Sardine Run in Baja California, Mexico

Once a year between October and December, the combination of favorable conditions make Baja California, Mexico an ideal destination to witness one of the most vital and spectacular marine interactions: the sardine run. Thousands of fish gathered together attract hunters like the powerful and agile striped marlins and sea lions, to take advantage of it and to gorge themselves on the massive bait balls. From above, birds are often also joining the feast and giving freedivers and snorkelers the direction on where to find the action. And every now and then, other underwater predators like sharks, dolphins and whales can be sighted as well.

Experiencing this is a dream for many ocean lovers. When you head out into the open Pacific in a small boat, always looking for birds on the horizon. Once the action is found, it’s all about speed. The boat has to get to the action quickly; if there are a lot of predators in the water, the spectacle can be over within a few seconds or minutes, and everyone will have had their fill. As soon as we arrive, we quickly get into the water and feel immediately like we’re in one of the mind-blowing nature documentaries that we love so much.