Mobula Rays Expedition - Elsewheria

Baja Mobula Ray Expedition

Swim alongside tens of thousands of mobula rays and, if we are lucky, witness orcas on the hunt.

6 Days

From
$3,750 USD
$750 Deposit To Secure Your Spot

Highlights:

Witness one of earth's greatest wildlife spectacles: the mobula ray migration.
Float above tens of thousands of rays gliding in synchrony beneath you.
Search for orcas, dolphins, sea lions, and turtles with chances of also seeing other incredible marine life.
Feast every day on soulful, handmade Mexican food cooked from scratch by our private chef.
Fall asleep to the sound of the ocean and wake up to the Sea of Cortez turning gold at sunrise.
Recharge between ocean days in a spectacular waterfront villa with a pool, hammocks, and direct beach access.
Travel with a small, passionate family team who live and breathe Baja.

Upcoming Dates

Note: Our 2026 expeditions are fully booked. Please find our 2027 & 2028 departure dates below

2027 Departures

2028 Departures

To secure your spot, we require a deposit of $750 for our Mobula Ray Expedition. The deposit is non-refundable once paid. However, if cancelling 120 or more days before departure, the deposit may be transferred as credit to another trip within 24 months of the original departure date.

The remaining balance is then paid in two instalments: 50% of the remaining balance is due 150 days before departure, the final balance is due 90 days before departure.

You can find our full terms and conditions here.

Why Travel to Baja With Us?

Elsewheria co-founder Audy Scala grew up deeply rooted in Mexico. Audy is a scuba instructor, a freediving master, and lifelong ocean obsessive. Her father Andy, has lived in Baja for decades and knows these dusty roads and shifting currents like few others. And Norma, Audy’s Mexican stepmother and professional chef, has been feeding our guests like family since day one. In the background, Will is on hand to ensure logistics run smoothly and coffee is always ready!

Most Baja wildlife tours are exactly that: wildlife tours. A boat, a briefing, a quick snorkel, back to the hotel. Incredible, yes. But there’s another way to do this.

We look for fevers of tens of thousands of mobula rays gliding in synchrony beneath the surface – vast, hypnotic formations that few people ever witness up close. If fortune favours us, we may also spot whales (Humpback, Blue, Fin, Sperm or Bryde’s), orcas, pilot whales, whale sharks and many other surprises the sea chooses to share. And on the days the ocean really performs, the sea erupts around you, mobulas launching skyward in silver arcs, the whole surface alive with energy. It is one of the most surreal things a human being can witness.

Back on shore, Norma works her magic: slow-simmered moles, handmade enchiladas, fresh ceviche, warm tortillas straight off the pan. Food connects us. It slows us down. It opens a conversation. Evenings close around a bonfire under Baja’s vast desert sky, salt-skinned and sun-tired, with people who started the week as strangers and won’t feel like it by the end.

No two days on the water are ever the same. The ocean doesn’t follow a schedule, and that’s exactly the point. Come ready to surrender to it.

Included:

5 nights boutique/eco accommodation
4 Full day ocean Safaris
All meals prepared by private professional Mexican chef
Transfer to and from La Paz airport
Experienced bilingual guides
Educational talks and workshops
Bonfire by the Sea
Tips from us to the boat captains

NOT Included:

Flights to/from LAP or SJD
Travel insurance (required)
Snacks, alcohol, personal expenses
Optional cooking class with our artisanal Mexican chef
Gratuities for your guides
Shuttle from SJD to La Ventana if you choose to fly into SJD

Where You'll Stay

We stay in a spectacular oceanfront villa that we rent exclusively for our group, with direct beach access, panoramic views of the Sea of Cortez, a gorgeous garden, large pool, hammocks, a barbecue area, and more space than you’ll know what to do with. All 6 bedrooms have their own private bathrooms. Couples share a king or double room, solo travellers are paired in twin rooms (two beds) with a fellow adventurer, and if you’d prefer your own private room, a solo upgrade is available for an additional fee. Only two single rooms are available, though, and they go quickly – reach out early if that’s important to you.

Day 1 :

Arrival in La Ventana • Welcome Dinner

Our trip begins in La Ventana, a 45 minute drive from La Paz (LAP) airport or two hour drive from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD).

Perched on the shores of the Sea of Cortez, our very special accommodation is just a short walk from the beach and is perfectly positioned to take advantage of where the mobula rays gather each year.

After settling into our rooms, we gather for a welcome feast prepared by Norma, our artisanal chef whose inspired Mexican cuisine makes everyone feel at home. Around our first shared meal, we’ll meet the team, get to know one another, and prepare for the adventure ahead.

Dinner

Day 2 - 5 :

Deep Dive Days in the Sea of Cortez

The day begins early with fresh coffee and breakfast prepared by Norma as the rising sun paints the Sea of Cortez in shades of gold and pink.

Then we head out onto the water...

Our mission is simple: find the mobulas! These restless schools gather in enormous fevers, moving constantly through the water as they follow currents rich in plankton. When we locate them, we approach carefully and slip quietly into the water to snorkel alongside the swirling formations, spending a few hours immersed in the spectacle. Floating in the open sea as thousands of rays glide beneath you is a moment few people ever experience and is truly unlike any other on earth...

