Explore Baja 2026 Photo Workshop

Dive Trip with Photo Support

Join us on October 3 - 15, 2026 for Rocio del Mar's best liveaboard trip!!

October 3 - 15, 2026

Trip Leader: Dan Bishop

12 Nights for only $4,895

Optional 7-Night Land Extensions in La Paz:

The Hotel Costa Baja Resort & Spa - $2,087 pp

La Concha Beach Resort - $1,803 pp

Hotel Catedral La Paz - $1,670 pp

Why Join This Trip?

Daily photography workshops by photo pro at no extra cost, suitable for beginners and experienced photographers alike
Unique itinerary sailing the entire length of the Sea of Cortez from south to north
See the unexpected in remote locations: dolphins, sea lions, whales, mantas etc
Sail with one of the best liveaboards in the Sea of Cortez, the Rocio Del Mar
Easy travel: fly into San Jose del Cabo to start the trip and fly out from Phoenix, Arizona
25% off rental photo gear from Bluewater Photo
Fully refundable deposit until 12 months from departure.

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Trip Overview

Experience what very few people have - a journey where there are no roads, very few people, and almost no boats. At night you hear something splashing. It could be anything - dolphins, marlin, a school of bonitos? Then you hear a huge sound of blowing and water spouting. It's a whale! You can't see him, but he sounds big. At a distance, you hear sea lions and pelicans. What a splendid way to end a magnificent day.

Video by our guest Dan McGanty on our 2018 Explore Baja Photo Workshop.

During the day we move from one island to the next, diving 3 to 4 times daily. If you wish to hike the remote islands during surface intervals, there is always a dinghy available to take you to shore. Kayaks are also always available for a serene cruise around the islands.

Exploring one island to the next is a magical experience - one that will linger in your memory for years to come. The Sea of Cortez remains a secret oasis where the desert meets the sea.

Read all about our 2024 Explore Baja trip.

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Marine Life to Photograph

The biodiversity between the Northern and Southern Sea of Cortez is incredible. The sea life we witness on the surface from the boat, dinghies or snorkeling is fantastic. There's potential to see dolphins, sea lions, pilot, humpback, blue, fin, sei, orca, and sperm whales. Also, flying mantas, blue and brown-footed boobies, cormorants, frigate birds, and the endemic yellow-footed gull.

Diving Conditions in September/October

Average water temperatures in September/October are in the low to mid-80s. A full 3mm wetsuit is recommended. Although the conditions in the Sea of Cortez are mostly calm, there are times that the sea is rough. Please be prepared for this type of situation and bring sea sickness medication if necessary.

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Inclusions

Three meals per day, snacks, beverages including soft drinks, juice, domestic beer & wine
3-4 dives per day; tanks, weights & weight belts are provided
Activities included: Diving, hiking, kayaking, snorkeling & several land excursions exploring small towns & missions
16% Mexican tax
Port fees

Exclusions

Airfare
Airport transfers - around $60 per person for a taxi from SJD Airport to Puerto Los Cabos to join the boat, and $115 per person for the arranged group shuttle from Puerto Penasco to PHX Airport at the end of the trip.
Marine park fees ($65, subject to change)
Nitrox ($140)
Dive insurance
Gratuity
Fuel surcharge. Rocio has never charged a fuel surcharge to date but reserves the right to implement a fuel surcharge on all trips in the event the cost of fuel surpasses 20 pesos per liter. Should this occur, all guests will be notified prior to boarding.
Travel Insurance: click here to learn more about our preferred plan

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Trip Type

This trip is a DIVE TRIP WITH PHOTO SUPPORT. It will be led by an experienced photographer who is available to provide ad hoc guidance on all elements of your photography, as needed. While this trip will provide an abundance of photo opportunities, there are no planned tutorials or instructional workshops. If you would like more formal photography instruction, check out our Photography Workshops. Our Dive Trips with Photo Support are a great option for photographers and non-photographers, alike.

Learn more about what's included in this trip type.

Trip Syllabus

Bluewater's Explore Baja photo workshop with Dan Bishop is all about learning how to shoot wide-angle and edit photos in one of the most diverse marine habitats on earth: the Sea of Cortez!

This workshop will include formal instruction plus 1:1 help as needed. There will be a daily one-hour class which will include PowerPoint presentations, group discussions, image reviews, and live demonstrations (e.g., Adobe Lightroom Classic, Topaz).

