Cabo San Lucas, August 2010 - Part 1

The 'Arch' at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico


Cabo San Lucas is not the first place you'd think of when planning a dive trip to Mexico. Cabo San Lucas is better known for sport fishing and silver jewelry. There are other, more exotic places like the cenotes in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, the Sea of Cortez off La Paz, Mexico, Cozumel, Mexico or a live aboard at the Socorro Islands (which happen to leave out of Cabo). But if you do find yourself going to Cabo San Lucas, I would highly recommend bringing your scuba gear and camera. There are a few local dive shops, including Manta Scuba and Amigos Del Mar. I did my diving with Amigos Del Mar (amigosdelmar.com), based on a recommendation from another underwater photographer.

Gorgonian sea fans with a school of small fish in the background.

* Local dive sites - Pelican Rock

Right outside the Cabo harbor lies a number of local dive sites. Charter boats are there daily and get you to the dive site 5 minutes after boarding. Because the swells from the Pacific side were up the week we were there, we were limited to the more protected sites.


Panamic arrow crab (Stenorhynchus debilus)

Pelican Rock is a large pinnacle that lies on the edge of the canyon, surrounded by sand and close to shore. There were many snorkelers and other dive boats all contending for space. As we swam around the pinnacle to the canyon edge, a manta ray was visible in the distance, though too far to photograph or catch up with. There was also sand falls - a seemingly never ending underwater stream of sand, falling over the canyon edge.

Snorkelers swim around Pelican Rock, with its gorgonian sea fans and schools of tropical fish

Next I'll describe the dive at Neptune's Finger and share some more photos from the local Cabo dive sites.