The world's friendliest Giant Mantas

You can see mantas in many places around the world. But nowhere else boasts a population of giant mantas that literally seek out interaction with divers and snorkellers. The behaviour these giant mantas exhibit is almost inexplicable. These gentle giants with a wingspan up to 20 feet consistently approach divers for intimate eye-to-eye encounters. If you are able to be calm and still in the water, you are almost sure to experience what we call “manta love.” While mantas are the main reason to voyage out to Socorro, there are lots of other animals to see, including schooling hammerheads and silky sharks, plus 8 other species of sharks, bottlenose dolphins that consistently hang out with divers at certain dive sites, large schools of pelagic fish, and, in season, humpback whales.

“Today was my best diving ever! Within four minutes, as I was just checking my depth, a dolphin came within arms length and wanted to play. Within seconds another 5 showed up! I think we had 15-20 on the site at one time. I believe it was an official “play date.” As I turned around to take more video of the dolphins, two mantas showed up and they were trying to imitate the dolphins by diving down and up. The dolphins and mantas stayed with us for the entire dive! This was my first time on a liveaboard dive boat and I have been so impressed with the staff and safety of the boat. The staff were there to care for our every need and they worked together very well. You could tell they really enjoy what they do. I would return to the Belle Amie again and highly recommend you give them a try. Did I mention the food was delicious!?”

– Francie R., March 2018

Your journey with us will include four dives per day (subject to weather and unforeseeable circumstances)—each an opportunity to encounter resident pods of playful dolphins. You may also see up to 10 varieties of shark: schooling scalloped hammerheads, solitary giant hammerheads, Galápagos, whitetip reef, silver-tip, silky, tiger and oceanic whitetips. The list also includes whale sharks and dusky sharks and on occasion even a thresher shark.

Nautilus Odysseys Ep. 12 – Dreaming of Dolphins

Nautilus Odysseys Ep. 13 – Here Comes The Sun