Foundational Topics will Include:

1. Successful Wide Angle Photography Fundamentals
2. One-Time Camera Setup (DSLR/Mirrorless and Compact Cameras)
3. Focusing Fundamentals: Understanding Depth of Field, Autofocus Types, Focus Tracking, Back Button Focusing, Focus Pipper, and Underwater Focus Techniques
4. Exposure Basics: Understanding the Exposure Triangle and how to effectively use Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO for underwater images. Also includes an in-depth review of Strobe Techniques
5. Composition: Understanding how to Compose captivating images that 'tell a story'
6. Putting It All Together: Understanding how to incorporate Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO, Strobes, and Composition Techniques into a simple underwater workflow
Each topic will include definitions, techniques, tips, and example images to illustrate the points.

Intermediate Topics will Include:

1. Additional Wide Angle Techniques: Understanding how to shoot Sun Balls, Subjects on Sand, Close Focus Wide Angle, Sea Lions, Diver Models, Silhouettes, and Ambient Light Shots
2. Introduction to Lightroom Classic: PowerPoint and Live Demo to Cover:
a) Lightroom Key Concepts
b) Library Module Overview
c) Develop Module Overview
d) Basic Editing Workflow: In-depth walkthrough of Image Import, Best Image Selection techniques, Global Edits for general exposure and color correction, Image Export and Collections

Advanced Topics will Include:

1. Advanced Lightroom Editing: In-depth walkthrough of Local Edits (masking types and techniques, local color corrections, local exposure adjustment, etc), Backscatter Removal, and Imaging Sharpening and Denoising techniques using Lightroom and Topaz
2. Time permitting, there will be a video editing overview using Premiere Pro
There will be an evening sign-up sheet for additional 1:1 help on any topic (photo or editing), schedule permitting. In addition, Dan will provide basic help underwater as conditions allow.

Trip Schedule

This is a sample itinerary from San Jose del Cabo to Puerto Penasco, subject to weather and other conditions.

Day 1 - Board the boat at 5 pm. Depart from San Jose del Cabo around 6 pm.
Day 2 - Check out dive at Punta Prieta in San Gabriel Bay, part of Espiritu Santo Island, and diving Fang Ming wreck and Salvaterra wreck.
Day 3 - Dive at La Reyna, a great spot for sea lions, a school of barracuda, and occasionally oceanic manta rays.
Day 4 - Los Islotes, in the northern part of Espiritu Santo Island. Dive with the friendliest sea lion colony in the Sea of Cortez. Depending on weather and ocean conditions (visibility and current), we hope to dive "El Bajo", known for big schools of hammerheads. At night we will do the spectacular mobula night dive!
Day 5 - Las Animas, near San José Island. Great dives on the east and north pinnacles and afternoon diving at San Dieguito for a 3pm dive followed by a night dive.
Day 6 - Danzante Island, part of Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto. Dive at Submarino, Silhouette, and the artificial wreck, C-54 Agustin Melgar. Afternoon hike at Honeymoon Beach.
Day 7 - Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto, visiting Coronado Island: macro and sea lions. We do 3 dives and then a nice evening with dinner in Loreto.
Day 8 - San Ildelfonso Island where we will do 3 dives. Don't miss the Green Moray City!
Day 9 - San Pedro Martir Island. Enjoy fabulous diving with sea lions, incredible black coral fields, and some of the best macro of the Midriff Islands. (3-4 dives).
Day 10 - An early dive at San Pedro Martir, followed by whale watching crossing to Sal Si Puedes area. A 3pm dive at Lavadero in Las Animas Island in the chain of San Lorenzo - Las Animas - Sal Si Puedes. Night dive at the same location.
Day 11 - Sal Si Puedes: Some of the best macro diving along the Sea of Cortez at El Caballo, Los Cuervos and La Corona.
Day 12 - Wake up on the east coast of Baja California and dive El Pescador or Punta Don Juan. After breakfast, snorkeling with Whale Sharks at Bahía de Los Angeles. At 2 pm, the boat will start motoring to Puerto Penasco.
Day 13 – Arrive at Puerto Penasco and disembark at 7 am

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About the Rocio Del Mar

Rocio Del Mar is one of the most popular liveaboards sailing in the area, offering excellent service and fantastic food. There are 10 cabins for up to a maximum of 20 divers, all offering private bathrooms with hot shower stalls, Western-style toilets, and above-height windows. Cabins are carpeted and have air-conditioning, plus convenient gear and clothes storage drawers beneath the beds.

Check this page to see more details and customer reviews on the Rocio Del Mar.

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Flight Information

ARRIVAL:

Guests on this trip will need to fly into San Jose del Cabo Airport (code SJD) and take a taxi to the Marina Puerto Los Cabos. The boat is located by the Hotel El Ganzo. Boarding time is at 5 pm.

