We’ve just left Roca Partida and are on our way back in Cabo San Lucas to disembark and prepare for our next trip back to the Socorro Islands. The highlight of this trip was definitely the diving at Roca Partida. Our one day at Socorro Island was a little disappointing as far as big animals and dive conditions, however one cool thing we noted was that’s it’s now turtle mating season. On two different occasions yesterday I watched through the bridge windows two green turtles locked in a steamy embrace. Maybe “steamy” is being a little generous. Watching turtles mate is a little, pun intended, anticlimactic. The male basically climbs on top of the female and for all intents appears to just lay on top of her, while they float around on the surface, for an extended period of time. I watched both couples yesterday for about an hour without any sign of, well, anything other than the fact that they were locked in embrace. As I said, anticlimactic, for me at least. Maybe they were just cuddling?
Another male green turtle took a shining to one of our guests as well yesterday while she was snorkeling at Cabo Pearce. The turtle followed her around, staying close enough to paw at her head with it’s flipper as it followed her along for quite a while. Luckily our guest escaped without any further incident. Divemaster Joel encountered another male turtle at Pta Tosca, who, as Joel described to me after, was very obviously displaying his “desire” for a mate. I’ll let you use your imagination. So, back to Roca Partida. Bottlenose dolphins spent the entire one hour dive with us this morning. On the same dive a giant Pacific Manta spent about 20 minutes playing with a few of our guests, while big galapagos, silver tips, silkies and white tip reef sharks circled through huge schools of black jacks, cotton-mouth jacks, creole fish and big eyed trevallys at the north point. A few hammerheads were spotted cruising by as well. On our previous day at Roca Partida we had a whale shark making several passes around the island. Very large yellow-fin tuna and wahoo could be seen on all of our dives here this week. A great finish to a great trip.
– Captain Gordon Kipp
After 4 weeks of time off, being back in Socorro makes me smile and be thankful for being so lucky to spend so much time in this place!! Thanks for all this life and diversity!!
Roca Partida has been the highlight of the trip again! I just love that place!! So many sharks and fish and on top of all that she gave us a whale shark that decided to swim two or three times in front of all the divers.
Water 24 C Visb 25mts
Air temp 30C
Sunny most of the time.
– Joel, divemaster
Captain's Log – Turtle erotica… I watched through the wheelhouse windows as 2 green turtles locked in a steamy embrace. Or maybe they were just cuddling.
