After a bumpy ride back home on the last trip the wind had abated and seas calmed enough to allow for a very pleasant crossing from Cabo San Lucas to our first stop of the Socorro Island, San Benedicto. The seas were rough on the ride in with very unusual weather. No associated fronts or low’s or anything like that. Just a general uneasiness throughout the Pacific basin with the biggest seas we have seen in quite a few years. 31 hours of steaming to get home using reduced power to make for an easier ride which meant we got into Cabo in the middle of the night.. The Nautilus is a beautiful ship and the most guests slept through most of it. Nice to revert back to a typically smooth crossing southbound. Whale spouts and dolphins greeted us as we approached the island and the mild rolling of the vessel abated as we rounded the southern tip of the island and dropped anchor in the lee of the volcanic shore. Our first dive site of this trip was the Canyon, a popular spot for schooling hammerhead sharks, humpback whales, and giant manta rays.
Visibility beneath the surface today was unfortunately quite low, probably due to the inclement weather of the previous days stirring up the volcanic ash which makes up the shoreline here. After a quiet check-out dive with no big animals spotted the visibility did increase a little and allowed for two good dives in the afternoon. Two giant manta rays were spotted on dive two, although interaction was limited, and many of the divers encountered a small school of hammerheads who approached quite close. Overall a very good day and a good start to this week of diving.
Captain Gordon Kipp
Surface conditions: skies clear early, clouding over in the afternoon, air temp 74-78F, seas calm in the anchorage.
Diving conditions: Current mild, visibility 3m – 15m, water temp 74-76F.
Photo on the left – Divemaster Pedro apologizing that we only have 38 different micro-brew beer to choose from on this trip
Photo on the right – “no kidding, the giant manta was this big –>> evening cocktail hour before dinner on the Nautilus Explorer”
Bumpy ride home from Socorro and San Benedicto Island with the biggest seas we have seen in many years.
