Cabo Pulmo – El Bajo (Fish Tornado) – Cabo San Lucas & Los Cabos

Site Overview

Cabo Pulmo's El Bajo is the legendary home of the famous Fish Tornado, one of the most spectacular underwater phenomena on Earth where thousands of big-eye jacks form a massive, swirling vortex that divers can enter and experience from within. This submerged seamount rises from deep water within Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has seen a remarkable 460% increase in fish biomass since its protection, making it one of the most successful marine reserves in the world. The Fish Tornado typically forms between June and November when massive schools of big-eye jacks aggregate around the seamount creating a living cyclone of silver bodies that blocks out the sunlight and creates an otherworldly experience for divers swimming through its centre. Beyond the jacks, El Bajo delivers extraordinary predator encounters with bull sharks patrolling the reef from October through December, whale sharks visiting during plankton blooms, and giant groupers that have grown enormous in the protected waters. Sea turtles glide through the reef systems while black coral gardens adorn the deeper walls. The seamount's exposure to open Sea of Cortez currents brings constant nutrient supply supporting the incredible abundance of life. This is advanced diving due to the strong currents, depth, and remote location 60 kilometres from Cabo San Lucas, but the rewards are unmatched anywhere in the Baja California peninsula. Every diver who experiences the Fish Tornado describes it as a life-changing encounter with the raw power and beauty of a healthy ocean ecosystem.