2026 Mobula & More Expedition Season Review

A season that reminded us why Baja California Sur is one of the world's greatest wildlife destinations.

Every year I wonder if Baja California Sur can possibly surprise me again.

And every year it does.

The 2026 Baja Odyssey Mobula & More Expedition season was nothing short of magical. No two days on the water were ever the same. Every morning we left the marina with a sense of excitement, knowing that the Sea of Cortez always has another surprise waiting just beyond the horizon.

Some days we found ourselves swimming alongside thousands of mobula rays gliding beneath us. Other days we spent hours surrounded by playful dolphins, watched blue whales surface beside the boat, or witnessed one of nature's most extraordinary spectacles as killer whales hunted in the wild.

Every expedition was different. Every day became another story we'd be telling long after the season ended.

😍 A Remarkable Season for Marine Wildlife

Looking back through the sightings log, it's incredible just how much wildlife we encountered during the season. Over the course of the 2026 Mobula & More Expeditions, our guests experienced approximately:

• 30+ species of marine megafauna

• 17 species of marine mammals

• 6 species of whales and 2 species of beaked whales

• 7 species of dolphins

• 8+ species of sharks and rays

• Numerous turtle species

• Hundreds of reef and pelagic fish species

• A huge variety of seabirds including pelicans, boobies, cormorants, red-billed tropicbirds and storm-petrels
  

While the Mobula & More Expedition takes its name from one iconic species, the reality is that every day offered something completely unexpected…

That's exactly what keeps us coming back.

🐋 The Season Began with Whales

Before the mobula rays truly stole the spotlight, the beginning of the season belonged to the whales.

Some mornings we had barely been underway for ten minutes before we were cruising alongside our first whales of the day. It became such a regular occurrence that it almost felt normal—until you stopped and reminded yourself what you were actually looking at.

Humpback Mothers & Calves

Many of these encounters were with mothers and calves making the most of their final weeks in Baja before beginning the long migration north. Watching a humpback calf glide alongside its mother is something that never loses its magic. Seeing these gentle giants travelling together is an experience that stays with you forever.

The calves themselves also provide an incredible sense of scale. Even though they're only babies, they're often already larger than our boat. And speaking of big, did I mention...

Blue Whales: Seeing the Largest Animal on Earth

Seeing the largest animal ever to have lived on Earth is always a humbling experience. We were fortunate enough to encounter several blue whales throughout the season, including multiple mothers with calves. Watching an animal that can grow to over 30 metres (100 feet) surface just metres from the boat is one of those moments that leaves everyone completely speechless. As the season progressed, our whale encounters became even more diverse.

Eight different whale species

Across the 2026 season we encountered an incredible eight different whale species:

• Blue whale

• Humpback whale

• Fin whale

• Bryde's whale

• Sperm whale

• Pygmy sperm whale

• Pilot whale

• Baird's beaked whale
  

For many of our guests, the whale encounters alone would have made the expedition unforgettable. The fact that these incredible whale encounters were just one part of everything we experienced says so much about how extraordinary the 2026 season truly was.

🌟 The mobulas... The stars of the show!

The annual mobula ray aggregation is the reason so many people travel to La Ventana, and despite conditions being a little different this year, they certainly didn't disappoint.

The cooler, nutrient-rich green water that creates the colossal fevers of tens of thousands of mobula rays wasn't as common during 2026. As a result, finding the largest aggregations took a little more patience than in previous seasons. But nature has a wonderful way of balancing things.

Instead of spending many days in green water, we were often rewarded with huge aggregations of mobula rays in crystal-clear blue water. Swimming alongside thousands of rays gliding gracefully beneath us with nice visibility was simply breathtaking.

Oh... and did I mention...

Devil rays

On several occasions we were able to slip quietly into the water and swim alongside—or even amongst—their incredible mating trains. Being surrounded by 2.5m devil rays as they gracefully circled us was one of those rare wildlife experiences that's almost impossible to put into words. And then...

Oceanic manta rays

The world's largest ray made several appearances throughout the season, much to everyone's excitement. There's something incredibly humbling about sharing the ocean with an animal that can grow to over seven metres (23 feet) across, especially when it chooses to glide calmly past only a few metres away.

Every guest left with incredible memories—and plenty of photographs and videos to relive them.

🐬 Then dolphins made it a party

If there was one group of animals that consistently surprised us throughout the season, it was the dolphins. They were everywhere.

Huge superpods of common dolphins playing around the boat. Bottlenose dolphins repeatedly came to bow ride the boat before inviting us into the water to play. Pan-tropical spotted dolphins put on spectacular aerial displays while hunting alongside schools of tuna.

Even the elusive rough-toothed dolphins made a very special appearance.

Some encounters lasted only a few minutes. Others lasted for hours. There were countless moments where curious dolphins simply chose to spend time with us, circling our swimmers and making eye contact as if they were just as interested in us as we were in them. For many of our guests, the dolphin encounters became one of the unexpected highlights of the expedition.

