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Big and Small Animals Delight at Socorro
Read MoreMantas, dolphins, sharks, rays, schools of tuna, and jacks… all you could want in one place!
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![Whale shark in the Sea of Cortez]()
Whale Sharks, Orcas, Sea Lions and More in Bahia de los Angeles
Read MoreIncredible. There must have been 3 or 4 whale sharks that we swam with.
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![Grouper in the Sea of Cortez]()
Lobsters, turtles and more at Isla Tortuga
Read MoreOn the second dive the current had changed direction so we went to the east side to drift dive and we encountered a piece of old net. While following it we saw it had 6 huge slipper lobsters tangled in it! Everyone that was with our group started to take out their baby knives and Rambo knives to set the lobsters free.
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Vibrant Visibility at Roca
Read MoreRoca Partida was amazing today, with its vibrant schools of fish as usual, great visibility, and stunning wall formation; however, the current posed a slight challenge and many divers had to surface after going blue attempting to locate schooling hammerheads. Calm conditions made surface operations run smooth, without incident. Current had slowed down in the afternoon and we descended into schools of wrasse, jacks, white tip sharks, and silver tip sharks in the clear blue water of Roca Partida. Cruising along the imposing sheer volcanic rock wall we came across gangs of silky sharks, wahoo, and lobsters staring at us through crevices in the wall, and some hefty yellow fin tunas who seemed masters of the blue water column we were intruding. We surfaced in time to admire the orange sun setting below the horizon before waving goodbye to Roca Partida as we secured the back deck and started heading to Socorro Island. Looking forward plenty of mantas and dolphins tomorrow. – Divemaster Aldo
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The Thrill and The Calm
Read MoreAs we swam into the deep blue surrounding the strange outcrop called La Roca Partida, I was filled with a strange combination of thrill and calm. You know, the calm you feel as the water gently rushes past, and the sound of your breath as the bubbles escape up towards the surface. The faint crackling of reef life faded as we continued our adventure – that’s where the thrill came in. I’ve never gone into the blue before, where your sole orientation is the opaque surface above. I always imagined that my heart would seize with fear, but no, the brilliant blue of the ocean with maybe a distant shifting shape of a fish or some other alien creature peaked my curiosity, and I kicked harder in anticipation of what we might encounter. And then, out of nowhere appears a hammerhead, gorgeous in its predatorial movement, so powerful! It swam towards us, paying no heed, as if we were below its attention. With one swift and solid flick of its grey tail it faded back into the thick blue water. Soon after we returned to the outcrop that descended roughly 10,000 feet, the final remains of an ancient volcano. Schools…
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I'm almost, but not quite, at a loss for words in attempting to describe the giant manta experience we had today. I counted eight mantas in my field of view at once!
Read MoreWhat a show they gave us! I’ve been on many a manta dive, and the three today are without a doubt the three best I’ve ever had! They are majestic, inquisitive, and engaging, with the black manta (Stealth Bomber) stealing the show. The Nautilus Explorer did not disappoint; I’m so glad to be back on this amazing boat with their fabulous crew. Next up Roca Partida and all its sharks. Every time I think the diving can’t get any better out here, it does. – Nikki B Early Birthday present for me!!! Three amazing dives!! One great, two greater and three greatest!! WTF!! All expectations exceeded!! Thank you Joel and Juan for sharing the red HOT Boiler with us today!! First day diving on the Nautilus Explorer and can’t wait to see what the rest of the week holds!! Cheers! – Beverley B Another lovely day out in the Socorro Islands..spent at Roca Partida. Perhaps not the wildest day diving-wise but still plenty of white tips (jostling for a place on every ledge and cruising the waters), some Galapagos sharks and white tips and the lucky group who saw the huge school of hammerheads. We are having a glorious…
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Shark Week has nothing on us today. I got so used to the shark action that I almost skipped the last dive. Whale shark!
Read MoreOur first three dives were filled with the usual galapagos and silver tipped sharks, nests of white tipped reef sharks, giant tuna, wahoo and the odd pacific manta. My highlight so far was the three hammerhead encounters on my second dive this morning – stunning. I got so used to this amazing shark action that I almost skipped the last dive of the day to indulge in a little hot tub time; but I couldn’t resist the call of the shark and suited up for one last dive on Roca Partida. About 10 minutes in we were watching Galapagos sharks at 65 feet when I looked up and saw a massive tail go by above me. Something triggered in the back of my brain, Whale Shark! My buddy and I made the decision to go for it and we chased it 1/3 of the way around the island before we caught it. We burned 1000 psi of nitrox and got our cardio workout for the day but the great shots and video were so worth it. It was my first whale shark and the size and grace are amazing. Other divers managed up to 3 encounters as it circled the…
