Diving in Socorro Island is a pelagic lover's paradise. As a lonely seamount far offshore, the island attracts a number of sociable species. Among them are large groups of giant manta rays (possibly the world's friendliest) who love to swim beside you often less than a meter away.
Play an epic game of pelagic bingo while diving in Socorro Island. Wild bottlenose dolphins seek you out to join them in their antics. Rather than swim away at the sight of divers, these dolphins are known to approach you and remain for several minutes.
Watch humpback whales breach the surface, or nestle into boulders to observe seven shark species - including the whale shark. Strong currents make diving in Socorro suitable for advanced divers only, but the rewards are immense.
The season for diving in Socorro is winter (November-May) as the only way to access the island is by liveaboard who only sail when sea conditions are calmest.
The weather is usually sunny around this time with occasional showers to keep things fresh. Waters range from 82ºF (28ºC) in November to 69ºF (21ºC) in February and back up to 68ºF (25ºC) in May. These rich winter months bring with them the main spectacles of Socorro Island diving: whale sharks, Pacific manta rays and thousands of humpbacks that come here to breed and calve. January-March is best for bottlenose dolphins.
Silky sharks, Galapagos sharks, white tips and silvertips are around all season. Plankton blooms that draw in these pelagic can lower visibility, but the breath-taking encounters are worth the trade-off.
Located 390km off the Baja Peninsula, Socorro Island offers some of the best diving in Mexico. Socorro is one of four remote islands (collectively know as Revillagigedo) so the journey usually involves a mix of air, road and sea travel. The world-class biodiversity on offer makes it worth the extra planning.
Assuming you are an international diver, the first leg of your journey for diving Socorro Island will involve getting to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. This part is pretty simple as you can fly non-stop to Cabo (Los Cabos International Airport) from London (12h 5m) and Los Angeles (2h 10). From Singapore you can take a non-stop flight to Los Angeles (15h 10m) and connect to Cabo from there.
From Los Cabos International Airport to Cabo San Lucas - the gateway for diving Socorro Island - is a 45m drive. Once there you’ll need to board a liveaboard to Socorro Island (24h). Finally - this stunning ocean is yours to explore.
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