If you want some manta lovin’ of your own, come and get it.

After finishing another “Jaws”-dropping season with the great white sharks at Guadalupe Island we have returned to our home for the rest of the year here at the Islas Revillagigedo, also known as the Socorro Islands. Into my 6th season as Captain here at the islands it’s always nice to return to the familiar sights and smells. This time of the year hurricane season has ended, and the Socorro Islands have just had months of rain dumped on them. They are covered in low shrubs and plants and are a beautiful green in color.
On arriving to the biggest island of Socorro itself the contrast in the smell of the ocean air compared to the sweet smell of earth and grass is enough to tell you that you have arrived. Today we dove at one of our most famous dive sites, “The Boiler”, at the island of San Benedicto. A volcanic pinnacle rising up from the 150′ seafloor to within 10′ of the surface, it attracts loads of fish and big pelagic animals. Traditionally one our best giant manta sites, today we enjoyed at least 2 or 3 individual giant pacific mantas throughout the day. The amazing part of diving with the mantas here is the interaction you can experience with them. Whether they are circling you repeatedly while looking into your eyes, hovering close enough over top of you to make contact, or just hanging out with you throughout your dive, they really give a sense that they want to be there with you. We call it manta love, and it’s some good lovin’.
Tomorrow morning we’re gonna drop in for an early morning dive at ‘The Canyon’ in search of Hammerhead sharks and, if we’re really lucky, maybe even a Thresher shark! Then tomorrow evening we head for Roca Partida, the mecca of big animal diving, where we have the chance to see hammerheads, dolphins, mantas, whale sharks, etc…maybe even all in one dive. If you want some manta lovin’ of your own, come and get it.
– Captain Gordon Kipp
Diving conditions: water temp 28C, viz 20-25m, current moderate
Surface conditions: air temp 32C, partly sunny, light wind