Posts Tagged ‘Revillagigedos’
Monday, June 6th, 2011
The boiler today proved once again that diving here can be like swimming in an aquarium. We entered the water with schools of Big Eye Trevally Jacks in the blue around the boiler and thousands of colourful Wrasse’s all around the top of the boiler. Dropping down and moving around the nooks and crannies are filled with lobsters, moray eels, hawk fish of all sizes and varieties, and an occasional octopus den. Moving deeper we found groups of Moorish idols feeding along the wall and Bluefin Trevally swimming just outside of us trying to figure out what we were up to. Rounding the north end of the boiler we ended up in an unusually large school of Burrito Grunts. After a fantastic lunch by Juan Carlos we returned for a second dive at the boiler that proved to us once again that thousands of fish in all shapes and sizes and colors would adorn our dive. In the distance beyond the jacks we had a large school of Yellow Fin Tuna that circled the boiler for most of the dive and just before we were getting ready to head in we had one last visit with a Giant Pacific Manta that swam into our group and waved us all a goodbye.
Tags: burrito grunts, giant manta, Jacks, lobster, manta, mexico, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, socorro island, yellowfin tuna
Posted in Animals, Destinations, Guest Blog, Jacks, Manta, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, Socorro, Socorro Island, The Boiler, Tuna | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
After two great days of shark encounters at Roca Partida we traveled overnight last night 65 nautical miles to the largest of the Islas Revillagigedo, Socorro Island. Arriving here early this morning our first stop was the navy base at the south end of the island, where each trip we are boarded by the Mexican navy for a routine inspection to ensure all our paperwork is in order. After the inspection we headed to the west side of the island to our first divesite, Punta Tosca.
Weather conditions were great today as we anchored in the large sheltered bay created by the lava flow that is Pta Tosca. The water was a deep blue with great visibility as we jumped in for our first dive. Before long the first Giant Manta showed up, obviously in need of some human lovin’ as she circled in close visiting all the divers, giving everyone lots of attention. Then the second Manta arrived and it was manta heaven with some amazing interaction with the beautiful blue backdrop of the Pacific. Now, after a great dinner by chef Juan Carlos, we are just getting ready to jump in for our weekly silky snorkel. After dark is when we slip into the water off the stern to enjoy some adrenaline inducing and very close-up shark encounters and snorkelling as the 5-6 ft silkies zip around us. Tomorrow we’re heading to the east side of Socorro in search of more great Manta interaction and who knows what else! Remember there is still time to get in on some of this Manta lovin’ with us on our expedition departing June 22nd. Email us info@nautilusexplorer.com!
Captain Gordon Kipp
Surface conditions: Air temp 22-29C, winds light, skies mostly sunny with clouds in the morning and evening.
Diving conditions: Water temp 24C, visibility 15-25m, current slack to moderate
Tags: giant manta, manta, mexico, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, Roca Partida, silky sharks, Socorro
Posted in Animals, Captains Log, Destinations, Giant Mantas, Roca Partida, Silky Sharks, Socorro | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
Everything seemed to come together to make this trip a truly wonderful experience. The gorgeous weather, the great company of the guests and crew, and of course, the diving. I don’t know how to describe the diving in a way that will justify the experience!
Whale sharks, mantas, dolphins, false-killer whales, octopus, Galapogos sharks, Hammerhead sharks, Silky sharks…I could go on and on. It really was a magical time at the Islas de Revillagigedo’s and all aboard the Nautilus were blessed with great dives, even me!
San Benedicto, Roca Partida and Socorro left us all feeling very privileged. We departed the islands through some large swell and heavy wind which delighted some guests as they enjoyed the adventure of ‘being at sea!’ Hatches were dogged down and everyone held on as the ship rose and crashed down on the waves. It was blue water cruising at its best! We made our way north and eased into the Sea of Cortez under a stunningly beautiful sunrise.
The weather was calm and ship steamed along, everyone comfy and happy. We stopped at 4 amazing divesites in 2 days, including an entertaining dive with dozens of playful sealions. Some divers reported sea lion pups playing and coming close for a kiss. Games of hide-and-seek and tag kept the entertainment coming. It was a slow cruise back to Cabo below a huge orange moon and as I watched the sun rise out of the Eastern horizon I realized how rich I really am.
