Location: Roca Partida, Socorro Island, Islas de Revillagigedo, Mexico
Comments: Roca Partida, the little rock in the middle of the big ocean. It is always interesting to be up at dawn as we arrive and guests see Roca Partida for the first time. My two favourite quotes are “I thought you were kidding” and “You have got to be crazy.” Roca Partida is a lava plug from a volcano and the top of the volcano is 250 feet below sea level. Around the volcano is 10,000 feet below sea level. The nearest island is Socorro 70 miles away. This creates an oceanic oasis providing food in what is otherwise a fairly desert-like environment. Which is why we dive there and once again Roca Partida lived up to its reputation. We saw Silvertip sharks, Galapagos sharks, Silky sharks, Hammerheads and White Tipped Reef sharks. There was a school of jacks at between 60 and 80 feet that stayed off the north point for both the days that we were there. The night of the full moon coincided with our night at Roca Partida which always makes for a spectacular evening on the “moon deck,” especially when combined with the flat seas that we were experiencing. A good omen for the rest of the trip.
–DM Tricia
Weather: Air temp 83°F, sunny, light breeze, low swell
Water: Water temp 71°F, visibility 80 feet