Baja Wildlife Expedition Trip Report 2025

Trip # 6
June 15 - 22, 2025

 June 16, 2025
Day One. A New Week Begins.
The sea wasn’t perfect this morning, but the energy on the boat definitely was. This new group hasn’t spent much time on the ocean, so everything is exciting to them. Flying fish had them cheering. Then an olive Ridley turtle showed up, and they were over the moon.

Their smiles are contagious. I already know this is going to be a fun group to travel with. Getting to experience the ocean through fresh eyes — it’s a reminder of how lucky we are out here. I’m not jaded, but that first-time magic? I don’t feel it the same way anymore… until I see it in someone else. That joy, that wonder — I get to feel it again through them.

It’s going to be a good week.

11:24 AM
As we were leaving the bay, we came across a superpod of pantropical spotted dolphins — full of energy and play. We got in a couple solid jumps before more boats showed up. Rather than crowd the animals, we decided to move on and head for La Reina.

We followed the dolphins for a while so I could grab some topside photos and the guests could soak in the experience.
One of the women on board cried as soon as she saw them — she said it was a lifelong dream coming true.
Moments like that hit deep.

When we arrived at La Reina, the swell was hitting hard — too lumpy to swim with the sea lions safely. We decided to save it for a calmer day.

Now we’re headed north in search of more life — and honestly, the day already feels complete.

We spotted a blow in the distance and gave chase, but couldn’t relocate the whale. Instead, we found the spotted dolphins again, and this time the encounter was next-level.

We jumped in and had an epic, unforgettable session with them. I captured what might be the best photo I’ve ever taken of this species. Just one of those moments where everything lines up — light, water, behavior, composition. Magic.

After that, we kept the momentum going and hugged the shoreline, where we found a large school of mobula rays. We got a couple of jumps in with them, but they were moving fast — hauling ass, honestly — and tough to keep up with.

We stayed with them for a bit, soaking it in, and then called it a day.

What a start.
Epic encounters, emotional moments, great energy, and wildlife right from the jump.
If today is any sign of what’s ahead… we’re in for something special this week.

June 17, 2025
Day Two
We got a report out of Cabo Pulmo that orcas were spotted heading north. Fingers crossed they make it up this way over the next few days and we cross paths soon.

The bay was calm this morning — flat, but with a bit of surface chop. The ocean isn’t glassy, but it’s still smooth enough to explore. Let’s see what the sea has in store for us today.

We started the day with a pod of pantropical spotted dolphins — not the same group from yesterday. This pod was smaller and less interactive, so we stayed for a short while before moving on.

A bit later, we hit the jackpot — a superpod of spinner dolphins. We got in a few solid jumps with them. They gave us a taste of that magic but weren’t really in the mood to hang. Still, it was an awesome encounter while it lasted.

I sent up the drone and grabbed some great clips of the pod from above. I have to say — my drone skills are finally leveling up. Later, Fer flew hers too and got some epic footage as well. It was one of those sessions where everything just looked good from the sky.

We heard another orca report coming from the south, but the source wasn’t all that reliable. Instead of chasing it, we decided to stick with our plan and head north toward an area orcas have frequented in the past. Worth a shot.

We swung by a few buoys along the way — spots that sometimes attract sharks. At the first buoy, our buddy Ewan was already there slapping the water, hoping to call something up.

We left him to it and checked another buoy, where we spotted a lone dolphin circling nearby. Fer jumped in for a better look, and I followed. Turned out to be a rough-toothed dolphin — my first ever!

The dolphin didn’t stick around long, but the excitement was high. We climbed back on the boat, adrenaline pumping, and just as we were about to move on, it returned to the buoy. I was already geared up, so I slipped back in — and I’m glad I did.

The rough-toothed dolphin came right up to me. It circled me a few times, super close, totally calm. It was a dream encounter with a new species. I was on fire.

Nina, from our sister boat, had just arrived and jumped in to film the encounter. We got another jump with the whole group, and I managed to grab some shots of everyone with the dolphin. We tried to find it again for more jumps — I stayed geared up, ready.

Eventually, the dolphin disappeared. I was just about to take off my fins when I spotted a dorsal fin surface nearby. I jumped back in — but this time it was a small pod of spotted dolphins.