Note: Guests arriving early may avail of day passes at Hotel El Ganzo, where they can spend time before boarding at 5 pm. There's an area for storing luggage and restrooms for changing. First come, first served, but guests can email the hotel before arriving.

Rooftop Pool - 1000 pesos, guests can use up to 750 pesos as a food and beverage credit

Beach Club - 750 pesos, guests can use the whole amount as a food and beverage credit.

RETURN:

Explore Baja South to North trips will end in Puerto Penasco. The boat returns to the Marina during the evening and a continental breakfast will be provided the last morning of the trip - guests must disembark by 7 am. The closest airport for departure flights is in Phoenix, Arizona and a shuttle will take guests from the boat to the airport. The shuttle ride is approximately 4 hours and costs $115 one-way. Book return flights any time after 1 pm.

Contact us for flight recommendations.

Head Out To Rocky Point offers a shuttle service between the boat and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. It takes approximately 3.5-4 hours. The cost is $115 per person, one way. On disembarkation day the shuttle departs the boat at 7am. We recommend you book your flight no earlier than 2pm if flying on the same day.

Book the one-way Head Out to Rocky Point Shuttle - Click Here

Flight Package

Our group trips attract guests from all over the globe and many of our customers prefer to book their own flights to take advantage of mileage points or credit card discounts. For these reasons, flights are not included in our group trip packages.

However, we are more than happy to work with you to find the best travel itinerary for your trip and will gladly give suggestions and advice, even if you make the final booking. We will check through your travel reservations at any time to ensure they fit with the trip schedule and can give recommendations on transit hotels and day tours where needed.

If you would like us to book flights, hotels, and transfers for your domestic and/or international travel on your behalf, we are also happy to arrange this. Please be advised that there is a 10% fee for this service to cover our booking and administration costs.

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About the Trip Leader

Dan is a passionate underwater photographer based in northern Virginia. He did his first dive at age 14 and has been an avid photographer for more than 25 years. Dan started out as a skydiving photographer and videographer, and then took that passion underwater. Since then, he has spent as much time underwater as possible, often with one or both of his daughters. Dan loves sharing his photography knowledge with others and is experienced with both wide angle and macro photography.

Payment Schedule

Deposit: $700
Payment 2: $1,100 - due 9/1/25
Payment 3: $1,400 - due 3/1/26
Payment 4: $1,495 - due 6/1/26

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WANT TO EXTEND YOUR TRIP?

We can help with that! See more of Mexico before or after your trip with Bluewater in Baja. Flying all that way merits a multi-destination vacation! La Paz is an amazing destination nearby that offers a range of additional unique experiences. Here are some examples of packages we can add on to your trip reservation.

*Rates are subject to change at any time; please contact us for the most updated pricing.

7 Nights at the 5 Star Costa Baja Resort & Spa

Prices start at $2,087 per person based upon double occupancy.

The Hotel CostaBaja Resort & Spa is the first and only luxury hotel & spa in the city of La Paz. This boutique hotel offers a selection of ocean, mountain and marina views. North of the hotel is Espiritu Santo Island, where you will find the greatest marine life in the world and the best sport fishing within Baja Sur.

7 nights in a king or twin room
Full buffet breakfasts
5 days of 3 tank dives
Lunches & drinks on the boat
National park permit fees
Roundtrip Cabo transfers
Free WiFi: Yes
Swimming Pool: Yes

Costa Baja Resort & Spa

7 Nights at the 3 Star La Concha Beach Resort

Prices start at $1,803 per person based upon double occupancy.

A beach resort offering a peaceful and mellow atmosphere on the Sea of Cortez. Over a hundred sea view rooms are featured in La Concha Beach Resort. Located in front of the ocean and with full view to the beach and pool, the accommodations include from essential details to luxury amenities.

7 nights in a king or twin sea view room
Full American breakfasts
5 days of 3 tank dives
Lunches & drinks on the boat
National park permit fees
Roundtrip Cabo transfers
Free WiFi: Yes
Swimming Pool: Yes

La Concha Beach Resort

7 Nights at the 4 Star Hotel Catedral

Prices start at $1,670 per person based upon double occupancy.

Hotel Catedral La Paz is a new concept of accommodation to suit the needs of today's travelers. It is part of the historic center of the city, surrounded by major attractions next to Our Cathedral Lady of La Paz. With its sophisticated contemporary modernist architecture, Hotel Catedral La Paz it focuses on every detail to offer its guests an excellent service and quality, both in the rooms and its gourmet restaurant.