The Revillagigedo Marine Park — often called the “Socorro Islands” — is one of the wildest, most remote, and least human-impacted dive destinations in the world. The dive sites in Socorro aren’t just dive sites — they’re front-row seats to a real-life National Geographic episode! The underwater seascape is an experience in itself — abyssal plains at depths close to 4,000 meters and sheer drops into deep blue water! With towering pinnacles, sweeping currents, and pelagic giants showing up regularly, it’s no wonder this region has earned a spot on every serious diver’s bucket list.
In this blog, we’re giving you the lowdown on the best dive sites in Socorro, so you know exactly what makes each of these places so special.
Spoiler: you’re going to want to dive all of them!
Dive sites at Socorro Island
Cabo Pearce
A long, finger-like rock formation stretching out into the Pacific, Cabo Pearce is famous for its strong currents and bustling manta ray cleaning stations. Keep your eyes peeled into the blue — schools of hammerheads often cruise by, and you might even spot silky sharks patrolling the area. Divers can take shelter along the sides of the rocky “finger” or tuck in between the boulders and just wait to see what big animal glides by next. Expect the unexpected.
“Dropped down this morning at Cabo Pearce and were greeted by a pod of 15 bottlenose dolphins. They put on quite the show, swimming around the divers and checking everyone out. And before we could catch our breath, 3 beautiful mantas showed up — one black and 2 chevrons. They were getting cleaned by clouds of Clarion angelfish but took some time to make circles around us before heading back to the cleaning station. All the while, we were serenaded by humpback whales. The next dives were just as amazing. Mantas, hammerheads, and Galapagos sharks were our constant companions. I have visited Socorro many times with the Nautilus Explorer and will continue to do so. Best diving in the world with the best crew anyone could hope for. Thank you, Nautilus!”
Bonny (Guest) – March 16, 2025
“Mantas on demand! In all my time diving, I never thought I’d see the day when I would consider manta rays just “part of the scenery.” However, here that has been the case! Cabo Pearce brought a particularly special dive on its second day. We dropped on top of a large school of hammerheads, which then followed us back to the main dive site, alongside a tiger shark and the usual manta mania. Each dive here brings a new special moment, and the brilliant crew of the Belle Amie has made sure that everything, both below and above the water, is as good as it can be. I’m only halfway through the trip, but this is already going down as a must-repeat experience.”
Juan (Guest) – November 2, 2024
Punta Tosca
Welcome to the most colorful corner of the archipelago. Punta Tosca is a series of lava fingers that create a stunning underwater landscape. It stands out for its vibrant underwater topography and a spectrum of marine life, from dazzling macro critters to larger-than-life encounters. Friendly dolphins often swing by for a play session, manta rays soar overhead, and reef sharks patrol the edges, just doing their thing. It’s a visual feast and one of the best dive sites in Socorro for stunning underwater photography.
“I celebrated my 400th dive today with the Nautilus Explorer in the picturesque locale of Punta Tosca at Socorro Island. The dive began with a mesmerizing encounter with a group of several massive oceanic mantas that circled us for a while, hovering over the group, before gracefully swimming away into the sunset. Later in the dive, we saw a free-swimming moray eel, unbothered by the daylight and seemingly on a mission to thrill. Finally, we were joined by a pod of nine dolphins, more friendly and acrobatic than I would have possibly imagined. They stayed with us for several minutes, in no rush to scurry away, before eventually frolicking off to continue their play. Of my 400 dives, truly one of the best!”
Benjamin (Guest) – April 27, 2024
“Punta Tosca dolphins have been the most unpredictable and friendly dolphins of the archipelago this season. One more time, 20 bottlenose dolphins surprised us at the last lava finger of the site. We were hanging out with some super friendly, huge female oceanic manta rays for about 20 minutes, and when we thought that the ocean could not give us more love on one day, the whole family of dolphins showed up. They were so lovely and playful, swimming in circles around us, inviting us to go back to our childhood and literally play on the ground — well, in this case, on the sand. We realized that they enjoyed a lot using the sandy bottom to push their bellies toward it and bounce. Some of them were continuously bouncing, and others were doing 180-degree rolls on the sand. YES, it was totally insane.”
Celina (Dive Guide) – May 3, 2024
Dive sites at San Benedicto Island
The Boiler
This is the spot for unforgettable encounters with giant oceanic manta rays, effortlessly hovering at cleaning stations while vibrant clarion angelfish get to work. Keep your eyes on the blue and don’t forget to glance up — dolphins, tiger sharks, and even whales have been known to cruise through. When conditions are good, you can loop the pinnacle more than once in a single dive, and it’s never the same twice. Warning: serious FOMO incoming — you’ll constantly be wondering what’s happening just out of sight on the other side!
“Socorro has been on my bucket list for years, and it has already exceeded my expectations on day 2. Today we were diving The Boiler, and all four dives were absolutely stunning and unforgettable. The first dive began with a feeding frenzy — Galapagos and silky sharks swam all around us. All of a sudden, mantas appeared, then hammerheads, and I didn’t know where to look or what to film. It was a truly surreal experience. The second dive was a manta party. I have never been surrounded by so many mantas at once. They came so close and moved so elegantly. It was magical. The last two dives were equally amazing, again with mantas and schools of hammerheads. The Boiler stands out as one of the best dive sites I have ever visited. I can’t wait to see what the next days bring but I know that here, anything can happen.”
