San Benedicto Island, Socorro, Roca Partida, Cabo San Lucas, Revillagigedo’s
All in all, a variety of climatic conditions this voyage makes for some interest. No more the constant ardor of endless azure skies above, we had a plethora of cloudscapes and weather to enjoy. Departure, Cabo San Lucas: pleasant sunny optimism and best auguries for the commencement of a voyage at sea. We once again took the time to survey the magnificent arches and columns of that eponymous cape.. an excellent photo opportunities to capture a sandy landsend plunging into the aqua sea. Then, our guests were absorbed in their books, presentations by our divemasters and other small diversions for the pedestrian cruise South to our first destination San Benedicto Island.
Land Ho. first light shows an ashen isle before us both in colour and feature; San Benedicto Island is an active volcano with its last major eruption in 1952. We arrive under scattered Stratocumulus above and a wind freshened sea below: forecast values for the day include increasing wind and seas. Our ‘Check Out’ dive complete, we depart from ‘The Canyon’ divesite in the lee of San Benedicto for the exposed pinnacle ‘The Boiler’ off the Northwestern shore and as it’s moniker portends.. its ‘boiling’! Not deterred, we take up anchorage close aboard the subsurface rock and go diving on what is one of our most stellar divesites. While the divers enjoyed the placid depths with shark and mantas, I braved an increasingly tempestuous wind from the confines of the zodiac dive tender; the winds had veered from an unusual SE to SW and brought forth some rather ominous clouds over the distant horizon. It’s not often that I can’t classify a cloud by feature and altitude, but I watched fascinated as these clouds made their progress out of the West. Sure enough, dive completed we were treated to a true tropical downpour of warm intensity.. anchor up and off to the relative sanctuary of ‘the Canyon’ once again. With tumultuous weather comes fantastic sunsets and we were treated to one of the best of the whole voyage.
A remarkably calm overnight jaunt finds us at Soccorro island, our base for the three next days of diving while we await the ‘weather window’ for optimal conditions at the desolate islet Roca Partida. Dive sites are plenty and varied and the Divemasters consult with Captain Mike shoreside and watch the conditions closely to see which site will favor us with the best showing and seascape. Cabo Pearce, Bahia Jorge Lascano, Punta Tosca, the Aquarium.. we do them all; everyone a distinct environment below and beautiful aspect above. Decreasing cloud finds us in mixed sunshine and warm drizzle.. all the ingredients for making the apparition of rainbows on land and sea; surely a kodak moment as cameras were in evidence on every deck.
December 31st. Cabo Pearse. we finish off a toast to the new year in champagne style and sail for Roca Partida upon a silver sea and under a rare ‘Blue Moon’, the second full moon in a calender month.
Already a stellar voyage with Giant Mantas, playful dolphin interaction, a full catalogue of shark sightings and colourful fish of every denomination.. how could we surpass all this you ask? Whale Shark! a crowd favorite, this fellow made appearances every dive and offered a most enthusiastic interaction with our guests. Top all this off with an Cerulean Blue sky from Zenith to Horizon and we know we’ve had a perfectly complete ‘winter’ vacation in Mexico.
Happy New Years all,
Captain Marco
Awaiting optimal conditions Roca Partida – Captain Marco's log
