To immerse in and scrutinise the submarine depths are activities that can be fully attained in the waters of La Paz. The Sea of Cortes offers a series of places suitable for the practice of these sport activities at this Mexican city.

The following places are recommendable for submersions:

• Espiritu Santo: it is a huge island of 83 square kilometres, and its serene beaches are occasionally visited by numerous seals, whilst seabirds such as seagulls, pelicans, frigates and cormorants nest on its rocky formations and in the cracks of their surfaces.
  This beautiful island was discovered by Hernan Cortes in 1535, during one of his many journeys along the California Peninsula. In those times the place was inhabited by the Pericúes, a pre Hispanic people that remained in the zone until the first third of the XVIII century.

This island located 20 kilometres east of La Paz is the closest to the Bay of La Paz and also the most beautiful in the Sea of Cortes. The island turns into a true spectacle when the reddish colour of the calcareous rocks contrasts with the blue turquoise of the ocean during the evening.

Espíritu Santo is surrounded by small isles and magnificent coral reefs inhabited by fishes of different intense colours that light the submarine space, becoming more than a temptation for those who enjoy scuba diving.

Two rocky cliffs, inhabited by playful seals, rise to the north of the island; whilst fishes bearing singular names such as angelfish, surgeonfish, trumpet and Moor idol, swim swiftly by the coast.

A place called El Bajo, where you can find and film dreadful concentrations of hammerhead sharks, is located off shore in open sea. It is a place recommendable for experienced divers alone, not only due to the presence of sharks but also because divers reach depths of 80 to 150 feet when they submerge. Giant mantle rays and shark whales can be appreciated on this adventure.

As a curious tip we can mention that the first farm of large oysters in the world was established at Espíritu Santo.


• Cerralvo: curious cliffs, beaches on which the sand mixes with gravel, cacti and the flora typical of the lower forest zones, are some of the main features of this island located to the south of the Bay of La Paz.
  It is surrounded by the Isles of La Reina and Roca Carpintero, reduced earthly paradises, and deep reefs falling 30 to 80 feet down that are unavoidable settings for scuba divers, who will find large numbers of flashy fishes that inhabit the deep submarine canyons.
  
  The isle is located at 11 kilometres from the Peninsula of Baja California Sur, going across the Cerralvo Canal.
  
  
• Shipwreck of Salvatierra: the almost intact hull of an old shipwreck occurred in 1975, is nowadays covered with black corals and has been invaded by countless fishes of bright colours. You just need to submerge 20 metres deep in order to be witness to the abundance of marine life and to fully enjoy this world of magic, in which the yellow greenish colour of the coral is predominant.
  
  
• Lapas 03 and Fng Ming Shipwrecks: these are two ships of Chinese origins that were sunk on purpose in the San Lorenzo Canal, between the Isles of Ballenas and Espíritu Santo in order to create artificial reefs that could be suitable for the practice of recreational scuba diving.
  
  
• Las Animas: this small island is considered as a true paradise by divers due to its mountains and pinnacles, its weird rock formations and isolated submarine caves. Its blue waters protect endless fishes of bright colours and curious shapes.
  
  
• Suwannee Reef: it is the place indicated for those beginners willing to practice scuba diving due to its shallowness, of between three and ten metres. Besides being instructive, the experience allows the appreciation of a great number of fishes of intense colours and the enjoyment of an impressive submarine seascape.