La Paz tide times

La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur, on the Sea of Cortez coast at the tip of the Baja peninsula. The city waterfront (El Malecón) stretches for 5 km along the bay, backed by mangroves and facing the shallow, sheltered bay of La Paz. Tidal pattern is mixed semidiurnal with a mean spring range of about 0.8 to 1.2 metres. La Paz is the dive and marine encounter capital of the Baja peninsula — whale sharks, sea lions, mobula rays, and sea turtles are all accessible on day trips from the city.

The whale shark season at La Paz runs October through May, with peak concentrations from November through March when whale sharks aggregate in the shallow, warm bay waters. Unlike many whale shark destinations, La Paz whale sharks are encountered snorkelling in very calm water — the bay is sheltered and the visibility (5 to 10 metres on good days, occasionally more) allows prolonged snorkel encounters. The sharks feed on fish eggs and zooplankton near the surface; snorkellers drift alongside them without diving. This is one of the most accessible whale shark experiences in the world.

The sea lion colony at Los Islotes — a rocky islet north of Espíritu Santo island — is a world-class wildlife snorkel experience. The colony has 400+ California sea lions; young sea lions play actively with snorkellers, biting fins, blowing bubbles, and performing loops. The colony is reached by a 45-minute panga ride from La Paz; most operators combine sea lions with whale sharks in a single day trip.

Espíritu Santo island, a 2-hour panga ride north of La Paz, is the pinnacle of the Sea of Cortez marine environment within day-trip range. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve island has sea lion colonies, whale sharks, mobula ray schools, hammerhead shark aggregations (at the deep water pinnacles, requiring scuba), and remote sand beaches accessible only by sea. Kayaking Espíritu Santo's coastline (with camping on the island beaches) is a 3 to 5 day trip.

The mangrove channels around the La Paz bay provide a productive kayaking environment for bird watching — herons, spoonbills, frigatebirds, and pelicans are resident. The calm water of the inner bay is ideal for beginners.

Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For Mexican tide data, consult SEMAR at digmer.semar.gob.mx.