🐼 Orcas always write their own schedule

One of the questions we're asked more than any other is: "What are our chances of seeing orcas?"

Historically, orcas are sighted in the La Ventana area around four to six times each month during the Mobula season. That doesn't mean every boat finds them, however. Like all truly wild animals, they appear when and where they choose.

This year they were just a little more unpredictable.

They were sighted only a handful of times throughout May, June and early July. We were incredibly fortunate that every time Baja Odyssey was on the water during an orca sighting, we were able to find and interact with them, giving our guests unforgettable encounters on May 10th, May 13th, June 30th, July 2nd and July 3rd.

Those lucky enough to join us experienced multiple killer whale interactions, including several extraordinary predation events.

Watching wild orcas hunt is one of the most humbling wildlife experiences imaginable.

Like all wildlife encounters, however, they can never be guaranteed. Orcas don't follow calendars or itineraries, and that's exactly what makes every encounter feel so incredibly special. Spending more time on the water simply increases your chances of being in the right place at the right time.

In fact, as I write this in late July, orcas are once again being reported around La Ventana. It's a great reminder that these incredible animals don't read calendars—they simply turn up whenever they choose. This season their appearances were a little less frequent than usual, making the encounters we did have feel even more special.

We're also incredibly proud that Baja Odyssey operated every expedition with the appropriate Orca Permits and trained crew. Every guest who joined us helped support responsible wildlife tourism and the positive conservation changes taking place in the region.

To all of our past guests—thank you. By choosing to travel responsibly, you've played a small but meaningful part in supporting the protection of these remarkable animals and the waters they call home.

👁️ Two Personal "Firsts" for Me

One of the greatest privileges of this job is that no matter how much time you spend on the ocean, it always finds a way to leave you speechless. This season I experienced two species for the very first time.

1. Baird's beaked whales

Seeing Baird's beaked whales was something I'll never forget. The whales surfaced quietly beside the boat before lining up shoulder to shoulder to rest at the surface. Launching the drone revealed an incredible perspective as these enormous whales drifted peacefully beneath us.

I don't think my jaw closed for the entire drone flight.

Hearing several large whales breathing only a few metres from the boat was equally unforgettable. It was one of those moments that reminds you just how privileged we are to spend time in their world.

2. Rough-toothed dolphins

Just a few days later came another first. A curious pod of rough-toothed dolphins spent several minutes looping around us, investigating the strange creatures floating in their ocean.

They seemed just as interested in us as we were in them. There may have been a little too much excited screaming from the boat... By the end of the encounter my voice was definitely paying the price. These are the moments that stay with you forever.

🌊 Nature isn't always beautiful

Not every encounter in the ocean is easy to witness. During one expedition we discovered the carcass of what was likely a pygmy beaked whale floating at the surface. Its body was covered in bite marks and still bleeding, suggesting the attack had happened only recently.

Marine scientists believed the injuries were likely caused by either a large shark or killer whales. Having recently spent time in the water with orcas ourselves, it certainly made us wonder.

While confronting, moments like these are an important reminder that we're witnessing a completely natural ecosystem where predators and prey have coexisted for millions of years. Nature isn't always gentle... But it is always fascinating.

❤️ A season we'll never forget

Looking back, it's hard to believe just how much we experienced in only a few short months on the water. Every expedition was different. Every morning began with the same question: "What will we find today?" And every afternoon we returned with another unforgettable story.

That's the magic of the Sea of Cortez. The wildlife is wild, the ocean is always changing, and no two days are ever the same.

The 2026 Mobula & More season reminded us once again why Baja California Sur is one of the world's greatest marine wildlife destinations. We can't wait to see what stories the 2027 season has in store.

🧳 Join us for the 2027 Mobula & More Expedition

If reading this season review has you dreaming about the Sea of Cortez, we'd genuinely love to welcome you aboard. The Mobula & More Expedition isn't about ticking species off a list.

It's about spending long days on the water with a small group of like-minded ocean lovers, embracing the unexpected, and celebrating every encounter that nature chooses to share with us.

Whether we're swimming alongside thousands of mobula rays, drifting beside the largest animal ever to have lived, or sharing a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with killer whales, every expedition writes a completely different story. Bookings for our 2027 Mobula & More Expeditions are now open, and we'd love for you to become part of next year's sightings list.

👀 Hear it from our guests

One of the things we're most proud of isn't our sightings list—it's the friendships we've built and the feedback we receive from the incredible people who choose to join us.

If you're considering an expedition, we encourage you to read through our Google Reviews to hear directly from past guests about their experiences with Baja Odyssey. Their stories tell ours far better than we ever could. We hope to welcome you aboard soon. Journey into their world.

📝 The 2026 Raw Sighting Log Archive

For full transparency and a true look at the daily variance of the Sea of Cortez, feel free to look through our raw, day-by-day wildlife log from the season below: