Sea of Cortez Underwater Photo Workshops 2019

Join us for Sea Lions, Sperm Whales and Whale Sharks on the Rocio Del Mar.

July 27 - August 3 (Led by Renee Capozzola)

August 3 - 10 (Led by Mark Strickland)

August 10 - 17 (Led by Mark Hatter)

Price:

7 Nights for only $2,695

Go to:

Why Join This Trip? - Trip Overview - Accommodations - How to Get There

Workshops - Trip Leaders - Webinar - Booking & Payment - Underwater Photos

Why Join This Trip?

  ✓ The top liveaboard sailing in the Sea of Cortez 

 ✓ Daily photography workshops by photo pro at no extra cost, suitable for beginners and experienced photographers alike 

 ✓ Trip designed to shoot photos - We select liveaboards that provide photographer-friendly facilities. The dive guides are also there to enable you to get photos, not just show you the reef

 ✓ Awesome big animals & fascinating macro life

 ✓ Easiest liveaboard in the US - fly or drive to Phoenix AZ 

 ✓ Great support from Bluewater Travel if flight/weather issues occur

 ✓ Repeat customer and photo gear discounts, and other benefits 

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Trip Overview

We will jump in the water with sperm whales, pilot whales and dolphins as much as possible. Maximum of 20 divers on the trip, including hosts. Sail and dive in comfort on the incredible Rocio del Mar.

You can either meet the boat in Puerto Penasco, Mexico or pay a shuttle fee of $125 per person for roundtrip transportation from/to Phoenix, Arizona. If you want to come to Puerto Penasco on your own, there is secured parking available in Puerto Penasco for $5 per day right next to where the boat is docked. Prices include three meals per day, snacks, beverages including soft drinks, juice, domestic beer and wine.

To learn more about what you can expect from this Sea of Cortez trip check out this trip report and see how our 2016 trip to the Sea of Cortez went. You can also read the reviews on diving Sea of Cortez here.

Dive Overview

The Sea of Cortez is home to sea lions, whale sharks, manta and mobula rays, dolphins, huge schools of fish and some fascinating macro life. It is one of the easiest "big animal" destinations to reach and enjoy. La Paz, Cabo, Loreto, and the northern Sea of Cortez all have excellent diving.

See more underwater photos here

Diving Conditions

After careful research, we have decided that the August and September months are 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 F.

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Inclusions & Exclusions

Inclusions 

 ✓ Three meals per day & snacks

 ✓ Beverages including soft drinks, juice, domestic beer & wine

 ✓ One full day of whale shark snorkeling, & several dives with a friendly sea lion colony

 ✓ Tanks, weights & weight belts

Exclusions 

 ✗ National Park Fees: $28

 ✗ Hyperbaric chamber mandatory contribution: $15

 ✗ Nitrox: $120 for the week

 ✗ Fuel surcharge: $100

 ✗ Gratuity

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About the Rocio Del Mar

Rocio Del Mar offers 10 comfortable guest staterooms on two decks. All have private bathrooms with hot shower stalls, western style toilets, lavatories, and above height window. Each cabin is carpeted and air conditioned. There are room length windows with privacy curtains and convenient gear and clothes storage drawers beneath the beds.

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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 and arrive before 11am. A shuttle will arrive for pick-up at the airport at 12pm. The shuttle ride is approximately 4 hours to the boat and costs $125 roundtrip (paid directly to shuttle driver).

 > Disembarkation is Saturday at 7:00am. For returning flights, book anytime after 3pm.

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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. 

Check out this page for more information on what to expect from our photography workshops as well as some testimonials!

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About the Trip Leaders

Renee Capozzola is an award-winning photographer who has traveled across the globe, diving in some of the most remote parts of the world since 2004. The list of awards she has won includes first place in the 2018 Asia Pacific UW Photo Challenge, first place winner in the 2017 Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year, and the Best-In-Show prize at the 2017 Beneath the Sea. Learn more about Renee here.

Mark Strickland’s life-long interest in the sea has included over 10,000 dives and careers as lifeguard, boat captain and scuba instructor. His passion for underwater photography has led him to many top dive locales, including Virgin Islands, Australia, and Thailand, where he spent 17 years as Cruise Director on a series of liveaboards. Mark now resides in Ventura county, California. Currently, Mark leads several dive trips each year to his favorite destinations, while working on a career-spanning large-format pictorial book. Learn more about Mark Strickland here.

Mark Hatter is an accomplished photojournalist who has had nearly one hundred feature articles with many hundreds of images published in more than two dozen fly fishing and diving publications over the last two decades. His most recent destination features have appeared in Alert Diver and Diver (UK) magazines. Mark has traveled the world in pursuit of new underwater photography challenges, including cold water destinations such as British Columbia and even in Antarctica in January 2018.  Learn more about Mark Hatter here.

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Webinar About Sea of Cortez & Rocio Del Mar

Payment & Booking

Payment Schedule

TO BE ADVISED

Got Questions? Ready to Book?

Call Bluewater Travel at 310-915-6677 or email info@bluewaterdivetravel.com and let them book your dream vacation at the best price! 

Underwater Images

Sea of Cortez Underwater Photos from Previous Trip