
5 nights accommodation on Isla Magdalena
All meals — breakfast, lunch & dinner
Non-alcoholic beverages
Roundtrip boat to the island
4 days on the water (8–10 hours each)
Group airport transfers
Marine biologist guide throughout
Professional photo & video by Kyla McLay
Taxes
Not Included
International flights
Wetsuit / freediving gear
Gratuities
Bebidas alcohólicas
Travel / medical insurance
You’ll stay in a cozy beachfront hotel on Isla Magdalena — a remote island with its own restaurant, air conditioning, hot water, and Starlink wifi. Each room has two queen beds and an en-suite bathroom.
Far from any town, this is the peace and immersion of a remote nature-based stay, with the comfort of a real hotel. It’s also closer to the marlin area, saving us around 90 min boat drive each day.
Real reviews from travelers who’ve joined us out on the hunt.
Posted on Google
kirk godfrey
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
A Great Day with Freefall Academy!
I am usually looking for scuba diving but I only had a few days in La Paz and didn't want to bring an extra bag of scuba gear so I asked my local dive shop if they could recommend a snorkel trip in La Paz. They highly recommended Freefall Academy and urged me to sign up for the Mobula Ray Safari. I traveled with some family so I signed everyone up for a Monday safari. There was great communication with Valentina and Sara with detailed instructions and contact information if there were any questions. We were picked up from our hotel at 6:00 AM by Jose who was prompt and accommodating for our drive to La Ventana to meet the boat and our guide, Imelda.
When we arrived we meet up with another group of 3 people and the boat was ready to go at 7:00 AM. We were lucky to have such a great guide, Imelda took the time to ask everyone what they would like to see the most and explained that we would try to find what we would like to see but we would be flexible on what sea life we would encounter and what the ocean would provide for the day. We set out to see if we could find Mobula Rays, we came across a few but they were mating and not approachable. Off we went in another direction and didn't see much for awhile and then it got busy, we saw so much - blue whales, a school of amber jacks, dolphins, a snorkel with what seemed like a hundred puffer fish, and then an amazing snorkel with a Giant Manta Ray that was very close to the surface, followed by a snorkel close to sunning sea lions. We took a slow boat ride back and enjoyed some very good ceviche and fresh fruit for lunch. Imelda also took some great video on a GoPro and Airdropped the videos to everyone. It was so awesome to be able to take the video home on our phones!
I cant think of many places in the world where you can encounter as much as we did on a snorkel safari that lasted about 6 hours.
I would absolutely go on another trip with Freefall Academy, it was a great experience for everyone, and the snorkel with the Manta Ray was bucket list stuff!
Posted on Google
Gabriela Brana
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Hermoso safari de mar donde respetan la fauna e informan a los turistas desde el punto de vista de una bióloga marina. Nos encantó el tour y lo recomendamos!!
Posted on Google
Meredith Maclay
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
It was an action packed 6 hours, we saw a fin whale, sea turtles, sea lions teens floating on their backs, tons of birds, snorkeled with puffer fish who swim right up to you and say hello, we fed pelicans and of course saw many fling mobula rays. For lunch they fed us the most delicious ceviche I’ve ever had. Our guide was a marine biologist and knew a lot. Our captain was the nicest guy with a great sense of taste and a great sense for the game and the way he handled it was so much more than just a little bit of a a little bit more than a little bit a little bit a little bit a little bit a little bit a little bit a little bit a little bit a little bit a little bit a little bit a little bit a little humor. Great day
Posted on Google
Marnie Cadden
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
I can’t say enough positive things about this company. Starting off, the communication between the company was outstanding. Sara was beyond helpful in all questions and information that I had and responded promptly. The company was in clear communication throughout my entire four days of tour. One of the reasons that I chose to go with the company was because they followed a lot of ethical procedures when encountering the marine life. Imelda was my guide for all of my tours and I can’t speak highly enough! She is a marine biologist and was so fun and knowledgeable about all the things we encountered, and made sure that everybody was treating the ocean with respect. The captains were extremely knowledgeable about the area and knew exactly where to go for the animals that we were looking for. The tour itself included photos as well as a delicious lunch. We saw so much marine life. He had such an enjoyable time that I signed up for more days. Thank you so much to the entire Freefall Academy crew, I had such a wonderful time on my trip!
Posted on Google
Santiago Valverde
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Increíble experiencia de Ocean Safari en la Ventana. Super recomendado
Posted on Google
Anthony Orkiolla
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Great tour from Imelda. We saw bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, swam near sea lions, saw a mobula and a mako shark!
