Mexico Pacific
Best Time to Dive in Loreto / Sea of Cortez North
26.00°N 111.30°W
Go March to April. Conditions are at their best, and the draw is the sea lion colony at Coronado and the island walls.
- Best time
- Mar–Apr
- Water
- 19–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–20 m
- Season runs
- Nov–Aug
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.6–1.3 m
- Species logged
- 14
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Loreto / Sea of Cortez North — monthly breakdown
A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Poor | Moderate | Excellent | Excellent |
| Water temp (°C) | 20 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 23 |
| Visibility (m) | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 5–15 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 5–15 | 5–15 |
| Marine life | Busy | Peak | Peak | Peak | Busy | Busy | Steady | Busy | Busy | Steady | Steady | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Mar–Apr
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Loreto / Sea of Cortez North diving season
September to October · Off season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 3 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more. The wind eases.
November to August · Peak season
10 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 19–30 °C
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Rain
- 1 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. It rains less.
Marine lifeCalifornia sea lion (near-guaranteed), Oceanic manta (hit-or-miss), Munk's mobula (hit-or-miss) peak at Loreto / Sea of Cortez North in these months.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Loreto / Sea of Cortez North water temperature and weather
4,376 underwater observation records · 32 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Loreto / Sea of Cortez North water temperature by month
The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.
10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean
Rarely
rough enough to cancel
Seas top 1.5 m on under 1% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
0
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
1
wet days a month
0 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.0 m | 1% | 1 | 0 | 23 °C | 10.5 h |
| February | 1.0 m | 1% | 1 | 0 | 24 °C | 11.1 h |
| March | 0.9 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 26 °C | 11.8 h |
| April | 0.7 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 28 °C | 12.6 h |
| May | 0.4 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 30 °C | 13.3 h |
| June | 0.6 m | 0% | 0 | 0 | 33 °C | 13.6 h |
| July | 0.6 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 34 °C | 13.5 h |
| August | 0.6 m | 1% | 3 | 1 | 34 °C | 12.9 h |
| September | 0.6 m | 2% | 4 | 1 | 33 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 0.7 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 32 °C | 11.4 h |
| November | 1.0 m | 0% | 1 | 0 | 28 °C | 10.7 h |
| December | 1.0 m | 1% | 1 | 0 | 24 °C | 10.4 h |
Swell is the rough end of the month: nine days in ten come in under it. Sea temperature covers 10 years, waves 4.
Pick your week
48 weeks from the daily record. Darker is better, against this site's own year. Pick a month for the detail.
| Week 1 | January week 1: Excellent | February week 1: Excellent | March week 1: Excellent | April week 1: Excellent | May week 1: Excellent | June week 1: Excellent | July week 1: Excellent | August week 1: Good | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Moderate | November week 1: Excellent | December week 1: Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Excellent | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Excellent | July week 2: Excellent | August week 2: Good | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Excellent | December week 2: Excellent |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Excellent | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Excellent | July week 3: Excellent | August week 3: Good | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Moderate | November week 3: Excellent | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Excellent | April week 4: Excellent | May week 4: Excellent | June week 4: Excellent | July week 4: Excellent | August week 4: Good | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Moderate | November week 4: Excellent | December week 4: Excellent |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of April
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 21 °C | 1.0 m | 22 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 20 °C | 1.0 m | 22 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 20 °C | 1.1 m | 23 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 20 °C | 1.2 m | 23 km/h | 2% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 19 °C | 1.0 m | 22 km/h | 4% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 19 °C | 1.0 m | 22 km/h | 5% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 19 °C | 0.9 m | 22 km/h | 5% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 19 °C | 0.9 m | 23 km/h | 3% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 20 °C | 0.9 m | 21 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 20 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 20 °C | 0.9 m | 21 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 20 °C | 0.8 m | 22 km/h | 0% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 21 °C | 0.9 m | 22 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 21 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 22 °C | 0.5 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 22 °C | 0.4 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 23 °C | 0.4 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 23 °C | 0.5 m | 19 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 24 °C | 0.4 m | 20 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 25 °C | 0.3 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 25 °C | 0.4 m | 20 km/h | 0% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 26 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 26 °C | 0.6 m | 20 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.6 m | 20 km/h | 1% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.6 m | 21 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 21 km/h | 1% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 20 km/h | 2% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 4% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 19 km/h | 6% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 20 km/h | 10% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 10% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 19 km/h | 12% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 18 km/h | 15% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 18 km/h | 16% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 18 km/h | 14% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 18 km/h | 9% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 18 km/h | 5% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 18 km/h | 7% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 5% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 20 km/h | 1% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.0 m | 20 km/h | 1% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 26 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 2% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.0 m | 20 km/h | 4% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 25 °C | 1.0 m | 21 km/h | 4% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 24 °C | 1.0 m | 21 km/h | 5% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 23 °C | 1.1 m | 22 km/h | 4% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 22 °C | 0.9 m | 22 km/h | 1% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 22 °C | 0.9 m | 22 km/h | 3% |
10 years of daily records, averaged into weeks.
