We will never forget the close encounters we had at Revillagigedo Archipelago, also known as the Socorro Islands. An 11-day trip onboard the Nautilus Undersea which also included Clarion Island threw up before our eyes the full force of Nature’s bounty at its best. As divers, we always keep our expectations low because you never know what to expect when diving at almost virgin sites, untouched by human beings. The best you can do is to take the gifts of the Pacific as they come and get ready for it all.
But what we got to see on this expedition is what dreams are made of, not much different from wildlife movies shot by famous videographers.
Dream Dolphin Encounters
We did not have to wait long to get what all our guests had hoped for – dream encounters with dolphins as our wish was granted in no time. There were lots of them on our first dive at Socorro and we swam at very close quarters with them. In the first lot, seven dolphins were playing with us for a long long time! Then suddenly they left, only to return soon with the rest of the pack in tow! This was incredible! At one point we had more than twenty dolphins surrounding and playing with us.
But this was only the appetizer and more was yet to come. On our second dive, we again had an amazing interaction with these friendly sea creatures when a pod of over 20 dolphins came over to give us divers a look over and play with us. It was truly a magical moment I will remember for the rest of my life.
As a bonus, this dive drew some six or seven different mantas toward us! Some were friendly, some were shy, but all of them were checking on us, wondering probably what we were doing in their domain. We finished the day with a third dive but even though only one manta appeared, it was super friendly and stayed with us for 30 minutes!
What a great day at Punta Tosca! Tonight is Taco night and tomorrow we are diving off Cabo Pearce.
Its Manta Day at Socorro
Mantas are gentle animals and very curious too. They will size you up first and then swim very close to you, sometimes at a touching distance. And you will not be short of mantas when you are diving at Revillagigedo. At any moment you can expect a manta to appear out of the blue and follow and interact with you.
These gentle giants are very smart and I often wonder who is watching who. After an already awesome dive, super sharky with more than five species of sharks, we were ascending slowly when we came upon an incredible situation that none of us was ready for.
A big chevron female came right at us from the deep and circled us closer and closer. She decided to get a massage with our bubbles and everybody had a chance to make a real jacuzzi for her. She did not want to leave and we were really sad to notice that our air was low and it was time to surface. Happily, for us, she did not give up when we were surfacing but stayed with us all the time till we were boarding the skiff.
An interaction like this proves that Mantas are very curious animals and it is the reason why I am always amazed by this archipelago. There is something special and unique about Revillagigedo, and even after thousands of dives all around the globe, this spot never fails to astonish me with all its wonders.
Hospitality at Its Best
Besides the dives, the experience on the ship with the crew, food, and accommodations is more than I could ask for. The chef prepared delicious meals and snacks to keep all the guests beyond satisfied. The captain is always making sure everyone is safe and happy and I am improving my skills underwater thanks to the rest of the dive guides. I feel that such backup support is essential to take the overall diving experience to the next level.
