Gaviota Island & Lovers Cove

Gaviota Island, known locally as Boobie Island, is a smallish island located in the Sea of Cortez, inside the Bay of La Paz, about a 45-minute boat ride from the capital city of La Paz. The island's main attraction is the blue-footed booby rookery, which is home to a large population of about 5,000 of these unique birds. Frigate birds also frequent this rocky island, as do a significant number of pelicans. As you approach the island from any direction it looks as if it has just snowed. The island is white, due to the huge number of birds nesting there.

Blue-footed boobies are a seabird that is known for their distinctive blue feet, which is the result of the pigments in their diet. The birds are also known for their impressive courtship rituals, which involve elaborate dances and displays of their bright blue feet.

Gaviota Island is one of the best places to see blue-footed boobies in their natural habitat, north of the Galapagos Islands. Visitors can sometimes observe the birds performing their courtship displays, hunting for fish in the surrounding waters, and caring for their young in the rookery. Boobie Island blocks north winds and to some degree west winds to form a quiet cove and half-moon sandy beach known as Lover’s Cove about five minutes away from the island. The cliffs behind the J shaped sand beach block east winds. Over the years, Baja Charters provided the yachts, and this idyllic cove beach provided the setting, for surprise engagements and beach weddings. Hence, it has become Lover’s Cove. The beach is usually deserted, and there is a rock reef with corals and colorful tropical fish on its north edge. It’s a great place to kayak, snorkel, and just hang out. And the sea lion colony of San Rafaelito is just 7 minutes away by boat, making this a perfect spot to anchor, send a tender to the sea lions, or just kick back and enjoy life.