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Trip details | Dates & prices | Itinerary | Socorro | Marine Life of Socorro | When to go |
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| Socorro Giant Manta Ray Dive Liveaboards | |||
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Socorro Island is the largest island in the Revillagigedo Archipelago Biosphere Reserve which is famous worldwide for its giant manta rays. These gentle marine giants can reach up to 7 metres in span and have become increasingly interactive around divers over the past twenty years. On this dive liveaboard trip we plan to visit the islands of Socorro, San Benedicto and Roca Partida. With their steep drop offs and upwelling currents these islands are a magnet for manta rays, sharks and other marine life. The islands are also visited by majestic humpback whales which visit the islands to breed and calve. If you are lucky you may catch sight of them not only above the water but also when diving. Dive liveaboard is the only way to see these islands, not just because you need a self-sufficient floating unit to move between dive sites, but because there are no flights to these islands. To get there, you need to join the boat at Cabo San Lucas on the Mexican Baja California Peninsula. The 240 mile voyage to the islands is a great marine life opportunity in itself, providing you with a peaceful sense of open ocean wilderness and chances to see whales and dolphins above the water. The mid ocean sight of Socorro is of a dramatic volcanic mountain standing thousands of metres above the seabed. Its peak is a perfectly shaped cone and the land beneath a combination of hardened lava and sparse but rare vegetation. There is a surprising diversity of life here including endemic plants and species of bird. The only people permitted onto the island are those stationed at the Mexican naval garrison and their families who live on these remote islands with them. Their lives are a far cry from Mexico City. From Socorro, our next port of call will be either San Benedicto Island or Roca Partida Island. San Benedicto is much smaller than Socorro but attracts a greater variety of pelagic life. Underwater sightings may include tiger sharks, whale sharks and humpback whales - but it is best known as one of the prime locations anywhere to see giant manta rays as they glide gracefully around you at the island's cleaner stations. The island of San Benedicto is still volcanically active and has a large lava delta pushing its way out into the Pacific from the south west part of the island. Weather dependent, we may also visit the tiny island of Roca Partida. It is only 92m from end to end but harbours a large variety of shark species including white tip sharks, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, giant manta rays and even an occasional whale shark. You may also encounter some of the playful bottle nosed dolphins that inhabit the area as well as migrating humpback whales. At a depth of 12 metres there are underwater caves where you can find groups of sleeping white tip reef sharks. If you have time to see more of Mexico or other parts of Latin America such as Belize, Costa Rica, Panama and the Galapagos, Aqua-Firma is a specialist at helping you to do this. Please contact us to discuss the possibilities.
Breaching Manta Rays - Wildlife & Conservation - Responsible Travel - Explore - Dive - Wildlife Holiday & tours - Adventure Travel - Scuba Diving - Nautilus shell holidays - Mexico - Baja California aggressor holiday - Humpback whale diving & snorkelling
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