Gear & storms
What to wear
Off the coldest water of each month, not the average — that is what the suit has to cope with.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suit | January: 5 mm + | February: 5 mm + | March: 5 mm + | April: 5 mm + | May: 5 mm | June: 3 mm | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: 3 mm | December: 5 mm + |
- Dec–Apr5 mm with hood and gloves
- May5 mm full suit
- Jun3 mm full suit
- Jul–Octskin or 3 mm shorty
- Nov3 mm full suit
Swell through the year
The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.
Amber is over 1.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
14 of the last 30 Septembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jun, Aug–Oct.
Share of the last 30 years with a storm that month.
- NOAASea surface temperature, from OISST and MUR
- ERA5Wind, waves, rain and air temperature, via Open-Meteo
- OBISMarine species records within 60 km
- IBTrACSTropical cyclone tracks, 1996 to 2025
Loreto / Sea of Cortez North marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California sea lion | Feb–Apr | Near-guaranteed | 416 | ||
| Humpback whale | Feb–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 462 | ||
| Blue whale | Mar | Near-guaranteed | 1701 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | Feb–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 758 | ||
| Common dolphin | Feb–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 387 | ||
| Bryde's whale | Mar | Likely | 321 | ||
| Orca | Feb–Mar | Likely | 70 | ||
| Grey whale | Mar | Likely | 80 | ||
| Green turtle | Aug–Sep | Hit-or-miss | 29 | ||
| Oceanic manta | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 23 | ||
| Sperm whale | Mar, Aug | Likely | 47 | ||
| Short-finned pilot whale | Mar, Aug | Likely | 23 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | Dec–Jan, Jul, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 10 | ||
| Munk's mobula | Jan, May, Aug | Hit-or-miss | 10 |
Peak Present
- Observed window
- Months with records. Peak is where most of them fall.
- Reliability
- Near-guaranteed in 60% of surveyed years or more
- Likely 30% to 60%
- Hit-or-miss under 30%
- Evidence
- Years it was seen, out of the years anyone surveyed.
- Records
- OBIS sightings within 60 km.
These are sightings people logged, not a full survey of the reef. A species missing from a month may just mean nobody recorded one.
Diving Loreto / Sea of Cortez North — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Loreto / Sea of Cortez North?
- Go March to April. Conditions are at their best, and the draw is the sea lion colony at Coronado and the island walls.
- When is the diving season in Loreto / Sea of Cortez North?
- The diving season in Loreto / Sea of Cortez North runs November to August, and it is at its best March to April.
- Is the diving in Loreto / Sea of Cortez North good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Loreto / Sea of Cortez North?
- Between 19 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in September. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Loreto / Sea of Cortez North?
- A 5 mm with hood and gloves covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a skin or 3 mm shorty is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Loreto / Sea of Cortez North?
- Roughly 5 to 20 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Loreto / Sea of Cortez North?
- The most consistently recorded species are California sea lion (near-guaranteed), Humpback whale (near-guaranteed) and Blue whale (near-guaranteed), from 4,376 records within 60 km.
- Does Loreto / Sea of Cortez North get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jun, Aug–Oct, most often in September at 14 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Loreto / Sea of Cortez North?
- The tide rises and falls 1.3 m around the full and new moon, against 0.6 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Loreto / Sea of Cortez North?
- September is the weakest month for conditions.
- How do you dive Loreto / Sea of Cortez North?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Nov–Aug.