Captain Kevin
Tags: captain's blog, giant manta, manta, mexico, Nautilus Explorer, Octopus, pilot whales, Revillagigedos, Socorro, Whale Shark
Posted in Animals, Cabo Pearce, Captains Log, Destinations, Galapagos Shark, Giant Mantas, Hammerhead shark, Manta, mexico, Nautilus Explorer, octopus, pilot whale, Revillagigedos, Roca Partida, San Benedicto, scuba diver, Socorro, Socorro Island, whales, Whalesharks | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 16th, 2011
How was your day?
Two lovely dives today. Sort of like a walk in a park.
Erik.
Every thing was great. The dives, the boat, the food and especially the crew.
Marianne, from Switzerland.
How was your day?
Galapagos sharks, white tips, a couple of hammers. Many octopi out and about. Nudibranchs on the wall for the macro photographers. Evening snorkel with the Silkies. Jacks slammed in where the water was lit to feed. Touched the Silkies. They were soft, like…silk? Who’d have thought!
Bradley, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
How was your day?
Swimming summersaults with Sea Lions in the Sea of Cortez was simply wonderful. The huge whale shark was the fulfillment of my own personal diving holy grail. All around a wonderful trip and wish it were not ending.
Guest on Board May 14th 2011
All Images taken by Guest Mikko Varpiola copyright 2011.
Tags: Galapagos Shark, giant manta, guest blog, manta, mexico, Revillagigedos, Sea of Cortez, Socorro, Whale Shark, white tip reef shark
Posted in Animals, Destinations, Galapagos Shark, Giant Mantas, Guest Blog, Manta, Nautilus Explorer, nudibranch, Revillagigedos, Sea of Cortez, Socorro, Whalesharks, whitetip reef shark | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
After a relatively slow day the previous day at Cabo Pearce on the east side of Socorro Island, yesterday we moved to one of our favorite divesites on the west side called Punta Tosca.
We arrived the night before last and after dinner we had our weekly snorkel with the silky sharks. With all of our deck lights shining brightly and attracting the smaller fish that the sharks and dolphins feed on, the big animals were not far behind. First we spotted one, then two, three, four and more 5-6 ft silky sharks circling the boat congregating near the stern where the light was the brightest. At this point we slipped into the water in snorkel gear and enjoyed the adrenaline inducing thrill of coming face to face with these sharks, as they swam directly to us trying to decide whether we were food or not. Luckily they decided on the latter, but not before lots of extremely close-up encounters! "It is a great feeling!", commented Martin from Switzerland.
The following day we did 4 dives on the lava flow that extends out from Punta Tosca and into the rich waters surrounding Socorro. The amazing encounters continued today, but this time with the Giant Pacific Mantas that make Socorro famous. We had many individuals in the area today, maybe up to 10 could be seen on the surface at times feeding.
Beneath the surface we enjoyed up to 4 giant mantas at a time following us and interacting with us as only these animals do. Approaching us at eye level, and holding eye contact for several seconds. Or swimming directly above us and stopping, so that they would start sinking towards our head.
There is no need to swim after the animals here or try to chase them, simply carry on with your dive and they will follow you, directly behind or above you. At one point during my dive I had turned my attention away from the mantas, and was enjoying a juvenile galapagos shark circling below me. I felt something brushing my neck, and thinking it was a hose from my equipment I tried to push it away with my hand. Then I felt it again and proceeded to wrap my hand around it before realizing it was the tail of a Giant Manta Ray with a 14 ft wingspan which had decided to basically perch itself on my head! In addition to the Mantas, we had one dive with some great bottlenose dolphin interaction, as well as a big Tiger shark circling one group of divers several times, who managed to get a picture to prove their encounter with this infamous but elusive shark.
A really great day of diving at Socorro Island, and with more great interaction expected tomorrow at San Benedicto.