Four of them let me catch up, and I swam alongside them, snapping photo after photo. A short while later, more spotteds joined in, and I found myself surrounded — side by side in perfect sync.

I started to run out of gas, slowing down, but the dolphins would loop around and come back to me, giving me a chance to keep swimming with them. It was a surreal, epic encounter. One I won’t forget.

Now we’ve left the dolphins behind after getting another report of orcas in the area. We’re off again — chasing hope.

Let’s see if today’s got one more surprise waiting for us out there…

June 18, 2025
Day Three – Happy Birthday, Captain Morgan!
We kicked off the morning with calm, flat conditions in the bay — a beautiful start. Since it’s Wally’s birthday (a former boat captain), we let him take the helm for a bit, and he was grinning ear to ear.

Our first encounter of the day was a young Bryde’s whale. We think its mother was off hunting nearby, but there’s also a chance this could be a pygmy whale of some kind. I’ve seen what might be the same individual hanging around this bay a few weeks back — always alone. Something to keep an eye on.

Next up was a group of courting mobula mobularis. We jumped in for a few swims and managed to get some decent proof-of-life shots. The water was a bit green and dark, so I was shooting at 1/400, f/9, ISO 1000 to make the most of it.

With that, the day was off to a solid start — and we set out farther offshore to see what else the ocean had in store.

As we cruised along, searching for orcas, the captain paused the boat for a quick scan. Just as we started motoring off again, a mako shark breached right in front of us — so close it nearly landed in the boat. The splash soaked everyone on board. It was insane.

I was on fire.

2:30 PM. We just left the buoys after spending over an hour in the water with silky sharks and juvenile mahi-mahi. For many of our guests, it was their first time swimming with sharks, and it was amazing watching them push past their primal fears.

One by one, you could feel their nervousness melt into awe. It’s one of the things I love most about this work — watching people connect with predators in a way that changes how they see the ocean forever.

Now we’re cruising back toward home, scanning the water for any signs of orcas. Even if we don’t find them, today’s already been a great day at sea.

Before we made it back, we got a call: a whale shark had been spotted nearby. We rushed over, but by the time we arrived, it had disappeared. Still, the area was alive — a massive school of skipjack tuna was swirling below, so we jumped in.

It was incredible.

Among the tuna was a big silky shark chasing down prey. I dove down over and over trying to grab shots. The visibility wasn’t great, but the energy was electric. Such a wild way to close out the day.

Eventually, we had to call it. It was already 4:00 PM and we still had nearly an hour’s ride back to port.

What a day. Sharks, whales, mobulas, makos — and even a tuna hunt.
And best of all:
Happy Birthday, Wally!
Not a bad way to celebrate.

June 19, 2025
Day Four
The weather was beautiful today — just a light breeze, and the ocean felt alive.

There’s definitely orca energy in the air.

9:44 AM. We got a report of six orcas spotted in the south. We're out here now, pushing hard, trying to catch up with them. Fingers crossed.

On the way, we came across a pair of mating olive Ridley sea turtles.

We jumped in for a quick swim, gave them about 10 minutes of space, and then left them to it — hoping the orcas aren’t headed their way for a meal.

1:25 PM. We’re way out now — many miles offshore — following fresh orca reports.
We're hoping for some magic, still chasing that moment.

Unfortunately, we never caught up to the orcas. A couple fishermen reported sightings, but we were always just one step behind. That’s how it goes sometimes.

While cruising along, we spotted something floating on the surface. At first, we thought it was another sea turtle. But as we got closer, we realized it was a sailfish — struggling.

Turns out, it had been caught and released by a sport fisherman, but they didn’t release the gas buildup in its belly before letting it go. Without that, the sailfish couldn’t dive, and it was stuck floating near the surface.

Our captain wanted to try to help. I jumped in with my camera to document it, hoping to capture a few shots as it swam off.

As the boat approached, the sailfish kicked into motion and tried to swim away. I dove down and followed it, and Fer jumped in too — wearing gloves to help bring it gently back up. Cano was ready to release the air and give it a second chance.

I filmed the entire process, hopeful… but sadly, even after the air was released, the sailfish was weakening fast. It managed to try to swim away a few times, it even breached once, but it ran out of energy fast. I grabbed its tail and tried to get it swimming, pushing water through its gills to help revive it, but it was clear — this poor soul wasn’t going to make it.

