Day 3 – Espíritu Santo Island & Los Islotes: Playground of the Sea Lions

Martin Gomez   Sep 30, 2026

 

A Week in the Sea of Cortez Aboard the Valentina

Day 3 – Espíritu Santo Island & Los Islotes: Playground of the Sea Lions

By Day 3, something interesting was beginning to happen.

The sound of the anchor didn't seem quite as loud anymore.

Maybe the crew was being quieter.

Or perhaps we were simply becoming accustomed to life aboard the Valentina.

Either way, at around 5:00 AM, the unmistakable sound of the anchor being raised worked better than any alarm clock.

Time to get out of the bunk.

After a good night's sleep, a hot shower was the perfect way to start another full day of diving. A few minutes later, we were climbing upstairs in search of the most important piece of equipment before an early-morning dive:

a cup of coffee.

The Valentina Was Already Awake

While most of us were just beginning our day, the crew was already hard at work.

In the galley, Chef Oswaldo and his daughter were preparing our continental breakfast: water, juice, yogurt, fresh fruit, cereal and, of course, plenty of hot coffee.

Outside, the Sea of Cortez was waking up around us.

Then came another familiar sound aboard the Valentina.

The bell rang.

It was time for the dive briefing.

And today's destination was one we had all been looking forward to:

Los Islotes

 

Located at the northern end of Espíritu Santo Island, Los Islotes is famous for its colony of California sea lions.

The plan was ambitious and simple:

Four dives around different sections of the same rocky islets.

But our first dive would begin with a little extra adventure.

There had been reports of hammerhead sharks in the area.

And we were going to look for them.

Into the Blue – Searching for Hammerheads

Our first dives would begin along the northern section of Los Islotes.

We descended to more than 80 feet, with Lorenzo leading the search.

The idea was to locate the thermocline—the layer where the water temperature changes noticeably—which could potentially help us identify the area where hammerheads had recently been reported.

So we left the protection of the rocks and looked outward.

Into the blue.

Lorenzo in front.

The rest of us following.

For more than ten minutes, we searched the open water.

We looked ahead.

Below.

Into the distance.

Every shadow makes you look twice when you are searching for hammerheads.

But this time, the Sea of Cortez decided to keep them hidden.

No hammerheads today.

That's diving.

Wild animals don't follow our schedules, and there are never guarantees.

So we turned around and headed back toward Los Islotes.

And what was waiting for us there quickly made us forget about the sharks.

Recess Time!

 

As we approached the shallower areas around the rocks, the real stars of Los Islotes began to appear.

The juvenile sea lions.

And apparently…

it was recess time!

The adult sea lions first came closer to inspect the divers.

We were the visitors, after all.

Once our presence had been checked out, the younger sea lions began entering the water.

And suddenly the entire dive changed.

They came toward us with the curiosity and energy of puppies.

Swimming directly at us.

Turning away at the last second.

Circling around our bubbles.

Diving underneath us.

Coming back for another look.

Then disappearing toward the rocks before returning again.

Puppies of the Sea

There is a reason divers often describe young sea lions as underwater puppies.

They love to play.

And they are incredibly curious.

One might swim straight toward your mask, stare at you for a moment, twist its body effortlessly and shoot away.

Another might follow your fins.

Then another suddenly appears from behind.

For the diver, the challenge is often simply to relax and enjoy the show.

These are wild animals in their own environment, and they decide whether or not they want to interact with us.

On this particular morning, some of them definitely wanted to play.

The result was one of those diving experiences that is difficult to fully explain to someone who has never experienced it.

You're underwater, surrounded by schools of fish, next to a rocky island in the middle of the Sea of Cortez…

and a young sea lion is looking directly into your mask.

For a few seconds, there is nothing else in the world.

Four Dives Around Los Islotes

 

And that was only our first dive.

Throughout the day, we completed four dives in different areas around Los Islotes, exploring different sides of the rocky formations.

Each dive had its own personality.

Sometimes we concentrated on the sea lions.

At other times, we simply enjoyed the enormous schools of fish surrounding the rocks.

The amount of marine life was impressive.

Fish moved around the reef in large groups while sea lions appeared and disappeared among them.

As we worked our way around the islets, we could explore the different underwater terrain and observe the colony from different perspectives.

And, of course, whenever the juveniles decided it was time to play again…

everything else became secondary.

The Liveaboard Rhythm

By now, we were completely adapting to the routine aboard the Valentina.

Dive.

Back to the boat.

Eat.

Talk about what we had just seen.

Rest.

Check the cameras.

Get the equipment ready.

And then…

Dive again.

Four dives in one day may sound exhausting.

But aboard a liveaboard, everything revolves around diving.

There is no driving back to a hotel.

No loading tanks into vehicles.

No carrying equipment across parking lots.

Your gear is waiting for you.

The dive site is outside.

Food is being prepared.

And between dives, there is time to sit, relax, enjoy the scenery and talk with the other divers.

Then the bell rings again.

And somehow, everyone suddenly has energy.

Another Incredible Day in the Sea of Cortez

By the end of our fourth dive, we had circled different sections of Los Islotes, searched the blue for hammerheads, explored the rocks, swum among huge schools of fish and, most importantly, spent an unforgettable day sharing the water with the sea lions.

We didn't find the hammerheads.

But that's one of the lessons the ocean teaches you over and over again:

You can go into the water looking for one thing and come back having experienced something completely different.

And sometimes, what you didn't expect becomes the best part of the dive.

As another day aboard the Valentina came to an end, the routine was becoming wonderfully familiar:

Dive. Eat. Rest. Repeat.

But nothing about the diving itself was becoming routine.

Not here.

Not in the Sea of Cortez.

Day 3 – Dive Log

 Location: Los Islotes – Espíritu Santo Island
 Four dives around different areas of the islets
 First dive: 80+ ft during the hammerhead search
 Thermocline search in deeper water
 Mission: Search for reported hammerhead sharks
 California sea lion colony
 Close encounters with playful juvenile sea lions
 Large schools of fish throughout the reef

No hammerheads this time…

but plenty of underwater puppies!

And after four dives, another great day in the Sea of Cortez was complete.

Next: Day 4 – The Valentina continues deeper into our Sea of Cortez adventure.