Captain Gordon Kipp
Surface conditions: Mostly sunny, air temp 22-26C, wind 10 kts, seas calm in anchorage Diving conditions: Visibility 10-20m, water temp 23-24C, current mild to strong
Tags: captain's blog, Galapagos Shark, giant manta, Hammerhead shark, manta, mexico, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, San Benedicto, Socorro, Tiger Shark
Posted in Animals, Captains Log, Destinations, dolphin, Galapagos Shark, Giant Mantas, Guest Blog, Hammerhead shark, Nautilus Explorer, Punta Tosca, Revillagigedos, San Benedicto, Socorro, Tiger Shark | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
We had the most calmest crossing leaving Clipperton for Socorro Island, Yesterday the sea was like glass. When the sun set blood red in the horizon in the west the full moon raised in silver at the same time in the south east. I think we all where there out side taking fotos. The flying fish where flying on the mirror like sea long long way until it landed chased by boobies that accompanied the Nautilus Explorer. A few turtles and some small dolphins was all what we saw of other life.
Arriving Roca Partida we where welcomed by breaching humpback whales and some of us also had the opportunity to get in the water with them.
The dives carried a lively water, as well in fairly strong current as lot of animals. We’ve been diving here a long time, knowing where to stay and find the hot spots we had big schools of big Tuna, Lots of big Galapagos sharks and also a good number of scalloped hammerhead sharks all at one place! All accompanied by humpback whale song. Wahoos where in hunting mood and flashes by in between the panicking creole fish.
After the dive we where still looking after the humpback whales and just for 10 min ago just going up to write this first the calf humpback made a full breach just followed by the huge mother whale all out of the water and landed with a big thunder!! I hear the guest as well the crew going WHHHAAAOOO!!!
We still have some day light left and are ready to get in if they come back by the Nautilus Explorer again.
Roca Partida is for me a temple in the middle of heart of mother ocean and I hope that it will bring joy and excitement to many more ocean lovers in many more generations after me. Tomorrow is our last dive day!
Surface conditions : Sunny , no wind , a deep but very long swell 30 C
Underwater conditions .It is warmer now! 24-25 C 75 F Viz from 18 -30m. 60 -110 ft.
Dive guide Sten Johansson
Tags: Clipperton Atoll, divemaster blog, diving, dolphin, flying fish, hammerhead, humback whale, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, Roca Partida, Socorro, turtles
Posted in Animals, bottlenose dolphin, Clipperton Island, Destinations, dolphin, Humpback Whale, Manta, Nautilus Explorer, Roca Partida, silvertip reef shark, Tuna, Tuna, Wahoo | No Comments »
Thursday, April 7th, 2011
Yesterday was the start of our annual trip to Clipperton Atoll (click for some info on the Island’s fascinating history), a coral Atoll that lies about 500 nautical miles southeast of Socorro Island. While the explorer makes it way down, to this unique and fascinating Island, we thought we would share some images from recent Socorro trips.
Enjoy!
Whale Shark at the Sea of Cortez – photo by Anja Tenbergen
Dolphins at the Revillagigedos – photo by Sten
Playful sea lions at the Sea of Cortez – photo by Anja Tenbergen
Dolphins following the boat – photo by Gordon
We’ll be back with current updates from the boat shortly!
Tags: Clipperton Atoll, dolphins, Revillagigedos, Socorro, Whale Shark
Posted in Animals, bottlenose dolphin, Clipperton Island, Destinations, dolphin, Manta, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, Socorro, Socorro Island, whales, Whalesharks | No Comments »
Monday, April 4th, 2011
Diving with resting humpback whale mother and calf!
We decided on our extra long trip to take out a third day at Roca Partida and we did not regret it!
The dives had been good and the whaling even better! On the 4 dives that we did today on all 4 we saw whales!
Photo by Volker Siedt
We had a cold thermo-cline pass by and suddenly we where surrounded by Galapagos , hammerheads and silvertip sharks. It all came at one time and did not last for more then 5 minutes and they where gone.
We where happy with that and started to ascend to the safety stop when I spotted something out of the rock, It was the pectoral fin of a mother humpback, We approached slowly and on 60 ft of water there they where! A mother resting and a calf just coming down to her cuddling up under the chin of the resting mother.
Photo by Sten Johansson
I hardly dared to either breathe or move and the current pressed me closer to them that I slowly and carefully wiggled a bit away from them not to spook them. we where several being able to see this magic moment for a few minutes until the mother slowly rose up to the surface to breath and slowly went away in to the blue…
This is the best whale encounter I have had on scuba gear. It is breathtaking and some of us came out of the water crying.
