As we lay in our bunks, we are remembering yesterday’s dives at Punta Tosca where we saw a Tiger Shark, many White Tip Sharks and even a Stingray. Everyone also thoroughly enjoyed the night snorkel with the Silky Sharks off the back of the boat’s platform. Hot chocolate and a delicious warm meal were waiting for us after the snorkel.
This morning, we arrive at Roca Partida, a basalt finger poking out of the Pacific Ocean, a remnant from a previous volcano. The rock is covered in white guano, dropped from the birds who enjoy a rest on it. The sea is rough today and there is no protected anchorage here. The captain, crew, and divers work extra hard to position the boat, safely walk around, provide delicious meals, and load/unload the tenders. Each swell rocks us, and we take one step forward, two steps back, and three steps to the side, etc. to keep balanced. One diver calls it “dancing”.
All four dives at Roca Partida were stunning, with multiple sightings of Giant Manta Rays that approached divers closely – one even performing part of a barrel roll. Hammerhead Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, Silver Tip Sharks, and White Tip Sharks were sighted often. White Tip Sharks of all sizes (babies to adults) could be seen in a pile on the rock’s ledges, one on top of another. A huge Tuna and a silvery Wahoo zoomed by us, swimming amongst the large schools of trigger fish and jacks. It’s magical here. During dinner, we begin moving towards a calmer anchorage on San Benedicto Island, within the Revillagigedo Archipelago.
-Leanne & Stephan Foust, Calgary, Canada
Guest Blog, Nautilus Undersea
