Striped Marlin trip report
Reflections of the Striped Marlin expedition in Baja
Posted May 10th, 2021 by Elisabeth
On the 18th of November after assembling in La Paz, Mexico, we began our short journey to Magdalena Bay. While staying in a beautiful villa in the nearby city of Constitucion we were just a short hop away from the pier in San Carlos. Each day we boarded captain Gabino’s boat in search of the elusive bait balls which attract not only the striped marlins, but also sea lions, dolphins, sharks and even whales… Most days the weather was great, but with a fair bit of wind. After all we were out in the Pacific!
Our first day we got to jump in with quite a few bait balls and we had quality time with sea lions and the famous striped marlins. On another day we spent 3 hours with one massive bait ball in which the marlins and the sea lions were feeding. An amazing sight! One morning the wind was up which gave us the chance to explore the village of Magdalena Bay, the surrounding mangroves and we had a play in the sand dunes. On top of that we even had a chance to photograph pelicans diving for sardines. So much fun!
After 4 days we moved on to La Paz, but not without stopping on the way to take some fun group photos and admire the views and scenery of Baja California. For sunset we hiked up to a view point overlooking the Sea of Cortez. In La Paz we snorkeled with more than 10 whale sharks most of which were vertical feeding. The conditions didn’t allow the dives with the massive schools of Mobula rays- but that experience can wait for the 2020 expedition!
Later that day we drove to Cabo Pulmo, a beautifully protected national marine park, teeming with fish, bull sharks and sea lions. One of the Cabo Pulmo highlights was diving with the legendary schooling jacks which must number in the tens of thousands!
In all, we had 9 amazing days of some of the best in-water experiences ever! We are looking forward to our November 2020 Baja Adventure. Let me know if you want to be part of this incredible trip next year. There are only a few spots left!
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Trip Reports FAQs
Keep an eye on our expeditions page. We are hoping to do this again in 2022.
In one word… yes! They are so fast that you have a hard time keeping up with them, but it s so much fun and so rewarding when you finally get some great shots.
The easier you can move around in the water , the better. So don’t bring strobes and lights with you. They are stopping you from moving fast to where the action is. Just natural light photography is the best for this trip.
Bring some freediving fins. Once you jump in the water you will have to swim fast! Best to use some longer fins. And you’ll need a wetsuit. Most people wear a 5mm in Baja.
For on the boat a bini and a windbreaker, sunglasses and reef friendly sunscreen. And bring a refillable water bottle with you so we can reduce the plastic bottles.
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