Surface conditions ; Sunny , calm seas 26 C Underwater conditions : Low current , temp 22C 73F Viz 15m-25m. 50-90ft
Dive guide
Sten Johansson
Tags: humback whales, humpback interactions, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, Roca Partida, scuba diving
Posted in Animals, Destinations, Galapagos Shark, hammerhead, Humpback Whale, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, Roca Partida, scuba diver, Silky Sharks, Socorro, whales | No Comments »
Thursday, March 31st, 2011
I’m pretty sure a bottlenose dolphin tried to talk to me today, using his blowhole. I was in one of our tenders tied up at the divesite, waiting for the divers to come back. There were dolphins all around the divesite, coming up for a breath and then diving down to play with the divers. One time a dolphin came up right next to me in the boat, but when he expelled the gas through his blowhole he turned sideways a little so that his blowhole was partly submerged in the water, pointing it in my direction, and blowing out hard three times in succession, each time making a loud trumpet-like sound at me. I’ve never seen a dolphin display this behaviour before and I’m quite sure it was some attempt at communication. The way he tilted his body sideways so that the blowhole was submerged just enough to create the trumpet-like noise was quite deliberate. Anyway, I did my best trumpet imitation back at him and he immediately descended back into the divers bubbles. I guess he didn’t like what I had to say.
Captain Gordon
Photo by Jeroen Elout
What a beautiful day, I do not know what to name first, started off with giant Mantas again, you start to look up and go oh, o.k. Manta again where are the dolphins and the whales ? Guess we are getting spoiled … Had a couple of big hammerheads but really shy. Some silver tips a little bit more curios a lot of small stuff again if you watch out for it like a big group of spotted puffer fish eating up the rest of a giant lobster head.
But definitely to personal highlights of our “diving life” was a group of six dolphins playing with us through out the whole dive. I realized there are some a little bit shy always sticking to a more curious one, some were imitating our bubbles and some needed a little bit entertainment to stick to us otherwise they went of thinking probably boring divers-we play somewhere else…but maybe we are just interpreting a lot of human feelings into this always smiling face. I definitely felt touched by looking in their eyes.
Photo by Christine Hagen
Finally we went whale watching with the zodiac and while snorkelling we had twice a mother and calf in the water with us although we had to be a little bit sportive to get to them it was a moment we will never forget and on video or camera the best picture is in our head of a comparably small calf swimming besides its huge mother moving silently beside us and then with a wave of their fluke disappearing into the depth of the ocean again-leaving us behind-startled-full of emotions and overwhelmingly happy…
Annette and Birte from Germany:
Tags: captain's blog, dolphins, Giant Mantas, guest blog, hammerhead, Hammerhead shark, humpback whales, Mantas, mexico, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, Socorro
Posted in Animals, Captains Log, Destinations, dolphin, Guest Blog, hammerhead, Humpback Whale, Manta, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, scuba diver, Sea, Socorro, whales | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
Non stop mantas at the closest cleaning station full with Clarion Angelfish at 5m depth and no current!
Sten / Sweden , Offerdal
Photo by Volker Matthes
Again Mantas, silver tip sharks and while waiting for bigger things to come even nudibranches! On the first dive during the safety stop coming up the unbelievable happened Birte saw a humpback whale just crossing the ridge we dove before underneath her !!! Waiting probably for everybody to disappear to sneak into the bay were some other people of the group saw her with her calf plus a huge great hammerhead and dolphins. What a spoiled dive-is there more to come?
Photo by Gabriela
On the third dive again a group of five dolphins playing with us, myself spinning around like crazy-doing dolphin animation feeling totally drunk afterwards because our ears are not made for spinning around. But for a moment looking into the eye of one of the dolphins really close you feel a little bit like finally a part of the element ocean and not anymore a stranger. Too philosophic or just to much nitrogen 
Annette and Birte from Germany
Tags: divemaster blog, diving, dolphins, giant manta, guest blog, manta, mexico, Nautilus Explorer, Revillagigedos, scuba diving, Socorro
Posted in Animals, Destinations, Giant Mantas, Guest Blog, Humpback Whale, Manta, Nautilus Explorer, Socorro, Socorro Island | No Comments »
