Magnificent Megafauna
Baja California Sur, Mexico and Northwest Cape, Australia
In Cabo Pulmo National Park, we geared up for our first dive of the day. I was a little disappointed at first—the dive site known for bull shark encounters was unavailable. The park limits how many people can dive each site and how often, to help protect the marine life. But our dive instructor mentioned we might still get lucky at the site we were heading to.
I had never encountered a shark up close before—aside from a few smaller reef sharks the day before—so I wondered how I’d react. Would I be scared? There was only one way to find out.
About fifteen minutes into the dive, our guide got our attention—a bull shark! We were all buzzing with excitement. We swam a bit farther and found the perfect spot. Out of the cloudy darkness, 10 to 15 massive bull sharks began drifting in and out of view. They came close to check us out, then disappeared again into the murky blue. It was incredible—how they seemed to appear from nowhere, so silent and powerful.
To my surprise, I wasn’t afraid. In fact, I wanted them to come even closer. It quickly became one of my favorite dives ever. We had originally planned to do our second dive at a reef, but it was a unanimous decision—we had to go back and spend more time with the sharks.
On this day, we had a spotter plane scanning the ocean from above, helping us search for wildlife. About two hours north of our location, the pilot spotted a pod of false killer whales. We made the journey to the coordinates he gave us, scanning the water once we arrived—and sure enough, there they were: a pod of about 8 to 10.
None of us had ever seen false killer whales before, and we were all so excited to see them! Our first jump into the water turned out to be, to this day, one of the most magical encounters I’ve ever experienced.
We slipped into the ocean and floated, waiting. Then they came—swimming straight toward us. They moved effortlessly between us, curious, calm, and completely aware of our presence. We were all absolutely speechless, suspended in awe.
This trip was with some of the same incredible people from the false killer whale encounter—so you can imagine the energy was already high. Within minutes of reaching the open ocean in the Cabo area, we saw a humpback fluke (tail) launch into the air and come crashing down in the distance. Right then, we knew it was going to be a good day.
We ended up seeing around 30 different humpback whales—breaching, tail slapping, and even a few mothers teaching their calves how to breach. It was one of those days that felt truly magical, like the ocean was putting on a show just for us.
This shot is one of my favorites from that day. The whale is mid-breach, with water cascading off its pectoral fin, and in the background, you can see the beautiful beach and mountains—it was one of those moments where everything aligned just right.
This video captures just one day—four unforgettable hours on the water filled with jaw-dropping encounters. Breaches, tail slaps, whales swimming right next to the boat… it was nothing short of incredible.
If you’re interested in experiencing something like this for yourself, reach out via my contact page. I’ll be organizing a trip to this exact location during the same time of year (late January to February) with the same amazing team I’ve trusted for all my Mexico ocean adventures. We can even personalize the trip to include snorkeling and visits to nearby waterfalls and ocean encounters in other nearby regions (contact me for more information). It’s going to be unforgettable—and I’d love to share it with you!
This photo was taken at a sea lion colony near La Paz, Mexico—one of the best places in the world to swim with sea lions. You can see a group of them playing together, with one young sea lion looking like it’s just about to join in on the fun.
We spent around two hours in the water with them, watching their interactions and getting to play alongside them too. They’re incredibly curious and by far the most playful ocean animals I’ve ever encountered—full of energy, mischief, and personality.
After spending a few hours searching for whales, we stopped at a nearby reef to explore. It was peaceful—beautiful and quiet beneath the surface.
Just a few minutes in, we spotted a white-tipped reef shark gliding effortlessly through the water. It moved with such grace, weaving through the coral with quiet confidence. Watching it cruise the reef was a special moment, and I felt incredibly lucky to witness such a beautiful creature in its element.
Just ten minutes into our ocean safari—right after the sun had risen—we were greeted by a pod of playful dolphins. They swam alongside the boat, darting under the bow and riding the wake. Some, like the dolphin in this photo, put on a show for us, leaping out of the water and into the golden morning light. It was the perfect way to start the day.
This photo was taken during one of the final days of my month-long solo travel adventure. While diving in Thailand, I kept hearing whispers of whale shark sightings and started hoping I might see one myself. I held onto that hope, even tried manifesting it—but it just wasn’t my time.
After a stop in Bali, I continued on to Australia, traveling down the west coast. On our second day in North West Cape, we headed out with high hopes. About an hour and a half into our trip, we found one—a whale shark! The universe always knows the right timing.
And as it turns out, seeing them while snorkeling—rather than scuba diving—meant longer, closer encounters. We ended up swimming with four whale sharks that day. True gentle giants—majestic, calm, and awe-inspiring.
(As with every wildlife encounter, there are respectful and harmful ways to go about it. Always research and choose companies that prioritize the animals’ well-being and comfort—or feel free to reach out to me if you'd like help finding one!)
This photo captures my very first encounter with sea lions. Out in the middle of the Sea of Cortez in Baja California, Mexico, there’s a little pinnacle called La Reyna—home to a vibrant sea lion colony.
We’d been in the water for about 20 minutes, watching them play from a distance of around 15 feet. Then, this playful sea lion swam right up to me. She rolled belly-up, wearing what looked like a little smile as she approached. Just moments after I took this photo, she blew a stream of bubbles right in front of my camera before flipping around and darting away. It was a cute introduction to these incredibly charismatic animals.
This photo from the Sea of Cortez captures a split second in time—a dolphin slicing through the surface of the water. I took it from the bow of the boat as dolphins played just beneath, darting and spinning under the bow.
What I love most is the texture and detail: the ripples in the water, the droplets suspended mid-air, and the smooth layer of water still clinging to the dolphin’s skin—surface tension not yet broken.