As with all diving, the best location for diving in Rocky Point depends on your experience level, the day, the wind and the tide.
There are three main options.
- Cholla Bay – a local destination, this can be arranged as a short dive or as part of a longer multi-site dive.
- Home Port – This is the pier you see from Wrecked at the Reef and Mare Blu. Begun in 2013 as the future site of cruise ships, the building work is currently stalled. Sea life has taken hold and the pier is teeming with life. At 25 feet, we saw oysters, butterflyfish, damsel fish, bait balls, and more.
- Bird Island / Isla San Jorge – Diving in Bird Island is spectacular. The island is 27 km away by boat and is usually offered as a a day trip. Most shops will arrange for snorkeling or kayaking for non-divers as well.
Our friends at Rocky Point Divers sent us this insider information.
The Sea of Cortez is unique, and as Cousteau described it, the nursery of the Oceans. Puerto Peñasco, being located at the northern end of that Sea, is noted for its extreme tidal exchanges. High and low tide lines routinely exceed 16 vertical feet and is one of the greatest variances in the world. With all that water moving in and out every 12 hours the filter feeders (clams, mussels, oysters and scallops) proliferate. This abundance also spurs a very rich multitude of fish and sea life.
Large marine animals including whales, dolphins and rare whale sharks are well known visitors to Peñasco waters. Isla San Jorge alone has a 4000 strong sea lion rookery.
Scuba divers in Rocky Point are rewarded more fully by moving slowly and looking closely for the smallest of creatures. There is an abundance of shrimp and nudibranchs. We have found elusive seahorses and frogfish too.
Check out the slide show on the Rocky Point Divers Facebook page and enjoy being mobbed at the end by the sea lions.
Diving Resources
- Rocky Point Divers – Based in the Del Mar Charters building by the port. Jim, the instructor is a California native and now splits his time between Phoenix and Rocky Point. Fun Fact – Jose, the owner, also owns the very popular Boo Bar. Call 520-407-6054, find them on Facebook or visit the shop in Old Town.
- The dive shop located inside the Sonoran Sea resort on Sandy Beach. Contact Ericka Reyna at 638-382-8251 or visit the shop – just a short stroll up the beach from Las Palomas
- Rocky Point Diving with Lea Lubeck. Lea is based between Peoria and Puerto Peñasco so is a great option if you’re looking for training. You can do your pool and class learning in the valley and your open water dive in the Sea of Cortez. Contact Lea directly at 928-380-8619
