Diving off Clarion Island is the kind of experience that leaves even the most seasoned divers speechless. But don’t just take our word for it — read on to see what it’s like to dive in these wild waters in this personal scuba travel blog.
Clarion Island, Mexico, is situated farthest west of the Revillagigedo Archipelago. The topography of Clarion is somewhat similar to the other three in this remote group of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean. With sharp cliff faces rising from the sea, what sets Clarion apart is the thin covering of lush green grass. You wouldn’t be surprised if someone told you that this was the North Sea and the landscape before you was Ireland.
This is the first impression that you get as you approach Clarion. As you get closer, you will be overawed by the rising pyramids and domes and lava flows frozen in time. It is as if an artist is at work, painting the island in colors across the spectrum. From deep blacks to browns, oranges, and reds, topped off by ocean blues and the emerald-green grass on top. It is all so surreal with nature being at its best.
If this is above the water, guess how unbelievably amazing it will surely be underwater.
Stay tuned and follow us on our dives…
💡 Fun Fish Fact: The Clarion angelfish is an endemic species (they can only be found around the Socorro Islands!). They are just one example of the ‘Incredible Marine Life of the Socorro Islands’.
First Day Diving Clarion Island
We arrived at Clarion on an early foggy morning, with the island looking mysterious from a distance. But soon we settled in for our first dive on Roca Monumento from a stunning site full of big drop-offs, drifts, and pinnacles. It was a grand success. We were soon surrounded by playful dolphins swimming close in to check on us, a tiger shark, and some juvenile sharks. The first dive set the bar pretty high, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us.
The fun is not over yet!
Last Day in Clarion
Most of us woke up with mixed feelings. It was difficult to think that this would be our last day in Clarion, a paradise on earth. After a light breakfast, Dani briefed us about ‘Roca Pyramid’, and we headed out for the first dive.
First Dive 8 am
We were yet to get our feet wet when Dani spotted some dolphins. We rushed to hit the water with our cameras running, and at 18m we hit gold. Three dolphins swam around us and gave us quite a show! After some time, they headed out to the sea. Though we stayed in the water for some time, we had to be content with this one marvelous interaction. Then, we headed back to the boat for some rest and another round of breakfast.
Second Dive 11 am – An Unforgettable Humpback Encounter
As we made our way for the last dive of the day, Dani dropped a bit farther away from the dive site above the sandy bottom. We dropped down to about 22m and continued over the sand for at least 20 minutes without seeing anything except some sea stars.
And then in a flash, out of nowhere, from the right side, a humpback whale calf, accompanied by two dolphins, approached us. I caught a glimpse of the tail fin in the blue water, but they were gone even before I could start my GoPro. It was a 3-second encounter, but a scene that I will not forget till my dying day.
We all stared at each other, excited and in disbelief. Did it really happen? Luckily, we had proof as Dani was able to catch the animals on his cell phone. So, it was not a dream after all, and an already awesome trip had just been taken to the next level. A 45-minute dive for these 3 seconds of action was more than we could have asked for.
– Logged by Mathias from Switzerland with a massive smile 😀
Ready to dive into adventure? Here’s everything you need to know about “Scuba Diving Socorro”.
