Cerralvo Island & La Reina, Baja Sur
Freediving with mantas at La Reina! La Reina is a small islet at the north of Cerralvo Island (originally called Jacques Cousteau Island) located 45 minutes ride from La Paz, and then another 30-45 minutes to get to the islet. It is a beautiful place full of life! It has a resident sea lion colony, big schools of jacks and other fish, turtles and most recently GIANT Manta Rays! If you’re lucky, on the ride there it is common to find dolphins!
The season for Mantas are from July to October, although the best months are September and October. Still, we like to go year round because there’s always something to see. We are very flexible about the activities to do at Cerralvo, but what we usually like to do is go play with mantas early in the morning and then have a freediving training session at a secluded spot hidden from wind and waves. There’s also spearfishing and relaxing on the beach as options.
Its important to know that every year is different with the mantas at La Reina. In the last century, divers used to see the mantas every day. But after 2000 they were seen very rarely. In 2018 we had the best year, where almost every time we went between September and October we would see 1 to 4 mantas that stayed in the area. In 2019-2021 we had a 30% success rate, with less mantas.
Price
$170 usd per person
Includes
- Roundtrip transportation from La Paz
- Boat, captain and guide
- Bouy, line and weights for training
- Water and snacks
Add gear for $15 usd
Requirements
Being confident in the water. No freediving certification required. If you are a freediver you can freedive following the code of conduct.
Season
Cerralvo – April to December
Mantas – July to October
What to bring
Towel, hat, reef safe sunscreen, sunglasses, rashguard, cash
If you have your own gear you’re welcome to bring it
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