Posted on Google
Shorty Hubbard
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
The people are kind and nothing is guaranteed, but the interactions with the wildlife are amazing
Posted on Google
Andrea Valencia
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Muy lindo el tour vimos muchos delfines, nadamos con lobos marinos y alcanzamos a ver un tiburón ! Imelda súper buena guía pasamos un muy buen rato con ella ❤️
Posted on Google
Alejandra Badillo
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Increible experiencia! Jitka fue increibleee hizo que disfrutaramos mil la experiencia! Gracias por todo!
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Reserve Your Spot
Pricing & Availability
Regular
$49,000 MXN / person
Multiple dates · Oct–Dec 2026
Island Special
$59,000 MXN / person
One date only · Dec 12–17, 2026
Is This For You?
Who This Trip Is For
✓
Comfortable in Open Water
No freediving certification needed — but you should be a confident swimmer, at ease in deep open ocean with fast-moving action around you.
✓
Ready For Fast, Chaotic Action
This isn’t a slow, gentle swim. Bait balls move fast and marlins move faster — you need to keep up and stay calm in the middle of it.
✓
Open to Anything
Some days the ocean explodes with action, some days it’s quiet. Wildlife encounters vary, and that unpredictability is part of the magic.
✓
Ready for Long Days at Sea
This isn’t a day trip — it’s 8 to 10 hours on the water, day after day. Bring your stamina; the payoff is worth it.
Good to Know
Preguntas Frecuentes
The Trip
The difference lies in where we stay, and what’s included. Regular stays in the town of San Carlos, with multiple dates through the season, no dinners included and limited to gopro videos included. The Island Special stays on remote Isla Magdalena (in nature instead of town, and saves us 90 min each day on boat transfers), includes all meals (dinners too), and has ocean photographer @kylamclay documenting the whole trip: professional photo & video included, no extra cost. It only runs once a year, Dec 12–17.
No certification is required. Our expedition is open to snorkelers and freedivers alike. Most of the action stays very close to the surface. You do need to feel comfortable swimming in open water where you won’t see the bottom, and ready for long days at sea.
The most common are sardine or mackerel bait balls, striped marlin, sea lions, dolphins, turtles, skipjack tuna and sea birds. Mid November to December we see humpback whales more often. We occasionally see Bryde’s whales feeding on bait balls, mobulas, and coyotes on the beach. More rare sightings are orcas, sailfish, wahoo, dorado (mahi mahi), and blue whales. Wildlife is unpredictable, the surprise is part of the magic of encounters offshore.
The season runs roughly October through December. During this window we see the most bait balls and marlin activity, making it the best time for encounters.
This is exclusive to the Island Special date. Kyla shoots underwater, topside, and drone — so you’ll come home with a genuinely varied set of photos and video from the whole trip. That said, the animals always come first: we won’t push for a shot that stresses them out. Whenever conditions and animal behavior allow, she’ll aim to capture you in the water with the action, but that’s not something we can promise on every encounter.
Metric
Range
Water temperature
22–29°C (71–85°F)
Air temperature
16–27°C (60–80°F)
Visibility
15–30m (49–100ft)
It gets very chilly in the early morning and afternoon: pack layers, even in the middle of a Baja fall.
Is This Trip Right For You?
It depends. Most of the action happens right at the surface, so freediving and snorkeling both work well here. Your guide reads the situation in real time and lets you know the best approach for each encounter, always with the animals’ wellbeing first.
No, we work with wild animals, and nothing in the ocean is guaranteed. What we can guarantee is the team: an experienced captain and marine biologist guide who know these waters and read conditions in real time. We do everything in our power to put you in the best possible position for incredible encounters.
There’s no bathroom on the boat. All of us, guides included, go in the ocean when needed. The vast majority of guests have zero issue with this once they’re out there.
Good quality mask and snorkel, a 3-5mm wetsuit, freediving fins, reef-safe sun protection, a microfiber towel or poncho towel, dry bag, a reusable water bottle, cash (no card accepted for alcoholic drinks and tips), casual clothes, and warm layers for early morning and evening (socks, long pants, a sweater, windbreaker). We can provide rental gear, but nothing beats having your own snorkel gear that fits you perfectly.
Booking & Logistics
The Regular expedition has multiple dates through late October–December. Check the calendar when you click “Book Now” to see what’s open. The Island Special only runs once, December 12–17, 2026. For private groups with special requirements, send us an email.
Yes. We offer private expeditions with flexible schedules and personalized itineraries. Contact us for details on tailoring your own custom Marlin experience.
Reserve your spot with a deposit through the Book Now button. See our Términos y Condiciones for cancellation policy.
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