It was tough to watch. But out here, nothing goes to waste. That fish will feed a shark or something else down the chain. Nature always finds a way.

We said good by to the sailfish motoring away and watching it take its last gulps of air.

We continued the search, but came up empty today. It was a long haul — we covered serious miles.

Now we’re heading in, eyes on tomorrow.
Day five is calling — and five’s a lucky number.

Let’s go.

June 20, 2025.
Lucky day five is here, and we’re off!
We left super early this morning, knowing that windy conditions are expected to roll in by the afternoon. The goal was to cover as much ground as possible before we have to turn back.

Orcas were spotted yesterday in the late afternoon, but unfortunately, we missed them. Not for lack of trying—we covered 80 plus miles yesterday. But they slipped away. Today, we’re heading north to search the area where they were last seen.

The hunt continues... and the day begins.

We’re deep in the north now, scanning for signs. We stopped another boat to chat with them. A buddy of mine was on a boat told me they saw the Ghost Pod yesterday—the elusive group of orcas that lives in this area.

We’ve seen them twice this season.

They’re the “one and done” pod. they surface for a breath, tease everyone with their presence and then vanish. They are extremely shy, avoidant of people, and absolute masters at disappearing.

They showed themselves once to them yesterday and were gone.

We made a stop at one of the buoys to check for sharks and instead found a male olive Ridley turtle hanging out. He was curious and swam right up to the boat. We dropped in for a quick swim and had a fun little encounter. He came straight to my camera and looked at himself in the dome port—super cute. He circled behind the group once more before slipping back into the blue.

Later, we decided to visit La Reina and check out the sea lion colony. Glad we did—the visibility was stunning. Currents were strong in some sections around the island, but manageable.

The group had some great encounters and loved the experience.

There was a massive male at La Reina that was so much fun to photograph. He was very relaxed and easy to approach. He blew bubbles at me, but not in a typical aggressive mock charge like other males do. This was a spit/trickle of the bubbles out of his mouth. As if he was too lazy or just didnt really care to put the effort into trying to chase me off. I liked him alot.

Not long after we arrived, Fer spotted an oceanic manta ray, and we took off after it. We had a quick solid encounter before it disappeared, and I managed to snap a few images I was really happy with.

After the manta, we returned to La Reina to wrap up the day, but the wind was starting to pick up fast and the swells were building. We only had time for a short 10–15 minute session before we had to make our way back.

The ride home was rough—we got kicked around a bit—but it was all worth it.
Another good day at sea.

June 21, 2025
Our final day at sea. The last day of this trip… and day 36 of 36 days on the water in Baja for me.

Hard to believe it's already over. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long—at least not mentally. Physically though? Yeah, my body and skin are definitely feeling it.

This morning brought lots of clouds and a light breeze, giving the ocean a bit of surface chop. It feels cooler today, thanks to the thick cloud cover. Let’s see what this final day brings… let’s go.

We headed out about 15 miles and came across a group of Risso’s dolphins. Unfortunately, between the clouds and rising wind, they were tough to follow, so we moved on fairly quickly.

11:44 AM: We jumped in with a pod of pantropical dolphins. They were decently friendly, but the light was tough—flat and gray, making it difficult to get any good shots. Still, always a joy being in the water with them.

We searched the south for the rest of the day, hoping for one final big moment. But the orcas and other wildlife kept their distance this time.

To end the day—and the trip—we stopped for a final snorkel at Puffer Cove. Light-hearted and playful, it was a perfect way to wrap up an unforgettable week.

It’s been an amazing week with amazing people. I’m so grateful for the wildlife we did find—even without catching up to the orcas, it’s incredible just knowing they’re still out here. This place is still so full of life. The encounters we had were phenomenal, with such a wide variety of marine species. We had so much fun out there.

This spot isn’t just about orcas. Yes, they’re the crown jewel of the trip—but everything else that migrates through this region makes it one of the great dive destinations on the planet.

Thank you again to all my friends who joined me this week—and over the previous weeks. What an incredible time, in an incredible place, with some truly beautiful, beautiful people.

And a huge thank-you to Fer, Mathias, and Cano — for all the hard work, the fun, the laughs, and the magic.

Love you guys.

Until next season.
Already counting the days until we’re back.