Marcel (Guest) – January 25, 2025
“Crystal-clear visibility at The Boiler. We were the first group to jump, and it seemed like the animals were waiting for us. As we were descending, we could already see the scalloped hammerheads and huge Galapagos sharks on the edge of the west side of the rock. I could hear them — and very soon, they arrived: at least 12 dolphins swimming toward us. They stayed with us for the entire dive. When we drifted out into the blue, I could see the shimmering shadows of a schooling group of hammerheads. Since we had the dolphins as our companions, we didn’t mind swimming a bit further to them. Hundreds of hammerheads, dolphins, and mantas — all at the same time, all in the same frame! When the hammerheads left, we returned to The Boiler with the dolphins and mantas, but on the way, we encountered a massive school of bonitos that were completely blocking out the sunlight! Yes, believe it or not — all of this happened during a single dive. Guests surfaced hugging each other, feeling so thankful that the Boiler had received us in such a way.”
Celina (Dive Guide) – December 28, 2024
The Canyon
Sharks, sharks, and more sharks. The Canyon is one of the best dive sites in the Socorro Islands to spot a wide variety of shark species. Dive down to the cleaning stations and you’re likely to see silvertips, Galapagos, silkies, tiger sharks, and — the real showstoppers — massive schools of scalloped hammerheads. It’s not uncommon to see hundreds cruising by. Add dolphins, tuna, and swarms of jacks to the mix and you’ve got a dive that’s nothing short of legendary.
“Best diving I’ve ever done! Wow! I had watched some videos about this Socorro trip, so had some idea of what we would see, but actually seeing it was indescribable! The mantas came so close and really spent time looking into my eyes — I could see them thinking! Huge schools of fish that mantas would emerge from, and sharks slowly moving below us, was just magical! The cleaning station at The Canyon was an experience in itself! Watching this everyday, normal behavior for sharks and mantas that is happening daily was a gift to see! I will never forget this trip and all the wonderful crew!”
Daniel (Guest) – Jan 17, 2025
“What an amazing place in the world the Canyon is. We jumped in for our first dive in the blue on our way to the reef, and a pod of 7 dolphins dove from the surface directly to the group. They stayed with us for a few minutes as we drifted toward the rock. As we entered the reef, it was like being in the opening scene of The Lion King. All the animals were there: the schooling scalloped hammerheads, two chevron mantas, Galapagos sharks, silvertips, dusky sharks, and even two tiger sharks. It was breathtaking to witness such a healthy ecosystem. Cannot wait to go back to The Canyon next week!”
Celina (Dive Guide) – December 12, 2024
Tiger shark 
Hammerhead sharks
Dive sites at Roca Partida Island
Roca Partida
Roca Partida, which means ‘split rock,’ is exactly that — a narrow pinnacle that splits in two at the top, rising dramatically from the open sea. It might be small, but this site seriously punches above its weight. The ledges and cracks along the rock face host clusters of whitetip reef sharks, affectionately known as “cuddle puddles.” But that’s just the beginning — Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, tuna, dolphins, manta rays, schooling jacks, and even whale sharks and whales all make appearances here. You can circle the entire site several times in one dive, and every lap brings a fresh dose of wow.
“The last dive of the day at Roca Partida is intense and adrenalinic. As the sun goes down, all the white tips, silver tips, and Galapagos get out. The hunting time starts and the sharks and tunas know that! All the dozens of white tips that we have seen resting during the first dives start swimming around on the upcurrent side of the rock looking for a snack. Silvertips in the blue swim all over, and creole fish move in an erratic way when the sharks arise. My favorite part of these dives is the sound that the fish make when the yellowfin tuna gets inside the schooling of cottonmouth jacks to catch something. They move all together, changing directions, and we can feel it, hear it, and see it. Roca Partida is a gas station in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where the sharks and pelagic animals stop to eat and to get clean.”
Celina (Dive Guide) – January 5, 2025
“Day three on our trip and we find ourselves at Roca Partida, and it did not disappoint per usual. Just after we jumped for our second dive, I saw Marcel pointing to something in the blue. I kicked quickly over to him, and I see… TWO WHALES! Absolutely magnificent. This was my first time seeing them, and I couldn’t be more pleased. It was a wonderful day filled with fabulous memories. Thanks always to the amazing crew at Nautilus!”
Kristy (Guest) – March 17, 2025
These waters are remote, raw, and absolutely teeming with life. But what truly sets Socorro apart isn’t just the species count — it’s the connection. It’s locking eyes with a manta ray that seems to see you. It’s the dolphins that join you mid-dive just to play. It’s that moment when a wall of hammerheads appears out of the blue, and all you can do is stare.
Scuba diving in Socorro isn’t just about big animals — it’s about big feelings. It’s awe. It’s adrenaline. It’s everything you hope diving can be.
Come experience the best dive sites in Socorro for yourself!
Read trip info here!
