One more trip to revillagigedo’s islands, starting our odessy at San Benedicto island our ride from the baja peninsula was good and diving at the canyon as usual for a check up dive. We experience slow action but saw a huge yellow fin tuna that aproached to us so close that we almost could touch it if you where a avid angler you would get a record.
We moved into the Boiler for Mantas. We were lucky to have we us very recognised Scientists that study Mantas and Sharks, one of them is Dr. Rubin from California University and Dr. Mauricio Hoyos from CICIMAR and Dr. Stevens. They were on the expedition to install some recivers and to tag some Mantas and Sharks. We enjoyed cocktail hour listening the research that they been doing on the archipelago of Revillagigedo.
Heading to Socorro to the routine inspection from the Mexican NAVY a mandatory stop at this biosphere reserve, after clearing the inspection we headed to Punta Tosca, conditions wherent optimal as we wished but some of the guest took advantage of the Kayaks and enjoyed the inner bay of Punta Tosca, everybody was waiting for the night snorkel with Silky Sharks, some of them were sceptical but as soon as they saw the sharks coming from everywhere they had a blast. Jorge a guy from Spain was completely amazed, first time they had been with silky sharks. The snorkel ended with a warm cup of cocoa that Silvia our hostess pampered us with her prime service.
Heading to Roca Partida first dive we spoted dolphins visibility was improved a lot so you could admire tons of marine life that the tiny rock in the middle of the Ocean has, schools of yellow fin tuna, even a Dusky shark and we haven’t seen one of those in a long time. On our second dive we had an encounter with the biggest fish of the planet abouth 6mts long and still that size consider a juvenile, all of us saw it and everybody was excited specially Joel from California a very experienced diver for 37yrs had his first encounter and it make history. Guess what? Next dive we saw it again, along with an extra bonus on our third dive some of them saw the Dusky shark that was tagged by Dr. hoyos
Divemaster Pedro Cervantes
This trip was very helpful for science. My colleagues from The University of California were here and I dived with them to set their receivers. We are sharing information and it is good to know where their receivers are because I may have to change the battery and retrieve the information for them once in a while. In San Benedicto we had the best dive ever in the north part of the island with four giant mantas and a huge scalloped hammerhead female. Socorro was not that good because the weather was not in our side but we could retrieve the receiver they had there.
Roca Partida was amazing. We saw a species that I did not now we had there (dusky shark) and I think that is the biggest grey shark that I have seen in my life. It was at least 3 m long! I wanted to tag silky sharks but I was told by Joel (the dive master) that she is resident and that’s why I tagged next dive. After we set the new receiver in the west side of Roca Partida we went to the south end and there it was. When I saw it it was at about 80 ft and when I came closer it started to go deeper and deeper. My 100 ft alarm sounded and suddenly it turned to see me and I took advantage of that move to set the transmitter in the right side of the shark behind the first dorsal fin. I am very excited because it’s the first record for our project of this species and I tagged so in a few months we will know more about their behaviour around the rock.
Also I was happy to know that the sharks I tagged last trip in April are still there since several divers showed me pictures of them swimming healthy with a very good healing around the theater of the transmitter. I saw a juvenile whale shark in Roca and it is the first time ever that I have seen this species here, so it was amazing. Now we are in the Sea of Cortez and it is whale shark season so maybe we will be lucky.
Dr. Hoyitos
Son la una y media de la tarde y estamos en el mar de Cortez,frente a la costa de B.C.S.Termine de hacer el luch y estube disfrutando de la vista y el aire fresco, atravez de la ventana de la cocina. Me alegra ver como la gente, disfruta de su estancia y desde luego de la comida que hago. Estoy agradecido por la oportunidad de estar trabajando en el Nautilus y tener Buenos companeros de trabajo.
Chef Juan Carlos
