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Striped marlin, Bahia Magdalena, Baja California, Mexico
 

This week, we showcase an excellent underwater photographer and a special dive destination in the same feature, as we take a close look at the work of Evans Baudin, owner and founder of the Baja Shark Experience in Baja California.

In the past few years, the Sea of Cortez has become famous for its numerous big animal encounters in pelagic water, where it is possible to swim with many different species of sharks, humpback whales, large schools of mobula rays, striped marlin, and the ocean’s ultimate predator, the killer whale, or orca. Evans has photographed all of these iconic subjects, and if his portfolio doesn’t make you want to dust off your wide-angle lens and dome port and travel to Baja to join one of his pelagic safaris, then nothing will!

Before he settled in Mexico and established the Baja Shark Experience, Evans spent years traveling and learning about sharks in some of the most well-known shark diving destinations on the planet. Between 2010 and 2013, he was involved in a variety of shark conservation programs in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, and spent a year on Malapascua Island, where he studied the behavior of thresher sharks and the impacts and benefits of shark tourism. After four years working in Asia, he then worked as a dive guide in other well-known shark diving destinations such as French Polynesia, the Bahamas and Playa del Carmen.

In late 2016, he arrived in Baja California and soon became the director of an ocean safari operation focused on interactions with the region’s diverse marine life. The project gave him the opportunity to explore the wonders of the Sea of Cortez, where he soon discovered an incredible shark paradise, and decided to set up his own company to share these epic encounters with others.

Evans has his own style and way of capturing each subject that give his images a unique and distinctive look. There are no macro critters or coral reefs on display here, just an impressive variety of apex predators photographed in blue water. The best thing about the images Evans has shared with us is that you don’t even need to be a qualified diver to capture them: All of these magical moments were shot at the surface while snorkeling. So, if freediving, big animals and open ocean safaris are your thing, be sure to contact Evans and join him on a trip exploring the Gulf of California—you never know what you may find there!
 

Orcas, Bahia Magdalena, Baja California, Mexico
 

Mako shark, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Mobula rays, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Humpback whale, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Striped marlin hunting a baitball, Bahia Magdalena, Baja California, Mexico
 

Orcas, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Whale shark, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Blue shark, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Tiger shark, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Humpback whale, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Mako shark, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Mobula rays in black and white, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
 

Evans in his boat surrounded by mobulas!
 

To see more of Evans’ images and learn more about diving in Baja, you can follow him on Instagram or check out his website, www.bajasharkexperience.com.