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Giant Manta Diving

 

                 

 

Expedition:

 Scuba diving with giant mantas, hammerheads and other sharks.

2014 Dates:

 March 19-26 4 SPOTS LEFT.

Location:

 Isla Socorro, Revillagigedo Archipelago, 200 miles south of Baja.

Accommodation:

 MV Sea Escape (liveaboard dive vessel)

Price:

 $2850


Read the Socorro Manta and Shark Adventure 2013 Trips Report

 

Come diving with friendly Giant Manta Rays and encounter migrating Humpback Whales. Also, expect to dive with playful bottlenose dolphins, Galapagos sharks, silkies, hammerheads, whitetip sharks and other pelagic predators at spectacular Socorro Island!

 

Join me for the trip of a lifetime!

info@BigFishExpeditions.com

 

Join me on this 8 day expedition to beautiful Isla Socorro which lies 240 miles south of Cabo San Lucas (our point of departure for this epic adventure).

 

MANTA MAGIC!

The Giant Mantas at Socorro are huge and extremely social creatures. Its hard to imagine until you dive there but these mantas  actually seek out divers, returning to them dive after dive for attention. Some researchers believe that the mantas enjoy the feeling of bubbles cascading over their bodies, others think that the mantas are actually curious about the divers and enjoy their companionship. What ever the reason is, the result is extremely close encounters with enormous animals dive after dive.

Socorro is one of the few places where you can see giant black mantas as well as the more conventional black and white variety. Spending an hour long dive with a six meter wide black manta that won't leave you alone is an experience you will never forget!

 

 

At Socorro, massive mantas block out the sun!

 

 

HUMPBACKS

The expedition is specifically timed to arrive in the heart of the giant manta season but it is also the best time to witness the humpback whale migration when mothers are looking after their newborn calves. The calves are sometimes curious and occasionally approach lucky snorkelers and divers.

 

Humpback Whale Diving Socorro


Humpback Whale Diving Socorro         Humpback Whale Tail Diving at Socorro Island         Humpback Whale Diving at Isla Socorro

 

Humpbacks are also known for their haunting whale songs and their acrobatic displays during which they often launch completely out of the water. Bring along a topside camera to catch these epic leaps and expect to see them slapping the surface with their enormous pectoral fins and tail flukes.

 

SHARKS, DOLPHINS AND OTHER MARINE LIFE

The abundant marinelife at Socorro attracts sharks and other pelagic predators from far and wide. Although its possible to see any number of different species, the most common sharks at the archipelago are Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, silvertips, scalloped hammerheads and whitetip reef sharks. Also expect to see sea lions, huge stingrays and more moray eels and octopuses than you can point a camera at.

 

 

                 

 

 

OUR ITINERARY:

DAY 1
We depart from Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico at 11:00 a.m. You will be picked up at your hotel at 9:00 and taken to the pier where the crew will transfer you in a tender to the Sea Escape. It takes about 22 hrs to navigate to the first island. You can whale watch along the way, bring your favorite home movies to play in the tv room or take advantage of this lazy day to take a nitrox class. Diving Nitrox will increase your bottom time on your dives at the archipelago.

DAY 2
We arrive early in the morning and enjoy a hearty breakfast. The first 'check out' dive is for testing buoyancy, new dive equipment and/or cameras. This is usually at a shallow, well protected dive site. Even the shallow inshore sites at Socorro attract big animals so get ready with your wide angle lens! We will likely attempt 3 to 4 dives during the first day depending on weather conditions.

DAY 3-6
We will dive at most of the epic dive sites in the Revillagigedo islands including famous spots like 'The Boiler' and 'Roca Partida'. Although giant mantas will be the focus, we will also target sites that are known to have schools of hammerhead sharks and other marine mega fauna. If there are lots of whales between dives we will also try to jump in with them to take some underwater images in the clear blue water around the islands.

DAY 7
After 3 dives we say farewell to Socorro and start the journey back to Cabo San Lucas. By this time  you should have thousands of digital photos and hours of video to keep you busy on the overnight sail back to Cabo.

DAY 8
We will arrive back in Cabo San Lucas some time in the afternoon. You will then be transferred to your hotel. If you have any energy left after this dynamic adventure, the group usually reunites for dinner and a night on the town before departing the next morning.

 

Don't miss this trip! Its one of the most well rounded adventures in the world!

 

manta ray feeding

 

CONTACT US ABOUT THE SOCORRO GIANT MANTA EXPEDITION:

 

info@BigFishExpeditions.com

Humpback Whale Diving Socorro

 

Join me for the trip of a lifetime.

info@BigFishExpeditions.com

 

silvertip shark diving

 

 

A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS FROM BIG FISH EXPEDITIONS FUNDS

THE PREDATORS IN PERIL PROJECT

predatorsinperil.org

 

 

 

Andy Murch

EXPEDITION LEADER

Andy Murch is an accomplished photojournalist specializing in big animals.

Andy's images and editorials have appeared in hundreds of books and magazines around the world from titles as varied as the Journal of Zoology to Digital Photography Magazine.

Andy is the Creator of the ever expanding Elasmodiver Shark and Ray Field Guide.

 

When not running expeditions or on photographic assignments Andy lives and dives on Vancouver Island, Canada

 

Andy is also the driving force behind PREDATORS IN PERIL which shines a spotlight on many endangered species of sharks that are overlooked by mainstream conservation groups. Predators In Peril is entirely funded by Big Fish Expeditions.

 

Find out more about PIP at:

PredatorsInPeril.org