Socorro Islands is a dream destination for any diver, given its fantastic location and picturesque landscape, and teeming marine life under the surface. I have been here before on the Nautilus and have been dying to come back since. Now, I am here again after 15 years on board the Nautilus with my three adult sons in tow. I want them to be up close to nature and experience first-hand the many marvels of undersea life.
Underwater Encounters with Fascinating Mantas
We are on a five-day trip to the Socorro Islands and as usual, the location has not disappointed us. We hit gold on the third dive of the first day. As soon as we got down to 25 meters, we spotted a large Manta with two large remoras on her head. She headed straight towards me and for a moment I thought that she would crash into me, however, at the last moment she turned and just missed me. She continued to circle and repeated the same maneuver a few times.
The manta is a very intelligent and elegant animal and this individual was especially friendly, it was interested in us and followed us for quite some time. Mantas are like the birds of the sea. What a wonderful encounter with this magnificent creature! This interaction with the mantas was my first time on this Safari and it was just amazing. I feel blessed to see such large animals in their natural environment, making for once-in-a-lifetime moments.
All of us owe this incredible experience to the dive masters and all the crew of the ship for their help in any need, their professional work during the dives, and their kindness to help it make an unforgettable trip.
While talking about the mantas, I should not ignore other marine life as we have also seen sharks and tunas in crazy numbers.
Our interaction with the Mantas continued throughout our trip, up to our last day of diving at The Boiler. Although we had seen several mantas already it was exciting to see two more gentle giants come gliding by. Unfortunately, I was behind the crowd and was feeling increasingly frustrated at trying to see the mantas through all the bubbles from the other divers.
But as soon as I turned to my left, I saw a smaller manta all by himself. He acted as though he wanted to play but was too shy to interact with the other divers. I had my own private encounter with “Phillip” (as I named him) as I watched him dance around me. For several minutes we enjoyed each other’s company before Phillip set sail for other waters and into the deep blue unknown.
Having the chance to see 11 mantas on the first day in the Boiler, curious and playful will always be an unforgettable experience. It was a moment I will cherish forever and was the highlight of a great week aboard The Explorer.
Overall Impressions of this Trip
While our encounters with the mantas have been remarkable, no less incredible have been the times when we have been within handshaking distance with sharks and dolphins. As a first liveaboard experience, this has greatly exceeded all expectations I had when along with my sons, I embarked on this journey. This experience has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is unforgettable and will be etched in our minds for a long time to come. A big thank you to the dolphins at Punta Tosca who allowed us to touch and play with them. It was mind-blowing to see how warmly they welcomed us into their domain.
Studying marine biology has created an appreciation for these species and this trip has accelerated this passion, creating a personal attachment to these individuals and their lifestyles.
