Location: Roca Partida, Socorro/Revillagigedos, Baja California, Mexico
Comments: Divemaster Sten reports that while yesterday’s diving at Roca Partida was pretty quiet, today was much better with giant manta rays swimming by the divers, a group of 30 – 50 hammerhead sharks circling around the pinnacle as well as a small school of silvertip sharks and other solitary sharks. While the mantas did not appear to want to “play,” they did agree to pose very nicely for our divers’ cameras.
We consider Roca Partida to be the crown jewel of diving Socorro/Revillaigedos but by the very nature of Big Animal diving, it’s not always going to be super hot. Current scientific thinking is that the local population of giant manta rays actually traverse a 1200 km route that takes them by San Benedicto Island, Socorro Island, Roca Partida and then up and across to the west side of Baja California before looping south again.
One of the most fascinating discoveries from Karey Kumli’s fabulous analysis of our manta identification images from last season is that certain giant mantas may have followed the Nautilus Explorer from Island to Island – there is no question of confirmed sightings of particular individuals at San Benedicto Island one day and then further sightings of the SAME giant manta by our divers at Roca Partida the next day. Coincidence? Or do they just like the Nautilus? Can’t wait to get back out there and try to find out.
–Captain Mike
