Mobula Ray Conservation Expeditions

Our goal of these expeditions is not only to bring you face to face with these beautiful creatures but to explore and find areas where mating activity and schooling events for Mobula munkiana occur. One of the first nurseries ever discovered was recently found in these waters by Marta. Mating and nursery areas are highly correlated for mobula species, therefore finding new mating grounds around this region will allow us to identify possible new nursery areas. These nurseries are critical habitats for the population and with your help we are hoping to discover more and help push for these areas to be protected. You will have the opportunity to get directly involved with research activities that will help us better understand these mobula rays. Your assistance during these expeditions will directly contribute towards conservation efforts to protect these incredible creatures.

Research activities will include surveys of the abundance of rays, a census of possible pregnant females & juveniles in different areas, zooplankton tows & census, surveying microplastics in the water, observing & filming pregnant females, courtship, & mating displays, as well as collecting environmental data and more. However you are not required to partake in research activities if you do not want to. You are more than welcome to just come along to enjoy being in the water with the schools of mobulas.

Please note that this expedition is not scuba diving based - it is snorkeling and freediving. All the action takes place at the surface so there is no need for scuba equipment. Orcas sometimes hunt Mobula Rays by using a form of bubble netting. So the bubbles and noise created from scuba equipment tend to cause the schools to disperse quickly. Additionally, to better preserve the natural behaviors of these animals it is best done as a soft interaction without bubbles and heavy equipment. You do not need to be scuba certified or freediving certified to join these expeditions, but you do need to be comfortable swimming in the open ocean where you can not see the bottom. 

Our meeting point for this expedition is at Dive Ninja Expeditions HQ in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The nearest airport is Los Cabos International Airport (airport code SJD). Los Cabos International is also known as San Jose del Cabo International Airport by some airlines. Guests will meet at the Dive Ninjas HQ and be transferred to our accommodation and base camp about 2 hours north of Cabo. Our reservations team can help set up a transfer from the airport to the Dive Ninja HQ for you if you like. Los Cabos airport is serviced daily with domestic & international flights. We recommend arriving a day early to give you some time to relax and a little padding in case of any travel delays. Easy direct flights can be found from many cities in the US and Mexico. From the US flights are quite cheap – especially from the west coast and southwest US. From Europe flights are very affordable and usually include a layover in the southwest US or Mexico City. If transiting through the US please check in advance to see if you will need a US transit visa.