Coronado Island

Coronado Island, just 4 km from Loreto's harbour, hosts one of the largest California sea lion colonies in the Sea of Cortez — more than 700 individuals use the island's rocky shores as a haul-out — and the curious juveniles routinely follow divers down to 18 m in a non-stop circus of spirals and mock charges. The rocky reefs surrounding the island are blanketed in golden and purple gorgonians at depth, while shallower areas hide moray eels, king angelfish, and dense populations of bumphead parrotfish grazing noisily across encrusting algae. Current patterns around the island's south point concentrate schooling fish and occasionally funnel in pelagic visitors including manta rays and whale sharks.