Back-to-back Mako Trips
Our mako trips are short adventures (4 nights in a nice hotel, 3 days snorkeling with sharks) so I am going to combine both back-to-back trips in this trip report.
So how was it? Awesome! During six days at sea we had great blue shark action everyday and makos on three days out of six. We even had very brief fly-bys from a thresher shark and a smooth hammerhead, although neither hung around long enough for photos. To make everything even better, the weather was dreamy and the viz was phenomenal, as you can see from the pictures.
Blues and Makos from Day 1
The week started well. On our first day we good encounters with four blue sharks, and in the afternoon a mako showed up.
I almost missed the mako because I had just lent my dome port to another shooter after his sprang a leak. Instead I jumped in with my back-up GoPro and snagged a couple of mako shots for posterity.
Blues all day
On day two and three we had consistent blue shark activity. The nice thing about blue sharks is, once they nibble the bait, they usually hang around all day. So it was not surprising that it was us that left them, rather than the other way around.
Viz forever
Obviously, shark action makes or breaks a trip, but having great visibility doesn’t hurt either. Usually, the viz around Cabo close to shore is green and the water is colder. Further out, it turns blue but there is less action. This year the blue went right to the beach so all of our encounters were in perfect conditions. I’ll take sharks in green water if that’s all there is but this year all we had was gorgeous deep azure blue.
More makos!
On day 5 we had more blues and a smallish mako. From a photography standpoint, small sharks are simply easier to frame in an image. Makos are bold regardless of size, and the little ones are often fearless!
Big finish
I didn’t plan it but sure enough, our final day on the water was the best day of the trip. We had to wait until noon for the first blue shark to show up, but soon there were two, and then a very respectably sized mako arrived.
Makos often make short visits. Once they realize there isn’t much to eat, they quickly lose interest and go back on the hunt. This particular mako turned out to be a rock star. She stayed with us for two hours, making pass after pass to the delight of the photographers in the group.
Bye bye blues
As the sun sank lower, our mako finally moved on, leaving us with a couple of blues that were joined by a third. Most of us were too exhausted to stay in but a couple of shooters snapped happily away until we switched on the engines and motored back to Cabo. A great end to another excellent mako trip in Baja.
2023
Of course we’ll be back in Baja at the same time next year for more blue and mako snorkeling. We’re running three back-to-back trips in March; historically the best month for shark activity. Join us there: Makos and Blues 2023
