Macro loving ops/guides in Cabo Pulmo, Cabo San Lucas, Loreto, La Paz?

[cephalopod2]

Anyone know of any macro loving dive ops or guides in Cabo Pulmo, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz or Loreto?

I know the focus in these areas is pelagics, but I've been very lucky on other Eastern Pacific trips with pelagics. I'm interesting in seeing some animals I've never seen before including local nudis, bullseye rays, endemic fish, would be incredible to see a horn shark, etc.

I believe there are macro loving guides everywhere, the only question is whether you're lucky enough to find them. ScubaBoard already helped me find amazing guides in Ocotal and Cape Town, so I'm hopeful for Baja as well.

Also I've done a lot of reading but am still unsure which areas have the best/most diverse macro. I'll have ~14 dive days and a car. I decided Cabo Pulmo is a must see; it also sounds quite unique topside. Which other dive area should I visit? I'm willing to drive but was intending to focus on 2 areas. We'll be there Dec 18 onwards, flying through SJD. We're nature people, not partiers so topside stuff isn't a big consideration. Choice is between

Cabo San Lucas
La Paz
Loreto

Thanks very much for any help!

 

[Azur Salino]

Hello!

I run a dive shop in Loreto and we see A LOT of nudis, I dare to say that they are almost guarantee. There are also a few spots that are nurseries for juvenile fish and curently we are running some exploration trips to figure out a spot where we can see horn sharks on a regular basis. They are here and the other day we saw a few eggs.
Night dives here are pretty good for macro. The other day we went on a little experimental night dive in a rubble reef covered with macro algae and we saw dozens and dozens of sea hares grazing about, several LONG sea cucumbers hunting, crabs and crustaceans and several nudis.
Will keep you posted, in a few days we are doing another exploration night dive trying to figure out if we can find ostracods here

 

[kumimonster]

I enjoy going out with Pilu when I'm in Cabo Pulmo.
Cabo Pulmo Diver | Recreational Scuba Diving Activities

If she can't go out or has other divers, she'll send me out with one of her other DMs, Manuela, who also loves macro things! (And will go out for more than 2 dives too!)

Saw a few during my March visit this time.
Felimare agassizii, some cute yellow umbrella slugs (Tylodina perversa), and lots of Mexican dancers (Elysia diomedea) !

 

[scanfield]

Hello!

I run a dive shop in Loreto and we see A LOT of nudis, I dare to say that they are almost guarantee. There are also a few spots that are nurseries for juvenile fish and curently we are running some exploration trips to figure out a spot where we can see horn sharks on a regular basis. They are here and the other day we saw a few eggs.
Night dives here are pretty good for macro. The other day we went on a little experimental night dive in a rubble reef covered with macro algae and we saw dozens and dozens of sea hares grazing about, several LONG sea cucumbers hunting, crabs and crustaceans and several nudis.
Will keep you posted, in a few days we are doing another exploration night dive trying to figure out if we can find ostracods here

Hola, Azur!

This is somewhat unrelated to this thread, but I'll be in Loreto Nov - Dec looking specifically for horn sharks as part of my dissertation research. If you find a spot, would you be willing to let me know? If you also happen to be able to tell whether they're Mexican horn shark (Heterodontus mexicanus) or California horn shark (Heterodontus francisci), that would also be particularly useful!

If not, no worries.

Also, I don't kill the sharks - for my research, all I do is take a small tissue sample and send them on their way. I only mention that because I would understand if people wanted to protect them. All of these activities will be accompanied by the appropriate permits from the Mexican government (I'm collaborating with a researcher down in BCS).

Mahalo,
Sean

 

[Azur Salino]

Hola, Azur!

This is somewhat unrelated to this thread, but I'll be in Loreto Nov - Dec looking specifically for horn sharks as part of my dissertation research. If you find a spot, would you be willing to let me know? If you also happen to be able to tell whether they're Mexican horn shark (Heterodontus mexicanus) or California horn shark (Heterodontus francisci), that would also be particularly useful!

If not, no worries.

Also, I don't kill the sharks - for my research, all I do is take a small tissue sample and send them on their way. I only mention that because I would understand if people wanted to protect them. All of these activities will be accompanied by the appropriate permits from the Mexican government (I'm collaborating with a researcher down in BCS).

Mahalo,
Sean

Hi Sean,

We are running several exploration dives around the area, looking for horn sharks among other things. We found some eggs and we heard reports several sightings that we will double check in the following weeks. I hope to have something to show you by the time you are here. As an individual and also a diveshop we love to help in any research that contributes to the conservation of our waters or to increase our knowledge about them! As for the particular species, I'd need to get back to you with that info !

 

[cephalopod2]

@Azur Salino and @kumimonster thank you both for your very helpful replies and sorry to be so late in responding. The hospitalization of a family member meant this fall did not go as planned.

Yago I was really hoping to make it up to Loreto but that wasn't possible this trip. But I'm hoping to get there on my next trip. How is the water temperature and vis there right now? Seen any horn sharks recently? I keep hearing Loreto is the best place to try to see them.

Let's not get carried away with ostracods - but what about chromodoris marislae? Such a pretty nudi. I searched high and low for it here in Cabo Pulmo for 4 days, including among the swirling bull sharks, but couldn't find any. Apparently it's very rarely seen here. (Thanks for your Nov 2018 photos Kumi, which alerted me to its presence).

For any future macro lovers reading this thread, likely the best DM for macro I dove with in Pulmo was Cesar. Like nearly all of the DMs here, he freelances. He has been DMing and instructing in La Paz and is completing his Cabo Pulmo Marine Park-specific qualification now. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get his last name which you'd likely need to request him (or determine whether he'll be in Pulmo or La Paz when you're visiting), but perhaps someone local will chime in and help with that. Manuela was also helpful.

 

[kumimonster]

@Azur Salino and @kumimonster thank you both for your very helpful replies and sorry to be so late in responding. The hospitalization of a family member meant this fall did not go as planned.

Yago I was really hoping to make it up to Loreto but that wasn't possible this trip. But I'm hoping to get there on my next trip. How is the water temperature and vis there right now? Seen any horn sharks recently? I keep hearing Loreto is the best place to try to see them.

Let's not get carried away with ostracods - but what about chromodoris marislae? Such a pretty nudi. I searched high and low for it here in Cabo Pulmo for 4 days, including among the swirling bull sharks, but couldn't find any. Apparently it's very rarely seen here. (Thanks for your Nov 2018 photos Kumi, which alerted me to its presence).

For any future macro lovers reading this thread, likely the best DM for macro I dove with in Pulmo was Cesar. Like nearly all of the DMs here, he freelances. He has been DMing and instructing in La Paz and is completing his Cabo Pulmo Marine Park-specific qualification now. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get his last name which you'd likely need to request him (or determine whether he'll be in Pulmo or La Paz when you're visiting), but perhaps someone local will chime in and help with that. Manuela was also helpful.

I hope we'll get a full trip report with photos!
:-D

 

[UTscuba]

I enjoy going out with Pilu when I'm in Cabo Pulmo.
Cabo Pulmo Diver | Recreational Scuba Diving Activities

If she can't go out or has other divers, she'll send me out with one of her other DMs, Manuela, who also loves macro things! (And will go out for more than 2 dives too!)

Saw a few during my March visit this time.
Felimare agassizii, some cute yellow umbrella slugs (Tylodina perversa), and lots of Mexican dancers (Elysia diomedea) !

+1 for Manuela at CPD