Occasionally, if luck is on our side, orcas arrive to hunt the mobulas, turning the calm sea into a dramatic chase as the rays scatter and leap in every direction.

Once we have had our fill of the mobulas, we set out on a wider ocean expedition across the Sea of Cortez, one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. No two days are ever the same... currents shift, wildlife moves, and the ocean reveals its surprises in its own time. Along the way we most commonly encounter more mobula rays (Munkiana, Bent Fin, Spinetail, Sickle Fin and Oceanic Manta), along with dolphins, sea lions and sea turtles.

If fortune favours us, we may also spot whales (Humpback, Blue, Fin, Sperm or Bryde's), orcas, pilot whales, whale sharks and many other surprises the sea chooses to share.

Our guides ensure all encounters are respectful and ethical, keeping wildlife interactions calm and regulated while allowing the magic of the ocean to unfold naturally.

Lunch is enjoyed out on the water before returning to shore for rest and relaxation.

Back at the house, Norma works her culinary magic. Perhaps fresh ceviche from the day's catch, handmade enchiladas, slow-simmered mole, warm tortillas and vibrant salsas. Her cooking is deeply rooted in tradition and every meal feels like being welcomed into a Mexican family home.

Enjoy some downtime swimming in our private pool, stretching in the garden or relaxing with a good book in the hammocks. Our accommodation is spacious and right next to the beach, so a walk or run is never far away!

Dinner is served with sunset and evenings close with bonfires, laughter and the immense Baja night sky glittering overhead.

Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Day 6 :

Final Morning • Departure

On our final morning together we share one last breakfast as the sun rises over the Sea of Cortez.

We will drop off guests at La Paz airport for midday, plenty of time before the afternoon flights. If you are flying out of Los Cabos, we can arrange a shuttle with a reliable driver for an extra charge.

We part ways with new friendships, unforgettable wildlife encounters, and the memory of thousands of rays moving through the ocean like living currents.

Breakfast

What to Expect Across the Season

Each year between May and early July, tens of thousands of mobula rays converge on the waters around La Ventana, forming one of the ocean’s most extraordinary gatherings.

It’s worth remembering that nature keeps its own calendar, and the timing of each species’ arrival shifts from year to year with water temperatures, climate change, and upwelling currents.

April: The first fevers begin forming as mobulas arrive to feed on the plankton-rich currents around La Ventana. The large schools

May & June: The migration hits its stride. This is the true peak of the season; fevers grow into the tens of thousands, and the leaping behavior mobulas are famous for is at its most frequent, with silver bodies launching skyward all around the boat.

July: The large aggregations have typically moved on by this point. Some mobulas remain, but the massive fevers of June are usually gone.

Peak season: May and June, when mobula numbers are highest, and the chances of a jumping display are at their best.

Please note: it is not possible to scuba with the mobulas or orcas. This is due to local regulations and to avoid disturbing the rays. This is a snorkelling-only expedition.

Your Potential Hosts

The expedition is led by our experienced guides and Baja family team, who, between them, bring decades of knowledge of the Sea of Cortez, deep roots in the local community, and a professional Mexican chef whose cooking turns every meal into an event. On the water, we work with experienced local captains who know these currents intimately. On shore, the food, the fires, and the good vibes are very much taken care of.

Audy Scala: Co-Founder and Ocean-Goddess

This expedition exists because of Audy. Her love of the ocean, her roots in Mexico, and her obsession with marine wildlife all collide here in the Sea of Cortez.

Audy grew up deeply rooted in Mexico and has spent her life building it around the ocean. A scuba instructor, master freediver and lifelong marine wildlife obsessive, she has dived with manta rays in Indonesia, worked in ocean conservation in Bali, and sung with whales in French Polynesia. She feels a deep, almost spiritual connection with the sea; for Audy, it is a healer, a teacher, and a constant source of wonder.

The Sea of Cortez is personal to her, and she leads this Baja expedition with the kind of infectious enthusiasm that only comes from doing exactly what you were born to do.

Will Hatton: Co-Founder & Chief Adventure Planner

The man behind the machine. Will has been building adventures in wild places for over a decade, and on this trip, his job is simple: make sure everything runs so smoothly you never have to think about it!

Will has been on the road since nineteen, visited over a hundred countries, and has been leading small group expeditions since 2011. A passionate planner and self-confessed map nerd, he believes travel is the ultimate tool for personal growth and that time away from devices – beneath the waves or around a fire – is essential for personal development and mental clarity.

On a Baja expedition, he is the one holding the whole thing together behind the scenes so that all you have to do is show up, get in the water, and let the Sea of Cortez do the rest.

Norma: Professional Mexican Chef and Creator of Magic

Ask any of our past guests what they remember most about this trip, and Norma’s cooking comes up every time. Every single time.

Norma is the heart of this expedition. A professional chef rooted in authentic Mexican culinary tradition, she sources every ingredient with care and cooks every single meal from scratch. Think rich slow-simmered moles, handmade enchiladas, bright ceviche made with the catch of the day, warm tortillas straight off the pan. Every day is different, every meal is extraordinary, and every dinner feels like being welcomed into a Mexican family home.

There is also an optional cooking class with Norma for those who want to take a little piece of Baja home with them.