Last December Randy and I took a trip to the Revillagigedo’s Islands, better known as the Socorro Islands. Actually, only one of the islands is called Socorro, but anyway. It is a complete amazement that only 9 months later, Randy had to have a double lung transplant. That is a story on its own! http://tamtravels.wpengine.com/category/midlife-journey/transplant-an-unexpected-journey/.
December, 2012
Ah, I continue my search for diving with Manta Rays and Whale Sharks, and really, sharks of any kind. I enjoyed my Volunteer trip to Mozambique, but as I said in my blog, the diving was disappointing. So, a friend who has a non profit called Pelagic Life, recommended the Revillagigedo Islands, an archipielago commonly called the Socorro Islands. Randy and I left Dec 1 for Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, so we could relax before boarding the Solmar V, a live aboard dive boat, on December 2nd. We stayed at one of the hotels recommended by the Solmar V, the Playa Grande, a very nice hotel. We only had one mishap….usually it is me falling or doing something else stupid, but this time it was Randy.
Going to dinner he fell up the stairs. Yes, UP the stairs. We sat down for dinner and he iced his head, where he had hit the ground. Oops! Nice bruise and scraped head. He felt as stupid as I do when I fall, I think.
First afternoon on the boat. We left Cabo San Lucas yesterday at 5p, and should arrive San Benedicto (one of the archipelagos) around 4p today, part of the Revelligigado Islands. We will do one check out dive. The dive briefing this morning was about an hour and a half, I know I won’t remember half of it. Leaving Cabo’s Marina, it is beautiful, but I’m anxious to get in the water!
Randy and I are on the Solmar V for the second time, the first trip we took with them was to Guadalupe Island to cage dive with the Great Whites. One of the dive masters and a couple of the crew remembered us…mainly because of a little excitement at Guadalupe, where a big, beautiful Great White kind of ended up half into the cage I was in. Check out THAT story! Anyway, nice to find familiar, friendly faces. One of the dive masters is the guy who pulled me out of the cage after a Great White came for a little visit and chewed on my air hose. Thanks, Erick! Now, that was a trip!
So we just had a look at the animals we expect to see on this trip, whale sharks, manta rays, hammerheads, tiger sharks (holy s&%t, Batman!), silkies, false killer whales, dolphins…..I am so excited!
Randy is taking a Nitrox class, every single diver on this boat is a Nitrox diver. We are truly in the middle of the ocean, water as far as the eye can see, I am getting used to it now, it makes me very sleepy, as though I am being rocked in mother’s arms. The dive will be exciting this afternoon, I am sure!
Dive: Yes, our first dive was incredible! The conditions remind me very much of Africa and Mozambique, the rocky reef structures, the depth, strong current, but the visibility is much better, and the water warmer. Although I saw many new creatures in Africa, the trip (dive wise) was a bit disappointing….a lot of work and challenging diving for no whale sharks, no manta rays, only a couple of white tip sharks. San Benedicto does not disappoint! The first dive was full of white tips and Galapagos sharks as well as a few Hammerheads and manta rays! Some people saw a whale shark….sadly, I was not one of them. Oh, the mantas! So huge, so graceful, so gorgeous! There is nothing quite like them. It is so imperative to keep these animals safe and in the ocean where they belong, not in a Chinese medicine bottle. I’ve seen them, but to be so close to one is such a privilege!
Our dive master is Danny, the hero of the Whale Shark rescue which you may have seen on the news. Here is a link to it in case you missed it! tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLyoIb9fLCI&list=UU1QoU6b96y2r5hWKVML3wpA&index=2&feature=plcp. Go to 5 minutes and you will see the footage. And the great news is that she was seen again not long ago in the Sea of Cortez! So she and her babies did just fine. and the other dive masters are David and Erick. All of them are wonderfully nice and accommodating. Two trips ago, at Roca Partida, the divers ran across a huge female whale shark with a rope constricting her from the pectoral fins around her body. They believed her to be pregnant. The next dive when they saw her, Danny was ready with a knife and he carefully cut the barnacle encrusted rope off of her. The rope had cut into her pectoral fin, and had to be pulled away from her body. What an adventure!
Our first meal aboard was delicious and well served. The Solmar V is not the most beautiful boat, it is older but very comfortable, and the crew is extremely organized and friendly. If you love to dive, this is a trip you do not want to miss. We went to our cabin tired but happy, happy, happy!
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