Underwater Photography Guide's 2013 Sea of Cortez
Underwater Photo & Big Animal Workshop
Join us in July 2013 for Sea Lions, Sperm Whales and Whale Sharks on the Rocio Del Mar
Fly into Phoenix, Arizona for 7 days of amazing liveaboard diving in warm water, with awesome diving and an emphasis on "Big Animals," including Sperm whales
Look over this in-depth trip report from last year's Sea of Cortez trip.
Read the great reviews of the Rocio Del Mar!
A week of maximum diving with sea lions & fish, and snorkeling off pangas with as many big animals as we can find - Whale sharks, Sperm whales, pilot whales, dolphins, etc. Whale sharks are practically guaranteed, and several guests have taken sperm whale photos underwater.
July 27th - August 3rd, 2013
$2,295
Featuring extended time with Whale sharks
Expert underwater photo instruction daily
Extra dives with Sea Lions & any large schools of fish we find
Extra time snorkeling off pangas with Sperm Whales, Dolphins & Pilot Whales
4 times a day, best time to dive Northern Sea of Cortez
Fly into Phoenix, or drive from LA - it's so easy!
Beginner photographers welcome
From last year - Whale Shark Silhouette: Olympus OM-D, Nauticam housing, 8mm fisheye lens
Your hosts is Sea of Cortez expert Todd Winner. Todd knows the Sea of Cortez inside and out, and will show you where to take that perfect wide-angle or macro shot.
- Includes one full day of whale shark snorkeling, and several dives with a friendly sea lion colony
- We will jump in the water with Sperm Whales, Pilot Whales and dolphins as much as possible. In the summer the Rocio Del Mar has been seeing Sperm Whales on every trip, and several guests have taken photographs of them underwater. My friend Maxine was on the Rocio Del Mar last year and she saw an entire sperm whale underwater
- You can either meet the boat in Puerto Penasco, Mexcio - or pay a shuttle fee of $100.00 per person for transportation from Phoenix, Arizona.
- Prices include three meals per day, snacks, beverages including soft drinks, juice, domestic beer and wine.
- Tanks, weights and weight belts are also provided.
- If you want to come to Puerto Penasco on your own, there is secured parking available in Puerto Penasco @ $5 per day right next to where the boat is docked.
- Trips out of Puerto Penasco, Mexico is Saturday to Saturday. We will depart promptly at 5:00 PM and return as close as possible to 8:00 AM on the following Saturday.
- Maximum of 20 divers on the trip, including hosts
- Here is a Rocio Del Mar trip report
Daily Photo Workshops
Workshops will be given daily on topics such as wide-angle underwater photography, ambient light shots, snorkeling with large animals, strobe exposure and positions, avoiding backscatter, and composition. Help underwater is also given.
From last year - A dolphin swimming by
Flight information
Trip attendees will fly in and out of Phoenix, Arizona, which is the closest international airport. You should fly in on Saturday morning (July 27th) and arrive before 11am. A shuttle will arrive for pick-up at the airport at 12pm. The shuttle ride is approximately 3.5 hours to the boat and will cost $100 roundtrip. For returning flights, book sometime after 2pm on August 3rd.
Marine life to photograph
We will be spending extra time photographing big animals - Sperm whales, dolphins, sea lions, whale sharks, schools of fish. The northern sea of cortez also has plenty of small fish, nudibranchs, moray eels, arrow crabs, jawfish, hawkfish, pikeblennies, rays and seahorses.
From last year - Pike Blenny Face Off: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 100mm F2.8L Macro, 1/160, F9, ISO 100
Summer Conditions
After careful research, we have decided that the summer is the best time for the Northern Sea of Cortez. Good visibility, not too much wind, warm air and warm water - a 3mm wetsuit is all that is needed, at the most! Water temps will be 82-85.
Deposit
A $450 deposit holds your spot.
Contact information
Please email us at trips@uwphotographyguide.com to sign up, or if you have any questions.
Accommodations
Here are the accommodations on the Rocio Del Mar liveaboard boat. These are the comfortable guest rooms, all of which include a private bathroom with hot showers, windows, carpet and air conditioning.
The Rocio Del Mar.
Diver observes the glistening blue water and view from the boat's deck.
"We went on the Rocio Del Mar last August. It was a fabulous trip. We saw a sperm whale close up but no chance for a photo. However we spent 45 minutes with a whale shark who rubbed up on our panga several times!!!
We also saw thousands of dolphins with sperm whales. Got photos of seahorses, guitar fish, many rays. On the ship were numerous boobie birds just sitting on the rigging.
Dora and her crew are wonderful people and knowledgeable seamen! Rocio is a beautiful boat and the food with a chef was almost customized to each person. The only small place is the camera bench. The water temp was in the mid to high 70s, slightly cool.
We gave the trip a 10!!!"
Cheers, Max Reid and Mike Bacon
"The Rocio Del Mar was built by divers for divers. The Sandovals built, own and run the ship, a 110 foot all steel vessel. The ship departs from Puerto Penasco. On board, eight air conditioned cabins sport two single beds, while two others have full beds with a single bunk above. All have private bathrooms, full size windows, and plenty of storage.
The dining was excellent, with varied meals and lots of choices. There is a lounge in which to relax and watch movies or play back images from the day’s diving, and a large sundeck. The dive deck was well organized, with stations for each diver. Your gear gets set up once, and that’s it for the week. Diving is from two inflatables. The camera table was adequate; I preferred to work on my camera in my cabin.
The variety of experiences and photographic opportunities, both underwater and on the surface make for a great journey. The Rocio Del Mar’s crew is fantastic, from the divemasters and skiff operators to the chef. I had the opportunity to dive with the Sandovals; they truly know, as divers, what divers want. I booked to go back on the Rocio Del Mar within a few weeks of returning; this time to their other destination, the Socorro Islands."
Marli Wakeling
"I have made several trips aboard the Rocio Del Mar visiting both the Sea of Cortez and the Revillagigedo Islands. Here’s my take: Great boat. Great crew. Great food. Great diving. And a ton of fun! I don’t know what else one can say, except go."
Marty Snyderman
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