Sea Lions and Sea Birds at Los Islotes in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico

Los Islotes is a group of small islands in the Sea of Cortez of Baja Mexico. These islands are inhabited by a large colony of California sea lions, many of whom will swim and play with snorkelers or divers. The islands are also used for nesting by thousands of sea birds, and the white splashes covering the islands are bird poop, not snow!

Since Los Islotes is a very popular day boat trip from La Paz, the American Safari Cruises small ship Safari Quest visits the islands early in the morning for snorkeling and riding around the islands in the inflatable skiff. The snorkeling is terrific! The females and young will swim out and play with the boat and the snorkelers--just be sure to keep your fingers away from their sharp teeth! The 24 photos on these two pages show just how much fun the sea lions can be and how interesting the rocky islands of Los Islotes are.