Socorro Islands Liveaboard Diving

Liveaboard Diving in Socorro Islands

What to Expect on a Socorro Islands Liveaboard

Liveaboard diving in the Socorro Islands offers divers Mexican Pacific diving at its best. The Socorro Islands, officially known as the Revillagigedo Archipelago, is a group of four volcanic islands located in the Pacific Ocean about 400km (250mi) off the coast of the southern tip of Baja California, a southwestern state of Mexico. This is a paradise for many large species of pelagic species, such as many species of sharks, including hammerheads, silky, silver tip and white tips, Humpback whales, and dolphins. They are also especially known for the many large Manta Rays which inhabit this area.

These islands are only accessible via liveaboard, and because the islands are all mostly uninhabited, this is the perfect way to get away from the busy cities and get a good quality experience with some of the best the oceans have to offer with these amazing dive cruises. Liveaboard.com currently offers six different liveaboards which visit these sites, all different to suit anyone's desires.

Socorro Islands Underwater

Completely isolated, uninhabited islands in the world's largest ocean create a unique experience above and below the water, making for a fairly exciting dive tour. The visibility of the water here varies from 15-50m (49-164ft), and water temperatures range from 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) up to 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit). They are part of a protected biosphere reserve, and many conservation organizations are working around here to preserve the unique wildlife which inhabits and passes here. Socorro diving area is not a coral reef, so do not expect bright colors everywhere, but once you spot the spectacular marine wildlife, you won't be able to focus on much else anyway!

Dive Sites/Areas Of Socorro Islands

SAN BENEDICTO: The most popular area for coming up and close to Giant Pacific Manta Rays is a famous cleaning station named The Boiler. You are bound to see multiple curious Mantas with a wingspan up to 8m (24ft).

SOCORRO ISLAND: The most popular of the four islands, it is a paradise for pelagics. From January till March, you can swim with Dolphins; from January through April, there are thousands of Humpback whales in their breeding season, and throughout the year, there are numerous Manta Rays and sharks; Silky, Galapagos, white tip, and silver tip sharks.

ROCA PARTIDA: The smallest island of the four, this is a pinnacle that attracts large schools of Jacks and Tuna; the small crevices inhabit many smaller species, and at around 13m (40ft), some caves inhabit multiple sharks. A diverse ecosystem.

CLARION ISLAND: an island made up of three volcanic peaks, it has its own Angelfish named after the island, the Clarion Angelfish is often seen cleaning the large pelagic species. From January through April, you will also see Humpback whales swim past here.

Top Tips For Divers

Socorro is a more advanced diving area as sometimes there are strong currents and big waves, and most dive spots are quite deep; however, each liveaboard has its minimum dive experience level, and most expect having your Advanced Open water with at least 50 logged dives, but there are a few which only need you to have your Open Water and no minimum logged dives. Please always check this before booking; remembering your dive logs/logbooks is important. It is possible to rent equipment, but it will be more comfortable to use your own gear, so if possible, bring that with you. With the large diversity of marine life, you will have the chance to see; it would be worth bringing an underwater camera to capture the memories.

The main language is Spanish. However, English is widely spoken around the country and in the liveaboards. The currency is the Mexican Peso, and you can easily exchange all popular currencies, such as US dollars and Euros, etc.

The power plugs are the same as in the US; two flat prongs with the standard voltage being 127V. Please remember to bring an adaptor for all your electrics if you are not coming from the US.

Socorro is a year-round dive area, but what you hope to see differs per month. Socorro has the calmest seas from November to May, with the waters being around 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) in November, 21 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit) in February, and back up to 25 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) in May. These winter months also bring with them the main spectacles; the thousands of humpback whales that come here to breed and many manta rays. The visibility here depends solely on the plankton in the water, which depends on the moon, but in general, the visibility is great.

Getting To Socorro Islands

Mexico liveaboards are the only way to access this amazing area. Socorro dive cruises depart from two ports, these are Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. These are both cities in the state of Baja California and located in the most Southern municipality Los Cabos in Mexico. The closest international airport to these two cities is Los Cabos International Airport, which has flights arriving from the United States, Canada, and other Mexican Cities.