Los Candeleros
Loreto · Mexico
Los Candeleros — named for the cathedral-like rock spires that pierce the surface near Danzante Island — offers one of the most photogenic shallow-reef dives in the central Sea of Cortez, with rocky pinnacles descending from 3 m to 18 m draped in jewel-like encrusting invertebrates and patrolled by a resident school of over 300 bigeye jacks that forms a living tornado above the tallest spire. Leopard grouper cruise the base of the pinnacles hunting juvenile fish while panamic sergeant majors guard yellow egg patches on the vertical rock faces, aggressively fanning with their fins to keep them oxygenated.
Conditions
Depth
3 to 18 m
Good for beginners
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
12 to 22 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
17 to 31°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 18 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 19 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Panamic Sergeant Major
Last confirmed May 12, 2026 · 69 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Common Side-Blotched Lizard
Last confirmed May 13, 2026 · 53 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Longspined Porcupinefish
Last confirmed Jun 27, 2026 · 72 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Sally Lightfoot Crab
Last confirmed Jun 27, 2026 · 62 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Northern Cardinal
Last confirmed May 24, 2026 · 77 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Xantus'S Hummingbird
Last confirmed May 6, 2026 · 58 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Leopard Grouper
Last confirmed Apr 26, 2026 · 13 records
Very likely
Most dives
Cortez Electric Ray
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear